SUPPORTING RHINOS “ONE NAME” AT A TIME

TORONTO, ON, Wednesday, February 14, 2018: On Sunday, December 24, 2017, the Toronto Zoo’s seven year-old female white rhinoceros (ceratotherium simum) gave birth to a male rhino calf at 10:45 pm.  Then, on Thursday, January 4, 2018 at 11:04 am Ashakiran, a 13 year-old female greater one-horned rhinoceros (rhinoceros unicornis), gave birth to a male calf which also happened to be the first birth of 2018 at the Toronto Zoo! These recent births are very important for rhino conservation as the white rhinoceros is listed as Near Threatened and the greater one-horned rhino as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Declined to near extinction in the early 1900’s the greater one-horned rhino was once listed as Endangered however, with conservation efforts and strict protection, it was down listed to Vulnerable.

What is up next for our two rhino calves? A rhino naming of course! On Wednesday, February 14, 2018 the Toronto Zoo launched “Name Our Baby Rhinos” at torontozoo.com. People can vote for their favourite rhino names picked especially for each calf by their Wildlife Care keeping staff:

After each vote you will have the opportunity to donate to rhinoceros conservation at the Toronto Zoo and in the wild. These recent births are very important for rhino conservation because, currently, there are only approximately 3,500 greater one-horned rhinoceros in the wild and they are being greatly impacted by poaching, habitat degradation and human rhino conflict. There are approximately 19,682 – 21,077 white rhinos left in the wild due to the continued increase in poaching for their horn in the black market trade.

Drop by and visit our greater one-horned rhino in his indoor habitat starting Thursday, February 15, 2018 daily from 11:30am to 1:30pm.  Our white rhino calf and his family will not be visible until Spring. Contest ends as of 11:59pm on Wednesday, February 28, 2018 and names will be announced on Friday, March 2, 2018. Vote at www.torontozoo.com/rhinocalves/?i=name

Toronto Zoo Media Contacts:

Katie Gray, Supervisor of Public Relations and Events
[email protected] or #416-392-5941

Amanda Chambers, Public Relations and Events Associate
[email protected] or #416-392-5974