Zoo Atlanta welcomed the birth of its first southern white rhinoceros on Christmas eve. Park officials said in a press release that the calf appears healthy and strong and is receiving appropriate maternal care from its mother.

The southern white rhinoceros is classified as near threatened with a little over 10,000 mature rhinos in existence, according to International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).

Park staff first detected the pregnancy of 22-year-old mother Kiazi back in spring 2023. Kiazi and 12-year-old father, Mumbles met at the zoo in early 2022. The zoo said the calf and its mother will continue to bond before entering the rhino habitat.

White rhino newborns can weigh between 100 to 150 pounds at birth, making them one of the “animal kingdom’s largest terrestrial mammal babies.” White rhino pregnancies are one of the animal kingdom’s longest, averaging between 16 months and 18 months.

Raymond B. King, Zoo Atlanta’s president and CEO shared his joy for the birth of the calf, “The Zoo Atlanta family is beyond excited about the birth of Kiazi’s calf. This birth has been long-awaited news for many months.”

The calf is the second rhino to be born at the zoo, following an eastern black rhino born in 2013, according to park officials.

Southern white rhinos are a vulnerable species

The IUCN said the population trend for southern white rhinos is decreasing, with 19,600-21,000 southern white rhinos in protected areas and private game reserves, especially in South Africa, according to National Geographic.

In its press release, Zoo Atlanta said, “While poaching for their horns is a serious issue for all rhinos and has already resulted in the extinctions and near-extinctions of some species, southern white rhinos are especially vulnerable because they often travel in herds in the wild, a behavior that makes it easier for poachers to locate them.”

The zoo continued, “Powdered rhino horn is believed by some cultures to possess medical properties, although rhino horns are made of keratin – the same substance found in human hair and fingernails – and have no known medicinal value."