Birth of a black rhinoceros calf at Western Plains Zoo, 25 May 1996 – a fact sheet

The Black Rhino Conservation Programme at Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo, received huge encouragement on 25 May with the first successful birth of a rhino calf. Kalungwizi - one of the female black rhinos transferred from Zimbabwe to Western Plains Zoo in February 1993 - gave birth to a mate calf after a pregnancy lasting 15 months. The calf was sired by Siabuwe, the breeding-age male imported from Fossil Rim Wildlife Centre, Texas, in December 1994. The cow's birth represents significant progress in international efforts to reverse the decline of the critically endangered black rhino. The establishment in 1993 of a conservation programme at Western Plains Zoo ensured Australia would play a vital role in this world conservation initiative. The programme is conducted in collaboration with the International Rhinoceros Foundation, the Zimbabwe government and complementary captive breeding programmes in the USA.