Cuteness overdose : Black Baby-Rhino! Look!

I love rhinos, they’re special to me, my ‘totem’ if you like  – don’t ask, it’s a bit of a personal story, wouldn’t even make sense for an outsider I guess – as you can see on my random AboutMe page.

In the US zoo of St Louis, a black rhinoceros was born on January 14, and the first photos are now in the press. If you missed it, just have a look !

DON’T YOU JUST WANT TO TAKE IT HOME AND CUDDLE IT ?
(mind you, 120 pounds at birth..)

With Mummy !  :

From the zoo’s press release :
A black rhinoceros calf was born to first-time parents, mother Kati Rain and father Ajabu (pronounced ah-JAH-boo), at the Saint Louis Zoo on January 14, 2011. Weighing 120-1/2 pounds, the little male is nursing well and being cared for by his mother, according to Zoo staff. Mother and calf are bonding in their off-display barn behind the scenes in River’s Edge. When the weather turns warmer, they will move into their outdoor habitat. A date has not yet been set for their debut. {St Louis Zoo}

The black rhino has experienced the most drastic decline of any rhino species. In 1970, it was thought there were about 65,000 black rhinos in Africa. By 1993, there were only 2,300 survivors in the wild. But according to the International Rhino Foundation, the total African population recovered to 3,610 by 2003. Black rhinos are heavily poached for their medicinal rhino horns. {REUTERS}

I’m off to find more photos. Soooo cute!

Link : More about Black Rhinos on wiki.