LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. — A white rhinoceros has been born in Arizona for the first time in decades, officials with the Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium and Safari Park said.
“This is the most significant birth we’ve had in the history of our zoo!” said Kristy Hayden, Wildlife World's president. “This baby opens up a whole new bloodline that will play a key role in rhino conservation for decades to come."
The female calf was born on Nov. 7 at the zoo, which is in Litchfield Park, and is in "excellent health," officials said. She has been named Siki, short for Masiki, meaning ears.
"She was tough to monitor through ultrasound because her ears kept getting in the way and after she was born, her ears were one of the first things to move after birth!” said Wildlife World's rhino specialist Emily Kading.
On Nov. 27, zoo officials shared video of the baby running and playing with its mother.
The zoo began a rhino conservation breeding plan about a decade ago which brought in three unrelated female rhinos who were orphaned in South Africa, including Siki's mom Zuri. Wildlife World also acquired a once imported male rhino, Maoto, from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
"I'm grateful Wildlife World had the resources and capabilities to import her mother Zuri from Africa, where she is no longer at risk of being killed by poachers, and to provide her and Maoto a natural environment to procreate!” Hayden said.
At the start of the 20th Century, 500,000 rhinos roamed the wild, according to wildlife researchers. Today, around 27,000 rhinos live in Africa.
"As part of Wildlife World's dedication to rhino conservation, the zoo works alongside the American Institute of Rhinoceros Science (AIRS) collaborating on new initiatives, taking rhino science to a higher level to improve genetic diversity and fight against the extinction of the rhinos!" a statement from the zoo said.
Up to speed
Watch 12News+ for free
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12News+ app!
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX."
Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.
