Rhino born from artificial insemination

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Rhino born from artificial insemination

 

Associated Press

Posted Friday , January 26, 2007 at 19:48

Updated Friday , January 26, 2007 at 19:50

 

Budapest (Hungary): Lulu and Easyboy were more like siblings than

lovers, so Budapest Zoo officials resorted to artificial insemination

to get her pregnant.

 

Now, 16 months later, the world's first rhinoceros conceived by

artificial insemination has been born, zoo officials said on Wednesday.

 

The unnamed female weighed in at 128 pounds when she was born on Tuesday.

 

" The little one seemed active and vital. An hour after being born it

stood up on its own legs, " a zoo statement said.

 

The mother, 26-year-old Lulu, had failed to conceive naturally, even

when put with a male rhinoceros named Easyboy.

 

A group of veterinarians from Germany, Austria and Hungary started

insemination and she finally became pregnant in 2005.

 

" Artificial insemination was necessary because the two rhinoceroses

had not shown any sexual interest in each other, " the statement said.

 

" The two have rather developed a friendship, more of a relationship

between siblings, " it further said.

 

Since mid-December, rhino caretakers have been monitoring Lulu's

progress around the clock.

 

The proud mother has been protective of her newborn but has not nursed

the baby. The zoo said she had also turned aggressive, but added that

an initial refusal to feed was natural with inexperienced mother rhinos.

 

Until Lulu gets the hang of things, zoo workers are feeding the baby

rhino.

 

The baby rhinoceros was carried for 16 months and 15 days, which is

normal.

 

By early spring, the zoo's new addition will appear in public for the

first time, zoo spokesman Zoltan Hanga said.