Baby eastern black rhinoceros:

• The male calf was born July 1

• His birth is truly a rare event as he is the first eastern black rhinoceros calf born in North America since January 2011

• The as-yet-unnamed calf is the first for mother Kibibbi, who herself was born at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in 2003.

• The calf’s father is Jimma, who is now on loan to the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago.

• The calf’s birth marks the first time that three generations of rhinos have been represented at the Zoo – Kibibbi’s mother Inge, Kibibbi, and the calf.

Herd dynamics:

Inge: female, wild-born in South Africa, arrived at the Zoo in 1997, estimated to be 18- 20 years old, mother of Kibibbi and Johari. Inge has given birth to two other calves during her time at the Zoo – Azzizi, who now lives at the Pittsburgh Zoo, and Zuri, who is in Portland at the Oregon Zoo.

Kibibbi: female, born at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, 9 years old, daughter of Inge and mother of new calf

Johari: female, born at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, 1 year old, daughter of Inge

New calf: male, born at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, 1 month old, son of Kibibbi

• The eastern black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis michaeli) is classified as “critically endangered” in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the primary organization for quantifying conservation assessment efforts. The IUCN estimates there are less than 1,000 of this rhino subspecies left in the wild, concentrated primarily in Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania.

• Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has been very successful in breeding eastern black rhinos and participates in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Eastern Black Rhinoceros Species Survival Plan. SSPs are cooperative breeding and management groups for endangered or threatened species including black rhinos, lowland gorillas, polar bears and African elephants.

• The Zoo’s rhinos can be found in the African Savanna, between Monkey Island and the Sarah Allison Steffee Center for Zoological Medicine.