Zoo Atlanta sets up "Rhino Naming Madness" bracket to name baby white rhinoceros

Animal fans have the chance to help name a newborn baby rhino living at Zoo Atlanta. 

The rhinoceros calf, born on Christmas Eve, will be named through a Sweet 16 bracket, the zoo said. The calf's mom is named Kiazi and her dad is named Mumbles.

Zoo Atlanta's Rhino Care team will submit nine names for the "Rhino Naming Madness" bracket. The zoo is allowing people to submit suggestions for the other seven bracket options from Thursday through Sunday. Brackets and the first round of four rounds of voting will launch on March 20, with the winning name to be announced on April 11. 

The calf, a southern white rhinoceros, is the first to be born at Zoo Atlanta. She's Kiazi's third child, according to the zoo. Kiazi previously gave birth at another organization before coming to Zoo Atlanta. 

The calf is 12-year-old Mumbles' first child, the zoo said. He met Kiazi early last year. 

Kiazi's pregnancy was first detected in the spring, the zoo said. White rhino pregnancies last for a whopping 16 and 18 months. Newborns weigh between 100 and 150 pounds, and Kazi's calf currently weighs between 350 and 400 pounds, a zoo spokesperson said Thursday.

The zoo earlier had not been able to weigh the calf after her birth, a zoo official told CBS News. Kiazi was being very protective, so the zoo made sure the mother and her calf had as much privacy as possible.

"Mama continues to be VERY protective," the zoo wrote in a Feb. 16 Facebook post.

The pair will continue bonding behind the scenes before joining the main rhino habitat, the zoo said. Mumbles will meet his child sometime this summer. 

Southern white rhinos are classified as "near threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. They are the only one of the five rhino species that are not considered endangered, according to the World Wildlife Foundation.

White rhinos can live between 40 and 50 years, according to the zoo. They stand up to 6 feet tall at the shoulder and can weigh up to 6,000 pounds.

Aliza Chasan

Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza covers trending news, often focusing on crime and politics.

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