Move over Knut, there is a new baby in town!
A rhinoceros born Sunday in Germany is poised to become that country’s next cute and cuddly animal sensation.
The as yet unnamed baby rhino, already 128 pounds, will live at the zoo in the city of Münster and be raised by humans after its mother rejected it. The 18-year-old mother, Emmi, had killed two of her offspring previously, and was acting distraught during the birth.
“Emmi kept pushing the little rhino into a corner,” says a Münster Zoo biologist. “We decided to intervene after four minutes.”
The baby rhino is currently resting under two heating lamps and is being stroked regularly. “Physical contact is extremely important for these animals,” said Wewers.
On average, only three baby rhinoceroses are born in Europe annually, and very few survive outside of natural parks and reserves.
