New Baby Rhino at the Zoo

 There is a new baby at the Pittsbugh Zoo, but at 70lbs it is not a very tiny baby.  Azizi the Rhino gave birth to a new baby last week at the Zoo.  It was her first baby in 45 years.  This baby will be a small step in the re-population of rhinos, as there are only a little less than 5000 left in the world.


Weighing in at nearly 70 pounds, the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium's newest addition is sure to be the city's biggest baby of the year.

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  At nearly 70 pounds, Azizi's new calf is sure to be Pittsburgh's biggest baby of the year.
  

Channel 4 Action News visited the zoo Thursday to get a look at the female calf that was born to Azizi.




“We are so excited to welcome a big, beautiful, bouncing, female rhino,” zoo president and CEO Dr. Barbara Baker said in a news release.

Zoo officials said keepers noticed Azizi pacing and appearing uncomfortable last week before she gave birth to the first baby rhino in the city in more than 45 years.

Keepers are continually feeding Azizi and making sure she keeps her strength up, because the yet-unnamed baby nurses every hour.

Visitors can check the zoo's website for information about when the baby will be introduced to the public.

Only 4,800 black rhinoceroses remain in the wild, dropping by 96 percent between 1970 and 1992, according to a news release from the zoo.

“The birth of a black rhino is significant because they are critically endangered and Azizi’s calf will introduce new blood lines into the zoo population,” said Baker.

Read more at WTAE.