Overview

• Cleveland Metroparks Zoo reported a male eastern black rhino was born Sept. 13 and is being kept off exhibit to bond with his mother before a planned debut at the Daniel Maltz Rhino Reserve.
• The zoo plans a public naming effort tied to rhino conservation, with officials calling the birth a meaningful step for species survival.
• Lincoln Park Zoo said 20-year-old Kapuki is pregnant with a calf expected in early spring 2026, her third at the zoo and first with 21-year-old Utenzi.
• Chicago officials confirmed Kapuki’s pregnancy through fecal hormone analysis and noted the birth will support the AZA Species Survival Plan for genetic management.
• Coverage describes eastern black rhinos as critically endangered, with reports citing differing wild-population estimates and noting ongoing threats from poaching and habitat loss.