Birth of White Rhino Calf in Florida Zoo Vital To Conservation of Species

Lion Country Safari in Florida welcomed a male southern white rhinoceros calf into its herd on March 3, 2024.

The calf, named Orion, is an important addition to the park's rhino herd, which is one of the largest in the country, as well as rhinoceros conservation.

Birth of a Rhino

Rhino give birth to one calf, which weighs between 88 and 132 pounds (40 and 60 kg). The calf is expected to gain 3-4 pounds (1-2 kg) every day from his mother's milk and approximately 1,000 pounds (450 kg) per year for the first three years.

Baby rhinos nursed for over two years.

Orion and his mother, Bloom, are spending time together in the West Palm Beach Safari Park's maternity section.

Lion Country Safari has long been involved in southern white rhinoceros conservation, and the calf contributes significantly to the White Rhinoceros Species Survival Plan, a national effort to save the endangered species from extinction.

During the 1970s, the species was on the verge of extinction due to poaching, with less than 1,000 animals remaining in the world.

Today, there are an estimated 20,000 white rhinos, thanks to multi-national joint breeding and protection activities, and each new birth helps to ensure their survival.

Poaching In South Africa

Poaching is driven by demand in Asia, especially in Vietnam and China, where the rhino horns are thought to have a curative effect in traditional medicine. Rhino horn fetches a weight-based price comparable to gold and cocaine on the clandestine worldwide market.

South Africa is home to approximately 15,000 rhinos, accounting for the vast majority of the almost 23,300 rhinos on the African continent.

The South African Environment Ministry is worried that the number of rhinos poached in the country increased by more than 10% in 2023 compared to the previous year.

According to the ministry, 499 black and white rhinoceroses were killed in 2023, the majority of which occurred in state-run parks, up from 448 the previous year.

The southeastern province of KwaZulu-Natal had the highest occurrences, with 325 deaths, the majority of which were poached in the province's Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, Africa's oldest reserve, where 307 dead animals were recovered.

Kruger National Park, which borders Mozambique, saw a 37% decline in rhino slaughter in 2023, with a total of 78. Security at the park, a popular tourist destination, has intensified in recent years following a dramatic drop in the rhinoceros population.

There were no rhinos poached in any other national parks, but poachers are increasingly targeting regional and private reserves and farms.

According to Environment Minister Barbara Creecy, law enforcement officials detained 49 alleged poachers in KwaZulu-Natal last year. Courts around the country convicted 45 poachers and hunters.

"Multi-disciplinary teams continue to work tirelessly in an attempt to slow this relentless pressure," Creecy said.

The surge occurs despite South Africa's announcement last year that it had identified a modest decrease in the number of rhinos murdered for their horns in the first half of 2023.

Poaching had increased following the lifting of lockdown measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.