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Zoo welcomes new addition to white rhino family

This reporter’s role is Public Interest Journalism funded by NZ On Air. Jonathan Killick

A 2-year-old rhino is coming to terms with no longer being an only child, following the arrival of sibling Amali at Auckland Zoo.

After enduring a 16-month pregnancy, Jamila the white rhino’s waters broke at 2.30am last Saturday.

Her newborn, estimated to weigh about 60kg, was standing within 20 minutes, and suckling within an hour.

Ungulates team leader Tommy Karlsson said it was a ‘‘very quick’’ birth and he was relieved that everything had gone well.

Auckland Zoo has chosen the name Amali – which is Swahili for ‘‘hope’’.

‘‘Welcoming a new rhino into the world is always cause for hope for the future of this species,’’ Karlsson said.

According to the zoo, southern white rhino numbers in the wild fell to less than 100 in the early 1900s. However, due to global conservation efforts, there are now about 20,000.

Jamila came to Auckland Zoo from Hamilton in 2018. She was paired with the zoo’s male, Zambezi, and in August 2020 gave birth to her first calf, Nyah, the first rhinoceros to be born at the zoo in 20 years.

Karlsson said a new sibling was a ‘‘big adjustment’’ for Nyah, who now had visual access to her mum and sister from a separate stall within the rhino barn. He said Nyah would be reunited with her family over the course of a week.

‘‘Nyah is doing remarkably well, and we expect that she and Amali will become great mates and enjoy playing, running around and going into the mud wallow together.’’

For now, Amali was still finding her feet and would stay with Jamila inside a heated barn, with access to the adjoining outside yard, Karlsson said.

The zoo expected that visitors would be able to get their first glimpse of Amali in the rhinoceros paddock from next week.

National News

en-nz

2022-10-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-10-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/281698323627792

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