Baby Indian Rhinoceros Born at Bronx Zoo Put on Public Display [Video]

A baby Indian Rhino born in the Bronx Zoo is now making its public debut, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Indian rhino or greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) are native to swamps in Northern India and Nepal. Currently, about 2,000 wild rhinos are found in India. It is estimated that the zoos in the U.S. have about 56 of these rhinos.

The female calf was born to Penny (mother) and Sanjay (father) in April and had weighed about 120 pounds then. She is expected to weigh about 4,000 pounds after reaching adulthood. Indian rhinos have a gestation period of about 16 months. The new female calf is the 13^th such calf to be born at the zoo since 1986, according to a news release.

The Indian rhinoceros have one horn and a thick armor-like skin. These animals have a keen sense of smell and are surprisingly good runners given their enormous size. Research has shown that, when agitated, these rhinos charge with a speed of 30 miles an hour. They can even change directions while running.

Their distinctive feature- the horn- makes them a target for poachers. Southeast Asian countries such as China, Hong Kong and Singapore have high demand for the horn and thick rhinoceros hair. Demand from the Chinese market in 2011 saw the rhino horn price reach £60,000 or $ 92,000 per kilogram.

Indian rhinoceros is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. Horn trade saw the rhinoceros numbers drop to just 20, a few decades ago. But, efforts by the conservation groups along with strict protection from India and Nepal have brought the animals back from the brink of extinction.