LANSING, Mich. — Tuesday, Potter Park Zoo in Lansing announced that a baby is on the way for a critically endangered black rhino.
The rhino, Doppsee, and her partner Phineus, bred in the summer of 2018.
A staff veterinarian confirmed the pregnancy on April 2.
Fecal samples were collected from Doppsee and sent to CREW (Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife, Cincinnati Zoo) for analysis.
“Based on her hormone levels we are confident she is pregnant,” said Dr. Ronan Eustace, the zoo’s Director of Animal Health.
They have also done ultrasounds which has confirmed the pregnancy.
If the pregnancy is successful, Doppsee will be due to deliver in late December. By Amy Murphy
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) there are only 5,000 black rhinos remaining in the wild and only about 60 at zoos in the United States. With wild rhino populations declining, it is imperative for the zoo populations to be diverse and sustainable. A successful pregnancy would mean the world to Potter Park Zoo, its employees, and all that visit, but it would mean even more to the black rhino population as a whole.
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