ANIMALS
Toronto Zoo Welcomes White Rhino Calf After ‘Significant’ Fertility Challenges
Toronto Zoo
The Toronto Zoo in Canada welcomed a white rhino calf on Thursday, born to a mother with unusual fertility challenges, the zoo said.
When white rhinoceros Sabi arrived at the Toronto Zoo in 2012, the reproductive science team conducted hormonal monitoring and learned she had long estrus cycles, at about 70 days long compared to the 30 days typical of fertile females. The long cycles made conception a significant challenge.
It took continual adjustments in daily care and diet, but in the spring of 2022 Sabi’s estrus cycles switched to the typical length. She was introduced to 15-year-old white rhino male Tom in the summer of 2022, and successfully conceived.
Sabi’s wildlife care team trained her to voluntarily participate in ultrasound exams, to monitor the calf’s development. Rhinos typically gestate for around 16 months.
As we’ve learned in many species, successful reproduction is dependent on optimal animal health and well-being,” Gabriela Mastromonaco, Senior Director of Wildlife Science at Toronto Zoo, said in a statement. “With fertility challenges being a significant concern for conservation breeding programs, your Toronto Zoo focuses on a holistic approach to well-being that brings together our wildlife care and science teams to develop treatment plans that support individual animal needs. We are excited to see our teams’ efforts rewarded with the new addition to our rhino family.
The new calf born at 7:58 a.m. Thursday after a few hours of labor is the second sired by Tom. The zoo said Sabi is doing very well as a first-time mother and can be seen keeping a very watchful eye on her little calf, by licking him and keeping him clean.
The calf, a male, will receive its first health check in the coming days. Sabi and the calf are not yet on view to zoo guests, while they remain behind the scenes.
TMX contributed to this article.
