Kayode, an eight-day-old male southern white rhino, spent the morning running and interacting with his mother at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The youngster was eager to explore all the fun the 55-acre East African Plains habitat had to offer but stuck close to Mom while doing so.
Kayode, which means “he brings joy” in the West African language of Yoruba, was born the afternoon of Feb. 25 in full view of his keepers and Park visitors. The calf weighed an estimated 125 pounds at birth and, when full grown, can weigh between 4,000 to 5,000 pounds.
The southern white rhino is classified as “near threatened” due to poaching threats and illegal use of rhino horn. There are an estimated 20,000 southern white rhinos remaining in the wild. Kayode is the 93rd southern white rhino born at the
San Diego Zoo Safari Park and the 6th 3rd-generation calf born.