The door to the indoor rhino habitat opens. Several pieces of apple have been placed by the entrance to tempt the animals outside. But at first it seems mother rhino Maburi has other ideas: she sticks her head out, picks up the closest piece of fruit and withdraws. A little later, however, another rhino head peers around the door – and this one is much, much smaller. Leaving her mum behind, the three-week-old calf trots confidently into the outdoors for the very first time. It is 12 October, and everyone at the Zoo is proud of our bold rhino baby.
She may not yet sport the impressive horns of her species, but the little rhino has gained plenty of strength in the first few weeks of her life. Now around 25 kilos in weight, she is spending time in the outdoor habitat with her mother Maburi (16), exploring her world with interest.
The sponsor of Maburi and her calf is local financial institution Berliner Sparkasse. The bank is asking the public to suggest names for the young rhino. Proposals can be made on Berliner Sparkasse’s social media channels, on Zoo Berlin’s Facebook page, or at the Zoo ServiceCenter.
Frank Weidner, head of corporate communication at Berliner Sparkasse, had this to say: “The baby rhino is an additional attraction for Zoo Berlin, which does such valuable conservation work. Berliner Sparkasse is delighted to be able to support those efforts.”
Since cold, wet weather is far from ideal for little black rhinos, during the winter Maburi and her baby will only be outside and on show to Zoo visitors for a few hours at a time.
