Fantastic news from Erfurt (DE): Southern White Rhino Marcita, 12 years old, is expecting her first calf!

Marcita arrived in December 2016 from Osnabrück and settled in quite well with the other Rhino lady, Numbi. Both females were then introduced during spring 2017 to the resident male, experienced bull Dino. Dino and Marcita mated few times during the following months. Keepers collected Marcita’s dung everyday for more than 100 days and finally this morning came the Official confirmation: a new baby rhino is on the way.

Since Southern White Rhinos have a very long pregnancy, between 16 and 18 months, the baby should come around Christmas 2018.

Erfurt had a long tradition in rhino babies: Numbi and the previous Rhino lady Temba, now in Czech Republic, gave birth to seven babies between 2001 and 2009 with the same male, called Kiwu. Unfortunately, since then, no more babies followed. In 2013, Kiwu was switched with Dino and things seemed promising, but again neither Temba nor Numbi let the male breed with them. The EEP Coordinator made the decision to split up the little crash once again and chose Marcita as a new breeding female.

Things went very well this time! We hope that great news could came from Numbi, as well.

Original announcements here