Get ready for some serious cuteness!

The Denver Zoo dropped an update on Tensing, its pregnant, greater one-horned rhino, and it's all great news! According to the Facebook post, keepers say that the rhino is showing and you can see the little one kicking! Check out the very-pregnant mama and her active calf below.

The 12-year-old, first-time mom is due to calve in late February/early March after a 15-to16-month pregnancy. While it will be fun to see a little rhino scampering around, the big story is that Tensing was able to get pregnant at all.

“Tensing’s pregnancy is an incredible example of what Denver Zoo—and other zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums—do to ensure the survival of many vulnerable, threatened and endangered species,” said Brian Aucone, Senior Vice President for Animal Sciences. “This was a multi-year process that involved countless hours of care and training, and the cooperation of partner zoos.”

Tensing came to the zoo in 2011, where she worked with handlers to participate in the breeding process, which was via artificial insemination. After several unsuccessful tries, she was treated for excess fluid in her uterus, and it seemed to do the trick as the zoo announced her pregnancy in September of last year. They had actually known she had conceived in November of 2018 with the help of sperm from Jontu, a 10-year-old male at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, but didn't want to announce it until the pregnancy could be deemed viable and long-term.

“Tensing’s pregnancy is an incredible example of what Denver Zoo—and other zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums—do to ensure the survival of many vulnerable, threatened and endangered species,” Aucone. “This was a multi-year process that involved countless hours of care and training, and the cooperation of partner zoos.”

Check out more about what it took for Tensing to get to this point in this video provided by the Denver Zoo.

Once the little calf is born and is ready to meet its adoring fans, you can visit the happy family and the other zoo rhinos in the pachyderm habitat at the zoo.

What are your favorite zoo babies? Let us know in the comments below!

Becky Talley
A Colorado native, Becky’s a confirmed word nerd who loves to write about and photograph this great state! Give a wave and say "Hi" if you see her hiking out and about on the trails or geeking out over historical tours of colorful Colorado, preferably, of the haunted variety. She's always happy to learn about the new, cool, creepy and bizarre, so feel free to share story ideas with her on Twitter!
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