Credit: Potter Park Zoo
The staff at Michigan's Potter Park Zoo got a slightly early Christmas present on the 24th with the birth of an endangered black rhino. The baby was expected, but the timing could have perhaps left a little to be desired. That being said, I feel like at every zoo I've ever worked at, there is usually either a) a baby born or b) a suddenly ill animal on Christmas or Christmas Eve. One is a happy occasion, obviously, while the other is most definitely not, but what both have in common is that they take a lot of keeper time and energy to resolve.
It's one of the stressors of the holidays, which can already be quite a stressful time for keepers, especially those who are financially strapped and far from home. It can also be a magical moment, being alone at the zoo on Christmas morning, no visitors and just a skeletal staff, and being the one to find the most amazing of presents taking its first steps before your eyes.
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