Unfortunately, the Southern white rhino calf at Werribee Open Range Zoo is no longer with us. The female calf suffered a neurological episode just before midnight on Saturday, followed by a cardiac arrest. Veterinary staff were unable to resuscitate her. She was only five days old, and was the first calf of the threatened species to be born at the zoo in almost a decade.
Rhino calf at Werribee Open Range Zoo
First-time mum Kipenzi gave birth to the calf just before 4am on March 21 last week, after a 16-month-long pregnancy. After the birth, zookeepers noticed an absence of healthy bonding, and the calf was not thriving as expected during her first hours of life. After consultation with the zoo’s veterinary team, the calf was given medical checks and supplementary feeding at the zoo’s vet clinic. The calf was provided with around-the-clock feeds of colostrum obtained from Kipenzi, and was in the process of being reintroduced to the mother. However, she had to remain under veterinary care.
A necropsy confirmed that the calf sustained a broken scapula. This broken bone was caused by interactions with Kipenzi in the immediate hours after the birth. It’s suspected that blood clots at the fracture site led to the neurological episode and consequent cardiac arrest.
“The death of any animal is challenging for all involved, but we can find comfort in the knowledge that every action was taken to ensure the calf was receiving the best care possible,” said Dr Mark Pilgrim, Director of Werribee Open Range Zoo. “We know this news will bring sadness to our zoo community, and our kind thoughts are with them and all who cared for this precious calf, and particularly with our vet and keeping teams who worked tirelessly to care for the calf over the past five days.”
This was the first calf of 9-year-old mother Kipenzi and 13-year-old father Kifaru. They were paired in 2019 as part of the Australasian rhino regional breeding and conservation program. Southern white rhinos are currently listed as Near Threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Their population is in decline, and there is an estimated 10, 080 remaining in the wild. Significant threats to the rhino include poaching and the illegal trading of rhino horn.