The Toronto Zoo has announced the name of its white rhino calf who was born in December last year.
Until Tuesday he was known affectionately as TZTankPuppy but is now called Kifaru (Kee-FAHR-oo) meaning both “tank” and “rhino” in Swahili.
“It was the perfect fit for this rambunctious baby,” Toronto Zoo said in a press release.
Animal lovers were quick to react online to the name reveal.
“Hi Kifaru! Pleased to meet you!” one person wrote on Instagram.
“Hi Kifaru! I’m still gonna call you tank baby tho,” another person commented.
Kifaru was born in the morning of Dec. 28 and was the first calf for mom, Sabi.
READ MORE: Toronto Zoo welcomes white rhino calf ahead of the new year
The calf is still in the early stages of bonding with his mother, but zoo staff are confident he is ready to meet a small number of visitors.
Kifaru will make his first outdoor appearance to the public in the spring, once the weather warms up.
In the meantime, Zoo guests can purchase a Baby Rhino Wild Encounter, as a way to meet him in his indoor habitat over the next couple of months.
A portion of the proceeds from the wild encounter will go towards white rhino conservation efforts in the wild.
“Baby arrivals always make for an exciting time for our team and our community of supporters, but more importantly, it also helps secure the sustainability of rhino populations in human care,” Dolf DeJong, CEO of Toronto Zoo, said in a statement.
A portion of the proceeds from the wild encounter will go towards white rhino conservation efforts in the wild.
