Zahra is Kito's fourth calf. She was born with Epidermolysis bullosa - a rare genetic condition that presents as lesions on the skin, that she will have throughout her life. Zahra is an otherwise healthy and energetic calf.
@Tafin Technically it's their tenth calf - four to Caballe (one premature/stillborn); two to Moesha; and four to Kito (one stillborn). An eleventh was conceived at Hamilton Zoo (Caballe was expecting her fifth calf when sent to Australia Zoo).
@Tafin Her skin condition isn't noticeable, especially from a difference. It's uncommon in humans (let alone captive rhinoceros), so there little to compare it to in terms of predicting how it will look as she grows older. I did find this image of an Indian rhino, which suffers from the same or similar condition:
It's naturally knobbly skin makes it even less noticeable. The condition doesn't cause Zahra any discomfort, though the observation that it's genetic may influence decisions on whether to breed with bulls from Kito's line - including her sons Ubuntu (2010) and Samburu (2016).
@Zoofan15 I always felt like Australia Zoo got all the credit for Caballe’s calf, Savannah - who also made the news as Queensland’s first rhino calf. It was really Hamilton that did all the work!
@WhistlingKite24 Agreed! Hamilton Zoo had recently imported a new bull and he successfully bred with all three cows (including two that had been unable to breed with the previous bull).
Auckland Zoo similarly got the credit for the birth of Kito in 2000 (covered comprehensively on The Zoo TV series). She was conceived in South Africa - her mother was eight months pregnant upon arrival in New Zealand; but as only the second Southern white rhinoceros calf born in New Zealand (as well as the first female calf), it was huge news.
