A ‘rare’ baby rhino just arrived at Florida’s Lion Country Safari

Say hello to Ruby the rhino.

Make way for Ruby, the new Southern White Rhinoceros calf at Lion Country Safari in Loxahatchee, Florida. Born on Aug. 6, the healthy calf marks the park’s third rhino birth in less than a year. Ruby’s birth contributes to the White Rhinoceros Species Survival Plan, a countrywide effort to protect species from extinction. Since 1979, Lion Country Safari has recorded 39 rhino calf births at the park.

“Both the calf and mom are spending quality time bonding together in a maternity area, and will be visible to guests from their cars in the drive-through safari,” the park said in a press release.

While the park hasn’t weighed Ruby yet, official estimates place the newborn at about 100 pounds. In the first three years of life, a baby rhino can gain about 1,000 pounds annually. The calf nurses for two years and gains about 3 or 4 pounds daily. Park officials will monitor Ruby’s growth to ensure her health and safety.

Ruby’s birth makes 7-year-old rhino Blossom a first-time mother. According to Lion Country Safari, “Blossom’s family line is considered underrepresented in the population; each offspring’s genes are important to the overall diversity and health of the population under human care and to the conservation of the species.”

Classified by the World Wildlife Fund as “near threatened,” the Southern White Rhinoceros population faces threats such as poaching and habitat loss. In the 1970s, the species approached extinction with a population under 1,000. Thanks to conservation efforts, the white rhino population is now estimated at 18,000-20,000.

Currently, Lion Country Safari houses 16 white rhinos, including 12 females and 4 males. The park also participates in the American Institute of Rhinoceros Science (AIRS) research program to help ensure healthy rhino populations. 

Track Ruby’s journey via the Lion Country Safari Twitter account.

Lead image via Lion Country SafariÂ