Discover the Fascinating World of Baby Rhinos: 5 Incredible Facts

Baby Rhinos grow up to be enormous land mammals, second only to elephants, but when they’re born, they’re adorable calves, weighing between 88-140 pounds. These babies grow fast, gaining up to three pounds a day during their first year. Continue reading to discover five incredible baby rhino facts and discover what makes rhino calves so unique!

1. Baby Rhinos Have a Gestation Period Almost Twice the Length of Humans!

Humans have a gestation period — the time it takes from conception to when a baby is born — of about nine months. In the rhinoceros, the gestation period is 15 to 18 months! Do rhinos have twins? Only on rare occasions.

Regardless of the number born, the young will remain close to their mother for two to four years, depending on the species. Afterward, they will lead a primarily solitary existence, though white rhinos are somewhat more social and may form herds.

2. Rhino Babies Can Weigh As Much As a Full-Grown Adult!

Though they’re nowhere near as big as they’re going to get, baby rhinos weigh a lot, typically between 88-148 pounds. On July 28, 2019, a rhino calf named Edward was born in the San Diego Zoo Safari weighing 148 pounds, just two days after birth, and by mid-August weighed a whopping 220 pounds.

3. Baby Rhinos Have a Defense Against Attack!

While baby rhinos often weigh more than 100 pounds upon birth, that’s still a relatively small meal for predators like lions and tigers that live in the range of different rhino species. Thankfully for baby rhinos, they have a unique defense against would-be predators like lions, tigers, and leopards!

The skin of a rhino can be up to two inches thick, giving them a form of “armor plating” against predators like big cats! Baby rhinos are born with thick skin, which helps defend them as they rapidly grow in the weeks and months after their birth. Still, predators will attack juvenile rhinos; attacks from prides of lions have been recorded on rhinos that weigh more than 2,000 pounds.

4. Baby Rhinos Walk at Two Days Old

A rhino calf isn’t mobile immediately after birth, but in two to three days, it becomes steady on its legs. Before they can walk, it’s up to their mom to take care of them! Male rhinos leave shortly after mating. Female rhinos are fiercely protective of their young during this period.

5. Baby Rhinos are on the Rebound!

Though there are still two Northern white rhino females living in captivity, the Northern white rhino population is now considered functionally extinct, since the last male died in 2018.

The population of Southern white rhinos has rebounded steadily over the past 30 years. While their numbers once dipped to around 100 in the wild, it’s estimated there are now around 16,000 white rhinos in the wild. Even so, they are currently classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

Several zoos around the world and in the United States have successful white rhino breeding programs. The San Diego Zoo has placed particular emphasis on breeding white rhinos. Among the most recent Southern white rhino calves born at the zoo, Neville was born on August 6, 2022.