Hamilton Zoo Kito's Baby

C

Connor91

Well-Known Member
Does anyone know what's happening with Kito, she was due in January but I still haven't heard anything?
 
Kito had a male calf on 14 March (ish). It appears it may have been a difficult time for them both cause her vulva was torn and the little guy had burst blood vessels in both eyes. He was initially blind but sight seems to be 100% in his left eye and returning in his right eye. He was seen by veterinary eye specialist last week with a good prognosis for a full recovery. We had to bottle feed the calf for 4 days (we had them on 24 hour camera so we could see he was not feeding) and milk Kito also. He now seems to feeding himself but we are still supplementing with the bottle as Kito still doesn't seem to have all the milk the little guy needs. But all is great, press release due just before easter.
 
photo on the link
Bottle-loving baby a boost for the breed | Stuff.co.nz
A baby white rhinoceros born almost blind and unable to feed from its mother is making good progress after Hamilton Zoo staff handmilked mum and bottle-fed the calf.

The male calf, yet to be named, was born at the zoo on March 12 with blood blisters in his eyes that blurred his vision so much he could not feed.

Hamilton Zoo acting director Samantha Kudeweh said the baby rhino, affectionately known by some staff as "Bunty" because of his boisterous antics, would have died if staff hadn't intervened.

After several attempts, frustrated by baby's blindness and mum's inexperience, to get the-then 58kg animal to feed, staff decided to milk his first-time mother Kito and bottle-feed the calf.

The calf was born with the blood blisters after pressure during the birth caused rupturing in his eyes.

Five days after the birth, as the baby rhino's eyesight began to gradually improve, he finally found the "right spot" and began to suckle.

Now weighing in at 76kg, the young rhino's eyes are completely clear and have been checked and approved by a veterinary eye specialist.

The calf is the fifth baby rhino to be born at the facility and the seventh to be born in New Zealand.

Last April a female white rhino calf named Kifaru was born at Hamilton Zoo to first-time mum Moesha.

Mrs Kudeweh, who co-ordinates the Australasian region's breeding programme for white rhinos, said the fact Hamilton Zoo had white rhino calves in two consecutive years was a major coup for the facility.

The zoo now has seven white rhinos.

The public can only view the new addition to Hamilton Zoo's white rhino population in the mornings as the baby takes a rest in the afternoons.

A competition to officially name the young calf is to be announced soon.
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Baby rhino needs your help | Stuff.co.nz
The baby white rhino nicknamed "Bunty" is growing up fast and needs a grown-up name to match.

Hamilton Zoo has appealed for help to come up with an official name for the boisterous baby boy who has almost been given a clean bill of health after he was born facing a bleak future due to blood blisters in his eyes.

The youngster was bottle-fed by staff for the first five days because his blurred vision made it impossible to feed from his mother, and he would have died if they had not stepped in.

Hamilton Zoo staff nicknamed him Bunty because of his energetic behaviour, but say the new name should reflect the little survivor's strength of character.

His mother is named Kito and father Kruger and the the zoo's newest southern white rhinoceros needs a name that fits with his African roots and the rest of the rhino tribe.

Hamilton Zoo acting director Samantha Kudeweh said: "The calf is not only the newest member of our rhino group, but he has become a very special member of the wider Hamilton Zoo family.

"Therefore we are keen to see him given a name that reflects his outgoing personality and his strength of character, and reinforces his position within the rhino herd."

The person who provides the rhino's chosen name gets to meet him in an eye-to-eye encounter.

Name suggestions can be made at the zoo's reception or via Hamiltonzoo.co.nz
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Scoop: Hamilton Zoo's white rhino calf named
Hamilton Zoo’s male rhino calf will keep his nickname ‘Bunty’ after a campaign run by a local radio announcer won strong public support.

Classic Hits’ Bunting in the Morning announcer Mark Bunting launched a campaign to name the rhino calf Ubuntu earlier this month after Hamilton Zoo called for name suggestions for its new white rhino calf, which was born at the facility on 12 March.

As revealed in a newspaper article in April, until an official name was decided on some zoo staff began affectionately referring to the calf as Bunty, due to his boisterous antics. Flattered by the early nickname given to the baby rhinoceros, Mark Bunting implored his listeners to suggest the African name ‘Ubuntu’ at Zoo, a word common in Bantu languages in southern Africa, which describes unity and cohesion.

Hamilton Zoo acting director Samantha Kudeweh said over 1500 name suggestions were received during the naming competition, many of which put forward the name Ubuntu.

“While there were a lot of good name suggestions, Mark Bunting’s Ubuntu Campaign clearly gained a lot of public support and zoo staff really liked the philosophy behind the name Ubuntu – so the decision has been made to adopt it as the calf’s official name,” she said.

Everyone who submitted the name Ubuntu in the naming competition will go in the draw to win an Eye2Eye encounter with the rhinos at Hamilton Zoo (valued at $400). The winner will be drawn during a christening for Ubuntu, which will be held at the zoo this Saturday, 5 June from 9am-10am and hosted by Mark Bunting. The winner must be present at the christening to claim the prize.

Mark Bunting said he is overjoyed by the decision to christen the rhino ‘Ubuntu’.

‘We’re thrilled for so many reasons. Primarily for wee Bunty who will now not have that identity crisis later in life, secondly for the public of Waikato who embraced the idea of ‘Ubuntu’, thirdly for Nelson Mandala and Bishop Desmond Tutu who will be getting a lovely letter of acknowledgement from our producer, and fourthly for our show which now has a mascot…”
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