TAMPA, Fla. — A male white rhino was born recently at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and the park is asking the public to help name the calf.


What You Need To Know

  • Southern white rhino calf born at Busch Gardens

  • Busch Gardens is asking fans to help name the calf 

  • The park has an online poll running through Oct. 21

The 150-pound southern white rhino, born to mother Kisiri, is the newest addition to the park’s crash (also known as a herd) of rhino.

Busch Gardens says visitors will be able to see the calf in the coming days when he joins the other animals on the Serengeti. In the meantime, the park has launched an online poll to determine the calf’s name.

Park fans are encouraged to vote in the poll, which will closes at 5 p.m. on Oct. 21. After that, the results will be shared on Busch Gardens' social media channels.

The park says the calf is expected to gain about 100 pounds a month. When fully grown, southern white rhinos stand at more than six feet at the shoulder and weigh up to 5,000 pounds.

The calf’s birth is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan. The species is currently listed at near-threatened status by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, according to Busch Gardens.

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