The Little Rock Zoo's new rhino, Andazi, stands in the sun at her exhibit.

Johari, the male black rhino at the Little Rock Zoo is getting a new friend! Andazi is a female eastern black rhino who comes to Little Rock from Zoo Atlanta. The black rhino is a critically endangered species, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The AZA identified the Little Rock Zoo to be Andazi's new home as part of their Rhino Species Survival plan. The goal of the move is to breed Johari and Andazi. That means a little rhino calf may be living in the zoo in the future! If the two mate and she becomes pregnant, zoo visitors will have to wait at least 15 months for Andazi to give birth.

Ellie Wheeler is an elephant and rhino keeper at the Little Rock Zoo. She has been instrumental in getting Andazi acclimated to her new home. 

"She had a calf before at Zoo Atlanta and Johari has never had a calf before," Wheeler said. "He has no living siblings either, so genetically he's very valuable. None of us have ever been involved in rhino births. A few of us have been involved in elephant births, the process is very simiar. So we're very excited. Our general curator, Fran, has done a lot with rhino reproduction and rhino birth. She'll be helping us out a lot."

Below is a video from Zoo Atlanta of Andazi with her calf in 2013.

Johari has been an important inhabitant of the zoo for 20 years. He is a favorite of kids and adults alike because of his involvement in zoo events.

"Everybody's been asking about (Andazi)," Wheeler said. "Even little kids who have heard about her. They're such big fans of Johari, because they met him on the V.I.P. tour or whatever. They're so excited for Andazi."

Andazi has spent a lot of time inside to get used to the sights and sounds of her new accomodations. The process of transporting a rhino is stressful. She was shipped on an 18-wheeler in a rhino-proof crate from Atlanta, Wheeler said.

Rhinos are very sensitive, especially to noises. Hearing is one of their strongest senses, so the keepers eased her into the full exhibit.

"We didn't want to overwhelm her," Wheeler said. "Now, she has access to a full exhibit. She loves rainy days, so today she was out in the mud and she's just covered in it."

As Andazi and Johari continue to go through the introduction process, families can go see two of only about 5,000 black rhinos in existence. They might even see the sparks of a budding romance!

If you want to contribute to rhino conservation, The Little Rock chapter of the American Association of Zoo Keepers hosts a fundraiser, Winos for Rhinos, from 6-9 p.m. July 22 at the River Bottom Winery at BoBrook Farms in Roland. Perfect for a parents' night out, $20 pre-sale tickets are available here and a silent auction of animal-crafted items is part of the event. All proceeds go to the conservation of rhinos and other African species.