CLEVELAND: Cleveland’s zoo says one of its rhinos is pregnant and, in an unusual move, is announcing the news far in advance of the expected birth to promote conservation and educational efforts as it rebrands.
The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo tweeted on Wednesday that 13-year-old “Kibbibi,” an eastern black rhino, expects to deliver a calf in the spring of 2018. This would be the zoo’s seventh rhino birth.
The zoo typically waits until after delivery to announce births. But zoo officials say they’re doing it now to promote education and conservation. It coincides with the zoo’s rebranding, which includes a new logo and tagline, “Securing a future for wildlife.”
Black rhinos are considered critically endangered.
The zoo advocates for conservation locally and globally, including funding efforts to combat poaching in Africa.
