Rare Eastern Black Rhino Born at Lincoln Park Zoo [Video]

A healthy, 60-pound eastern black rhino was born at the Lincoln Park Zoo last week, the zoo announced. This is the first black rhino to be born in the zoo since 1989.

The rare rhino was born to 8-year-old mother Kapuki and 27-year-old father Maku. The male calf is currently under observation.

"The calf divides his time between nursing, following mom around, and napping, and that is exactly what a baby rhino should be doing," Mark Kamhout, curator of mammals, told the Sun-Times Media.

This is the second black rhino to be born in the U.S. in 2013. In August, Andazia- a seven-year-old black rhino gave birth to a calf at the Atlanta Zoo.

Adult Eastern black rhinoceroses (Diceros bicornis michaeli) can weigh as much as 3,000 pounds. The species has two horns, with the front horn measuring 28 inches on an average. These rhinos are native to Eastern Africa and are an endangered species. Primary threats to rhino population include hunting, poaching and habitat loss.

Currently there are about 5,055 individual black rhinos in the wild, the zoo said in a statement. The new baby was born after careful planning by the zoo staff; they tested both Maku and Kapuki to understand their reproductive cycles and to figure out the right time to introduce the rhinos.

A typical rhino pregnancy lasts for about 15-16 months. Calves are active right after birth and tend to follow their mother for about three days.

The officials plan to keep the new baby rhino away from public display for a few more days to let the mother and calf bond better.