Tulsa Zoo Celebrates White Rhino Calf's 1st Birthday

The Tulsa Zoo is celebrating a birthday on Monday.

Hodari, a white rhino calf, is turning one.

Hodari is the first baby rhino born at the Tulsa Zoo and his keepers say his growth is right on track, weighing in on his birthday at 995 pounds.

"The great thing about that is we got to be there from moment one,” said Zoological Manager Jessica Scallan.

Hodari was born on November 7, 2021. He’s the fourth calf from his mom Sally, but the first one born at this zoo.

Scallan says within the first 30 minutes, he stood up and started nursing and walking around with his mom's help.

"Hodari does mean strong and courageous in Swahili and that's why we picked his name,” Scallan said.

On Monday morning, Hodari and Sally got to look for treats in an enrichment activity.

The boxes decorated like building blocks spelling out, ‘Happy 1st Birthday, Hodari,’ were filled with cubes of hay, Hodari’s favorite.

Scallan says when he’s grown, Hodari could weigh up to 4,500 pounds, and his growth is something to celebrate.

"Anytime a rhino is born is actually a great milestone for the whole rhino community. Rhinos are nearly threatened. That means there are few left in the world today. And with that, we celebrate here at the Tulsa Zoo with our first rhino and hopefully, many more to come,” Scallan said.

Hodari is one of four rhinos at the Mary K. Chapman Rhino Reserve.

People at the zoo celebrated this weekend with a behind-the-scenes tour of the indoor rhino habitat. Plus, his birthday card is full of signatures.