Visitors to Salina’s Rolling Hill Zoo can see the new baby Rhino at the facility for the first time beginning Thursday.
According to the zoo, they will start allowing guests to see the first southern white rhino born at the zoo beginning Thursday, January 27th.
“This is a trial schedule as we continue to monitor mother, Evey, and her calf to guests in the barn. They have been doing great since the first of the year with new faces,” shared Brenda Gunder, RHZ Curator. “Our first priority is to
the mother and calf, so if we should start to see signs of distress during visitation hours, the barn will be closed.”
The rhino barn visitation schedule will be as follows:
- Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday – 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Tuesday and Thursday – 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- The barn will remain closed to the public on Wednesdays.
Guests will be required to bring their own facemask to enter the rhino barn. Strollers will not be allowed in the barn.
The male rhino calf was born on December 9th and will be 7 weeks old Thursday.
As a bouncing baby boy, this calf is very curious as he explores his indoor habitat and runs zoomies from one side to the other. He enjoys brush scratches from his keepers, is developing his “wallowing” skills, and has been
seeing munching on mama’s hay.
As any toddler will, he has also been seen nudging Evey to play, mouthing her face, eyes and ears, and bumping her with his developing horn. He will even put his two front feet on her as she is laying down to indicate that he’s ready to nurse.