The San Diego Zoo Safari Park's newest baby rhino, born on Sunday, has a name, Edward.
The 148-pound calf is bonding with his mother, Victoria.
The baby rhino was named after a member of the Ellen Browning Scripps family. The family's foundation has made generous donations to the zoo's rhino conservation efforts.
The birth took about 30 minutes. Both mother and calf are doing well.
Zoo keepers said Victoria is a good, protective mother who is attentive to her new son. The keepers said Edward is nursing well, full of energy and curious.
The calf is the first baby rhino born using artificial insemination at the San Diego Zoo facility.
Victoria carried her baby for more than 490 days.
Victoria is one of six southern white rhinos that could become surrogate moms for the critically endangered northern white rhinos.
Historic rhino birth at San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The calf is a product of artificial insemination, and the birth is a key step on the path to allowing southern white rhinos to be surrogates for critically endangered northern white rhinos. pic.twitter.com/eCCVpN3DXn
— Erik Anderson (@KPBSErik) July 29, 2019
RELATED: Clock Ticking On Northern White Rhino
There are only two northern white rhinos left alive. Both are female and beyond breeding age.
Zoo officials are working to develop artificial insemination and embryo implantation techniques so they can put a northern white embryo into a southern white female.
Zoo researchers have access to frozen northern white cells that they hope to turn into eggs and sperm.
Meanwhile, there’s another southern white rhino at the safari park who was artificially inseminated. She is due around September.
