TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Busch Gardens Tampa says workers have successfully introduced a new baby southern white rhinoceros, Nyota, and her mother to the rest of the herd.
Assistant curator Jason Green says the month-old female is exploring her new environment and developing as expected. Nyota was named following a two-week-long Facebook poll.
Nyota’s mother, Kasiri, has had two successful births previously. Workers say the calf’s father, Tambo, has also been gentle with his previous offspring.
Newborn white rhinoceros usually weigh about 150 pounds and can gain four pounds every day for the first year. White rhinos are the second largest land mammal after the elephant and can weigh up to 5,000 pounds.
Experts say the southern white rhinoceros is classified as a near-threatened species with just over 20,000 left in the wild.
Meet Nyota! With your help, our female southern white #rhino has a name! https://t.co/5aHNFtx5Ty pic.twitter.com/F4D0f65cRy
— Busch Gardens (@BuschGardens) November 12, 2015
