The black rhino population got a boost to its dwindling numbers recently with the birth of a baby black rhino calf at Dubbo's Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
The female calf was born February 24, zoo officials said. Her mother, Bakhita, has given birth to three calves previously and was born at the zoo herself. The calf's father passed away last year.
The species, which has been classified 'critically endangered', is native to eastern and southern Africa and has been the subject of ongoing conservation efforts by the zoo, both in captivity and in the wild.
"Every birth for this critically endangered species is so important with fewer than 6,000 remaining in the wild. So whilst this is incredible news for Taronga Western Plains Zoo, this is also incredibly important news for the species as a whole," zoo director Steve Hinks said.