Black rhino pregnancy update
About six weeks left before baby rhino number two makes an appearance!
Our beautiful female eastern black rhino ‘Dakima’ is due to be a mum for the second time – with baby number two due sometime in November!
Earlier this year, we announced that we were expecting another rhino calf at the Kifaru Reserve enclosure! Having welcomed our first calf ‘Glyndwr’ in January of 2020 – we were delighted to discover Dakima became pregnant again with mate Nkosi. Nkosi still resides at the Kifaru Reserve zoo exhibit, along with ‘Aunty’ Manyara, our older female.
Keeper Pete has been caring for Dakima throughout her pregnancy, alongside our other fab keepers – and with only six more weeks to go – he was delighted to give us an update on how things are progressing, and even show us footage of baby kicking away happily in mums belly!
“Black rhinos are pregnant for around 15-16 months so it’s amazing to think she’s been expecting baby number two for well over a year now!
pete, rhino keeper at folly farm
Dakima is doing really well and we’ve just started to really see baby kicking which is such a privilege and so exciting to watch!
We’re hoping to welcome baby number two around mid-November so watch this space!”
This pregnancy is so important for the critically endangered species, and is part of a managed breeding programme. In 2015, when the black rhinos first arrived at Folly Farm, there were thought to be fewer than 650 individual eastern black rhinos left in the wild. However, thanks to global conservation efforts, numbers have now doubled with almost 1400 wild rhinos and approximately 85 eastern black rhinos residing in zoos across Europe!
Let’s hope all continues to progress well and we can bring you some happy news of this very important baby’s arrival next month!