San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Stories

A rhino was born just after sunset on Wednesday, February 7, at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. We call the mother "Kacy" and this will be her third calf. When a female rhinoceros goes into labor, it is standard procedure to have keepers keep a 24-hour watch on the mother and the calf. It is a cold night for a baby fresh out of the warm womb, and as I watch the calf stumble along his patient mother, a sense of quiet peace blankets me. The young calf whimpers out a series of soft honks, communicating to his mother that he is hungry and needs to nurse. I realize I would be at a great loss of these experiences if I had my nose buried in my electronics. My phone has been set aside, the radio is off, and all I can hear are Kacy's snorts of protection. It's just before six a.m. This calf has been living in a dark world its entire life and is about to see his first sunrise. I get to share it with him. All he knows is this one hillside, and now will experience so much more. It's the reason I love spending my days at the Safari Park; because of the complex acres this calf will explore, the relationships that he will get to build living in his dynamic herd, and all the interactions that he will be able to have with the other species exploring their environment, just as he is. As the dawn rolls in, other animals notice the new addition among them. Specifically, our giraffe have been staring from across the watering hole. What they are thinking, who can tell? But Kacy's first calf, Kayode, used to barrel through the exhibit like a wrecking ball with juvenile energy. And what this new calf will bring to the dynamics of the animals in our care will be exciting to witness. Sylvester Martinez is senior field keeper at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park