It’s a Girl (Rhino)!

In January, the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, served by Randolph EMC, welcomed a baby girl — a southern white rhinoceros weighing in at 100 pounds.

Zookeepers expect her to gain 100 pounds a month in the first year. She could weigh 3,500 to 5,500 pounds when fully grown! The Zoo chose an employee’s suggested name for the new rhino, Mguu (pronounced mm-goo), which means “big feet” in Swahili.

Southern white rhinos were hunted to near extinction by the beginning of the 20th century for their horns, which some mistakenly believe provide medicinal benefits, according to the NC Zoo. Rhino horn is made of keratin, which is the same material that makes up human fingernails and hair. Today, populations in the wild still face significant threats from poaching and habitat loss.

The Zoo’s herd now consists of nine rhinos, including the new female calf, her mom, Kit, and her dad, Stormy.