Historic Baby Rhino Birth at Zoo Miami

On April 23, 2019, Zoo Miami welcomed a Greater One Horned Indian rhino calf!

As the second successful birth of this rare species in the zoo’s history, there was already reason to celebrate. However, what made this a truly remarkable event is that it is the first successful birth of this species anywhere in recorded history to be the result of induced ovulation and artificial insemination!

This is the first baby for seven-year-old mom “Akuti,” whose pregnancy lasted over 15 months. The calf’s dad, “Suru,” is 18 years old.

After several attempts at natural breeding with no success, a special team from the South East Zoo Alliance for Reproduction and Conservation (SEZARC), along with Dr. Monica Stoops from the Cincinnati Zoo met at Zoo Miami. The team collected semen from Suru, and then artificially inseminated Akuti on January 9, 2018. Once we were able to confirm Akuti had conceived, she was trained to receive regular ultrasound exams to closely monitor the fetus’ development.

Once the calf was born, both Akuti and her calf spent over a month in seclusion to bond properly and ensure their health and safety. Of course, this birth was cause for a huge celebration, and the news was covered by media outlets across the country as a tremendous achievement! On June 7, 2019, mother and calf made their exhibit debut, and the Zoo Miami team threw a gender reveal party!

During the general reveal, Suru was welcomed onto the exhibit to open a special enrichment box – revealing that the special calf is a girl! This news kicked off Baby Rhino Weekend on June 8 and 9, where Zoo staff and fans celebrated with a banner signing, gender reveal themed items, a baby registry and more!

Akuti and her yet-to-be-named baby girl can now be seen in their home at Zoo Miami.