Kansas City Zoo wants help picking a name for its newest baby eastern black rhino
The Kansas City Zoo is asking the community to weigh in on names for its newest addition — a baby eastern black rhinoceros born on New Year’s Eve.
Zoo officials posted the contest to social media Tuesday, and gave voters a handful of names to choose between for the baby female rhino.
Voters can choose between five options chosen by the animal care team, including Eve, because the calf was born on New Year’s Eve; Kiara, which is Swahili for princess; Mandazi, a kind of fried bread that originated on the Swahili coast; Azula, the princess of the Fire Nation in “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and Zumi, because her mom Zuri gets the “zoomies.”
Each person can vote one time, and the most popular option will win.
The new calf is part of a critically endangered species.
About 740 eastern black rhinos are left in the wild in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The baby is also one of just over 50 eastern black rhinos in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, according to a news release from zoo officials.
The zoo’s conservation fund works with programs in Africa that aim to reduce poaching — the largest threat to rhinos in the wild.
Zoo officials said on Facebook that the baby is nursing, sampling some foods with her mom’s help and exploring her surroundings. She has also been walking and playing with her mom.
In a news release, officials said Zuri and the calf are staying in the rhino barn, where the new family can bond with limited human interaction.
When the zoo announced Zuri’s pregnancy in July in her third trimester, it said the calf would likely weigh between 75 and 100 pounds. The gestation period for rhinos lasts between 15 and 16 months.
“Throughout her pregnancy, Zuri received weekly ultrasounds and blood hormone monitoring,” according to the release. “Zuri’s animal care specialists trained with her in preparation for the regular checkups, so she was able to participate in her own care by patiently standing for the ultrasounds.”
In spring 2018, Zuri and the calf’s father Ruka were moved to Kansas City from the Oregon Zoo on a recommendation from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.
Zuri, 15, was born at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Ruka, 11, was born at the Saint Louis Zoo.
This story was originally published January 19, 2023 at 11:23 AM with the headline "Kansas City Zoo wants help picking a name for its newest baby eastern black rhino."
