Ashakiran, the 11-year-old rhino at the Toronto Zoo, gave birth Wednesday evening - and the new baby rhino is absolutely adorable! It's the first Indian rhino to be born at the zoo since 1999, so the zookeepers are thrilled, reported BlogTO. Indian rhinos are listed as a vulnerable species, with only 2,000 left in the wild, explained the Toronto Zoo on Facebook.
The zoo uploaded the video below to its YouTube channel and tweeted about the rhino's birth. In the video, we see a calm and happy mama rhino cozying up to her newborn son. It's a familiar scene that, despite the rhinos' incredibly different look, resonates with humans.
Ashakiran had the baby with Vishnu, another Indian rhino, and her gestation period lasted a whopping 16 months. The first month of the baby's life is a critical time for the health of the mother and child, so they're in a special enclosure at the zoo and being taken good care of. They'll soon be out for us to see at the zoo!
The baby has already taken its first steps at just 2 days old, reported the Toronto Star, and he looks healthy and is eating well. The zoo promises more photos and videos of Ashakiran and her baby.
