Coco, and her Baby Rhinoceros at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, in Glen Rose, Texas. Fossil Rim currently has five black rhinos in its herd.

COCO GIVES BIRTH TO HER FOURTH BABY RHINO

Glen Rose, Texas (December 13, 2005) – Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, the internationally acclaimed endangered species research and conservation center, announces today that Coco, a resident black rhinoceros, has given birth to her fourth calf after about 15 months of gestation.

The new arrival is a male and weighed 106 lbs. 30 hours after birth. Fossil Rim’s conservation efforts, as part of the American Zoological Association’s Species Survival Plan, have attained great success in black rhino breeding, helping other cooperating institutions work to ensure the long-term survival of this species.

The baby is the fifth black rhino to be born at Fossil Rim. The father, Kusamona, came to Fossil Rim in 2001 from Australia, increasing the genetic variability within the black rhino population in the United States.

“Rhinos have inhabited the Earth for 60 million years and currently only about 60 black rhinos inhabit North America,” said Adam Eyres, Fossil Rim’s hoof stock supervisor. “The birth of this rhino represents a significant achievement in the survival of the species.”

Fossil Rim staff pioneered the use of non-invasive ultrasound technology to monitor the reproductive physiology of rhinos, determine periods of fertility and monitor each pregnancy.

The public can visit Coco and her baby on a special behind-the-scenes tour through the center’s Intensive Management Area (IMA), where Fossil Rim tour guides will lead visitors to see black rhinos, wolves, cheetahs and its population of highly endangered Attwater’s Prairie Chickens.

At Fossil Rim, the calf is one of five black rhinos. When it grows older, it will be allowed to roam a three-acre pasture within the compound reserved for these species. As opposed to white rhinos, which roam together, black rhinos occupy their own pasture.

Eyres said that while white rhinos are sociable and tend to gather in groups, black rhinos are solitary, territorial browsers.

The International Rhino Foundation estimates the current worldwide population of black rhinos at 2,400. Its numbers have been reduced by 85 percent in the past 30 years.

The new Fossil Rim baby will grow to be nearly 10 feet long and weigh 2,500 pounds. What distinguishes the black rhino from other species of rhinos is its long, pointed, prehensile upper lip and two prominent horns, the longest of which average 20 inches in length. Its horn is made up of millions of tightly compacted hair-like fibers.

The wild populations of southern black rhinos are located in pockets in Zimbabwe and South Africa. They are herbivores and enjoy trees and brush.

High-resolution electronic photos and b-roll footage of the new black rhino baby are available to interested media.

About Fossil Rim: The not-for-profit Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is a 1,800 acre facility that specializes in captive-breeding programs for endangered and threatened animal species. Fossil Rim is located in Glen Rose, Texas, southwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. To help fund its award-winning conservation efforts, Fossil Rim operates a scenic wildlife drive that is open to the public. The 2-4 hour drive offers a unique opportunity for visitors, in all weather across all seasons, to closely observe more than 50 species of wild animals living in a near-natural environment, as well as enjoy a café and gift store. Fossil Rim partners in international species survival and recovery efforts for 14 endangered species of regional, national and international importance. Fossil Rim is approximately a one-hour drive from Fort Worth, a two-hour drive from Dallas, a three-hour drive from Austin and a four-hour drive from Houston. For more information call (254) 897-2960.