MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A new baby rhino made its public debut Friday morning at Zoo Miami, and there was a big gender reveal to welcome the newest addition to the zoo.
"This is certainly the most important birth of the year here at the zoo. Indian rhinos are a vulnerable species," Zoo Miami spokesman Ron Magill said.
Born on April 23, the baby girl greater one-horned rhino, also called an Indian rhino, and her mother are now out for the public to see.
The mother, Akuti, carried her baby for 15 months in a first of its kind pregnancy.
"It's the first time ever in the world that a birth is the result of induced ovulation combined with artificial insemination, so this is huge because it says a lot about our potential," Magill said.
Akuti, 7, and the baby rhino have spent the last couple of months bonding.
The father, Suru, 18, is being kept separate for the time being so there's no aggression among the family.
"That was pretty exciting. It was pretty cool," one zoogoer said about the rhino's grand debut.
According to Zoo Miami, there are less than 3,000 Indian rhinos left in the wild, and the numbers are decreasing due to poaching for the animals' horns.
"We have an insurance policy against the uncertain future in the wild. Being able to have babies like this born is a great insurance policy," Magill said.