CUTAKI, A rhino, gave birth to a male calf in the zoo on Tuesday. Both the mother and the baby were hale and hearty.
Zoo director R Hemant Kumar said nutritious food, containing calcium, vitamins and minerals, was being given to the mother. As good quality of cane was not available, jaggery (gur) was added to her diet.
Kumar said following old traditions of the zoo, news of the new arrival was made public the second day. “No one was allowed to go near the mother and the baby on the first day,” he added.
The calf belongs to the family of rhino Mayang Kumari and Lakshit. Both were brought from Guwahati zoo in 1973 and 1974 respectively. Since then, the couple created a family of eleven rhinos, out of which five males and two females were sent to different zoos of the country.
Kumar said rhinos had the highest survival rate at the Kanpur zoo. After Guwahati, Kanpur was the first to have a population of eleven of these animals.
There was a Rhino Breeding Centre at the zoo.
Zoo records revealed that one of the female calves Rashmi was sent to Japan while her brother Lohit was sent to Lucknow zoo. Three other male calves Mohit, Rohit and Mudit were left at the zoo itself.
{{/usCountry}}Zoo records revealed that one of the female calves Rashmi was sent to Japan while her brother Lohit was sent to Lucknow zoo. Three other male calves Mohit, Rohit and Mudit were left at the zoo itself.
{{/usCountry}}The Director said ideal temperature, congenial environment, natural surrounding, proper care and good food helped rhinos to multiply here. He said rhinos have great resistance to diseases. But sometime they suffer from mild fever, indigestion and diarrhea. In most of the cases they recover through natural process but sometimes they needed treatment. Rhino was a solitary animal.
The time when these animals were seen socialising was during the gestation period of 480 days. The female delivers only one calf at a time, he added.