Zoo will let patrons name new baby rhino
Posted at: 11/15/2012 11:52 AM
| Updated at: 11/15/2012 1:24 PM
By: KOB.com staff
 Photo: Courtesy ABQ BioPark |
Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry got up close and personal with a baby rhino Thursday.
The little guy is the latest addition to the Albuquerque BioPark.
He was born at Florida's White Oak Conservation Center two weeks ago. He didn't bond with his mom and has been hand-raised.
Biopark staff traveled with the rhino on his trip from Florida and moved the 169-pound baby into the BioPark on Wednesday.
So far the baby rhino doesn't have a name - but you are going to get to help choose one for him.
Starting Monday, you can go to the zoo's Facebook page and vote on a slate of names chosen by zookeepers.
Visit the page at facebook.com/abqbiopark.
"It's really exciting having this new friend at the zoo," said Berry at the zoo Thursday. "His species almost went extinct in the early 1900's due to hunting. So we feel very fortunate to get him to Albuquerque to contribute to the conservation efforts."
Creamland is donating milk for a year to help bottlefeed the baby rhino, who drinks three gallons of milk a day. It will gradually increase to 10 or 12 gallons a day.
Zoo officials say it will be several months before the baby will introduced into the rhino population at the zoo.
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