In animal news this week, a zoo in the Netherlands celebrated the birth of a rare white rhino. Born prematurely, "Vince" reportedly appears healthy. With 20,000 individuals in existence, white rhinos are listed as "near threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Researchers recently announced that new hotspots for deep-sea corals have been discovered off the U.S. East Coast. OurAmazingPlanet reports that Martha Nizinski, chief scientist of the research cruise, said in a statement, "We know very little about the distribution and ecology of corals in the canyons off the Northeast coast. Although our explorations have just begun, we've already increased our knowledge about these deepwater coral habitats a hundred times over."
This week we witnessed a female dolphin giving birth in hawaii in this amazing video from Dolphin Quest. Born on September 17, the pup is the first for mother Keo. Dr. Rae Stone, a marine mammal veterinarian and Dolphin Quest co-founder who was present at the birth, said, "The trust shared between Keo and her human crew members throughout the birth of this beautiful baby was extraordinary."
Sadly, Washington state animal authorities seized "39 emaciated and sickly horses on Wednesday from inhumane conditions in dark stalls filled with feces on a breeding farm outside of Tacoma," reported Reuters. Pierce County Animal Control supervisor Brian Boman told Reuters, "It was like a puppy mill, only with horses."
In case you missed it, check out this video of a woman hand-feeding a wild stingray.
Find some of the week's best animal photos below:
