WATCH: Adorable baby rhino 'speaks' in viral video
A video of a baby black rhino "speaking" has gained almost 1 million views on social media.
Chamboi, a baby rhino who has taken the internet by storm, is part of a global population of just over 6,000 critically endangered black rhinos.
In a recent clip shared by the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT), the adorable rhino can be heard "speaking".
Yes, you read that correctly – "speaking".
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According to the SWT's viral Facebook post, rhinos "communicate through a series of incongruous squeaks".
The clip shows Chamboi using his voice to have an evening chat with his keeper, Omari.
Watch here:
"As he grows older, his vocabulary will expand to include snorts, huffs, grunts, and shouts," wrote SWT.
"Orphaned as a newborn, he now has a family with us and a wild future ahead of him, where he will contribute to the local population and help his recovering species come back from the brink of extinction."
On September 6, 2023, at just one day old, Chamboi was rescued by Kenya Wildlife Service and Tsavo Trust rangers after his mother abandoned him.
The vulnerable calf was in an incredibly fragile state and could have easily fallen victim to hyenas, jackals, or other predators.
After hours of searching for his mother without success, Chamboi became part of the SWT family.
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"We have a few working hypotheses as to why Chamboi was orphaned," says the SWT.
"Given that he was born during very dry and challenging conditions, it is possible that his mother intentionally abandoned him because she knew she would struggle to produce enough milk.
"Alternatively, he may have been born prematurely – his diminutive size makes this a very real possibility – and was unable to nurse. Another theory is that an amorous bull targeted the new mother, and the baby was abandoned in the ensuing chaos."
Read his full story here.
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IMAGE: Facebook/ Sheldrick Wildlife Trust