Meet Lulu: Baby Rhino Gets Name From Clevelanders

CLEVELAND, OH — Meet Lulu. That's the name given to the Cleveland Metroopark Zoo's baby rhino, bestowed after a naming contest.

Lulu is an Eastern black rhino. The female calf was born to its mom, Kibibbi, on Feb. 7. The Zoo was sharing videos and pictures of its baby rhino before it even had a name. Then, in mid-February, the Zoo decided to hold a naming contest, asking patrons to vote via donation.

There were three names to choose from: Nya, meaning friend, Dalia, meaning flower, and Lulu, meaning gem. Well, Lulu won more than half the vote, pulling in $1,203 in donations. The naming contest raised $2,620 in total.

The funds raised will be used to stop poaching and illegal wildlife trade, the same practices that have made it difficult for Eastern black rhinos to live in the wild. Eastern black rhinos are critically endangered, the Zoo said. There are less than 750 of the creatures remaining in the wild, due primarily to poaching and habitat loss.

According to the Zoo's Instagram, Lulu is starting to imitate her mom while checking out food, moving it with her upper lip to get a better feel for it. The calf is also learning how to keep herself cool by rolling around in the mud.

The new mom and baby will not be visible to the public for some time. Instead, to stimulate the bond between the two, they will remain out-of-sight and under constant care by the zoo's animal care team. Eventually, the rhinos will return to the Zoo's African Savannah destination.

The Zoo may have a second Eastern black rhino calf in the fall because Igne, a 24-year-old Eastern black rhino, is also pregnant and due in the fall.

Photo from Cleveland Metroparks Zoo