A new Indian rhinoceros is born at Basel Zoo
Keystone-SDA
An Indian rhinoceros has been born at Basel Zoo. The first ever birth in captivity of this endangered species took place at Basel Zoo 70 years ago.
The nine-year-old female, Shakti, gave birth on Thursday to a male calf, named Xshama, Basel Zoo announced on Tuesday. The gestation period lasted 489 days, or around 16 months, and the birth took place without complications.
This is Shakti’s second calf, following Tican, born in 2022, and the first for the father, 11-year-old Puri. While Indian rhinos are generally solitary animals, the females remain with their calves, whose needs dictate the rhythm of their day. The mother only intervenes in the event of danger.
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Xshama’s birth coincides with the 70th anniversary of the species being bred at Basel Zoo: in 1956 the male Rudra became the world’s first Indian rhinoceros to be born in captivity. At the time, his birth caused quite a stir. Since then, 38 individuals have been born at Basel Zoo, which has maintained the international breeding register since 1972.
The population of Indian rhinos (Rhinoceros unicornis), a one-horned species found in Asia, has declined sharply in recent years. It is classified as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
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Translated from French, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
