A piece of cantaloupe was more than a 3-week-old Indian rhinoceros could handle.
But the unnamed baby's mother, Jamie, eagerly chomped and slurped on the ripe fruit, offered by Lowry Park Zoo assistant curator Chris Massaro.
"She's still nursing," Massaro said.
The baby is the first rhino born at the zoo.
And on Thursday she went on display; but hours will be limited, mainly from midmorning to noon.
The baby, born July 7, weighed between 75 and 80 pounds at birth.
The baby scampered and sloshed through the mud in the exhibit area, but always returning quickly to her 8-year-old mother. Visitors, including 10-year-old Ross Edwards of Tampa, watched.
"They are just interesting animals," Ross said. "They are just really cool to watch."
"She's cute," said his mother, Holly Edwards. "She's just like any child running around and exploring."
There are about 2,000 Indian rhinos in the wild; they are designated an endangered species as poaching and natural disasters affect the herds. About 55 are in captivity, with nine born in the past three years.
Massaro said that when the baby turns 2 she will be transferred to another zoo in hopes that she can breed at about 5 years old.
In conjunction with the display of the baby, the zoo is having a naming contest through Aug. 14 on its Web site, www.lowryparkzoo.com.
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