Endangered rhino calf born at Lincoln Park Zoo

CHICAGO - A critically endangered eastern black rhinoceros calf was born Thursday morning at Lincoln Park Zoo.

What we know:

Twenty-year-old Kapuki gave birth to a female calf at 4:52 a.m. at the zoo’s Regenstein African Journey.

Zoo officials say both mother and calf are doing well and are being closely monitored during the first critical days. They will remain behind the scenes for several weeks as the calf grows.

The newborn weighed about 60 pounds and took her first steps around 6:30 a.m. Eastern black rhino calves can gain up to 100 pounds a month early in life and reach about 3,000 pounds as adults.

What they're saying:

This is Kapuki’s third calf at the zoo and her first with 21-year-old male Utenzi.

"Kapuki has proven to be such a great mother with her past two calves and we’re seeing her tap right back into her maternal instinct with her new calf," Cassy Kutilek, curator at the zoo, said in a statement.

"Mom and calf are doing well and continue to hit their postpartum milestones, and we’re excited for when we’ll start seeing glimmers of the newborn’s personality."

What we don't know:

The calf's name has not yet been announced, and it's also unclear when the baby girl will be visible to the public.

Why you should care:

Eastern black rhinoceroses are critically endangered, with their population dropping 98% between 1960 and 1995 due to poaching. Conservation efforts have helped the population rebound to about 1,000 mature individuals in the wild.