COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium recently welcomed a new one-horned baby rhino. 

The zoo announced this week the calf was born Aug. 16 and reported that its mother, Sanya, is providing "excellent care to her little one and keeping her close within The Wilds' pasture."

The calf is the ninth greater one-horned rhino to be born at The Wilds, and each birth is significant because the species nearly went extinct during the 20th century, zoo officials said.

“We are extremely excited to welcome this calf into our Wilds family. Every rhinoceros is important to the future of their species, and this calf and the other rhinos at The Wilds are wonderful ambassadors for their cousins in their native range. We’re proud of the success of our rhino program, and we remain committed to their care while also providing our guests with the opportunity to be inspired by these wonderful animals and empowered to help make a difference,” said Dr. Jan Ramer, senior vice president of Animal Care and Conservation at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds.

To protect the future of rhinos, The Wilds and Columbus Zoo said they have provided more than $218,000 over the last five years to support conservation projects benefiting rhinos in their native ranges, officials said.

The Wilds is home to five greater one-horned rhinos and is one of only 19 AZA-accredited facilities in North America to care for this species, officials said.