A baby black rhino at Chester Zoo has been named by its social media followers.
The rare mammal was welcomed into the world on November 12 following a 15-month pregnancy by mum Zuri.
And now her name has been announced… Lumi, which means ‘bringer of life’.
The zoo highlighted the uniqueness of a daytime birth for rhinos, emphasising that this timing allowed them to document the entire birthing process on camera.
Emma Evison, the Rhino team manager, expressed immense gratitude for the extraordinary privilege of witnessing the calf’s entry into the world.
The animal carers at Chester Zoo proposed names for the infant associated with the species’ origin.
The final decision on the name was determined through a voting process.
The birth of this calf holds significance in global conservation efforts, particularly for the critically endangered eastern black rhino species.
With fewer than 600 individuals remaining in the wild across Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda, these rhinos face severe threats, primarily from illegal poaching for their valuable horns.
Despite these challenges, recent reports suggest a positive trend, with an increase in the rhino population across Africa in both 2020 and the current year. This hopeful development marks a potential step towards preventing the extinction of this endangered species.
