![]() ![]() Though wobbly on its own four legs, it grew quickly adept at dodging Eesha’s heavy legs and feet, and her exceptionally long, curving horn, as it moved in a dance almost beneath its mother at times, rooting around in all the wrong places when first trying to nurse.īy Monday morning, the baby was nursing frequently and bonding well with Eesha, under the close eye of the animal care team and the preserve’s veterinarian, said Nancy Lang, who owns the 400-acre preserve and tourist attraction with her husband, Peter. This device is unable to display framed content. But its ears are in constant motion, sensing the sounds both unique and pedestrian of an African wildlife preserve in the Mayacamas Mountains, just outside suburbia. Wrinkly, dark and damp at first, the new calf has only a small bump where a horn will sprout one day and, at about 150 pounds, it is dwarfed by its mother’s sizable head. “This is the best day of my life,” said one of Eesha’s handlers, Lori McNeal, who had come to work at Safari West from a zoo out of state because of her love of rhinoceroses. Safari West is keeping the gender a secret because of a gender reveal event planned for later. Suddenly feet appeared, and after four pushes and a few minutes, the little baby was in the world and soon on its feet - if somewhat unsteadily and mystified looking. Then late in the day, things happened with lightning speed. Eesha, the 18-year-old Southern white rhino who has lived at Safari West preserve for 14 years, displayed unusual enough behavior early on Sunday to put her keepers on alert that the time for her to deliver might be close. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |