DENVER — Sunday, the Denver Zoo celebrated World Rhino Day with some very exciting news.
Tensing, the zoo's 11-year-old greater one-horned rhino, is pregnant.
According to the zoo, rhinos have one of the longest gestation periods of all mammals at an average of 470 - 480 days. So, while the calf was conceived in November of 2018, it isn't due until spring of 2020.
The zoo said that any animal pregnancy is a cause for celebration, but Tensing's pregnancy is an especially big deal.
“Tensing’s pregnancy is an incredible example of what Denver Zoo—and other zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums—do to ensure the survival of many vulnerable, threatened and endangered species,” said Brian Aucone, Senior Vice President for Animal Sciences. “This was a multi-year process that involved countless hours of care and training, and the cooperation of partner zoos.”
The zoo said the new calf could grow to weigh up to 6,000 pounds as an adult.
You can read more about Tensing and why her pregnancy is so important to her species here: Denver Zoo - Tensing's Pregnant.
