SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Zoo and Safari Park welcomed its newest family member this month.
The zoo debuted Taj, a ten-week old greater one-horned rhinoceros, on Jan. 18, and the baby rhino just keeps winning over hearts.
In a video posted to YouTube Wednesday, Taj is seen exploring the grounds of the safari park alongside his mother, Tanaya. The two have been in boma, a protected area away from other animals that allows the two to bond.
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The process allows Taj to get used to his surroundings and experience many "firsts," including interacting with other animals and navigating various terrain.
Taj seems comfortable - though, not straying far from his mother - roaming the park, even meeting a Malayan sambar deer face-to-face. Yes, we also these two become best friends.
Check out the adorable video below:
Soon, Taj will meet the four other rhinos that live in the habitat, including his three-year-old sister Petunia.
The greater one-horned rhinocerous is listed as "vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. There are only an estimated 3,500 greater one-horned rhinos in the wild in India and Nepal, more than 70 percent of which live on a reserve in India. The rhinos' numbers have fallen due to habitat loss, poaching threats, and trafficking of rhino horns.
Anyone hoping to see Taj in the wild will have a chance to at the Asian Plains exhibit, from a Caravan Safari or a Private Cart Tour.
