Newborn white rhino Silverio takes his first giant steps in a Chilean zoo in a boost to his species

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Hannah, a 13-year-old white rhinoceros, has delivered a newborn calf in a rare zoo birth for the almost endangered species.

The arrival of the male calf, named Silverio, two weeks ago marked the third time that a white rhino had ever been born in South America. The Buin Zoo in Chile's capital of Santiago unveiled Silverio to the public on Tuesday as he took his first giant-footed steps after 12 days of medical care in confinement.

The zoo hailed his birth as a “big achievement” for conservationists worldwide. Over the past year, only eight other southern white rhinos have been born.

The director of Buin Zoo explained that a recent string of failed rhino romances had dashed the hopes of conservationists attempting to breed the species across the continent. But Hannah and Oliver — a pair of southern white rhinos shipped to Santiago all the way from sub-Saharan Africa just over a decade ago — have hit it off, producing three calves in this one zoo.

“There are several zoos in Latin America that have a rhino pair and did not manage to reproduce,” said zoo director Ignacio Idalsoaga. “We are contributing with a ninth calf to a species that has only a few left in the wild.”

A team of veterinarians closely monitoring Silverio declared him healthy on Tuesday.

The success story comes as fewer and fewer white rhinos roam the African plains. Northern white rhinos have effectively gone extinct, although the international scientific community has started to revive the species through assisted reproduction and stem cell research.

Southern white rhinos, the northern's close cousin and a more common species, have been classified as “nearly endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the world’s main scientific authority on the status of species. There are just over 10,000 individual southern white rhinos left in the world, the vast majority of them in zoos.

That's still a major improvement from the turn of the 19th century, when the species was hunted to near oblivion. Intensive conservation efforts in the last few decades pulled southern white rhinos away from the brink of extinction, a rare example of robust reocovery in the face of peril.

But that could change, conservationists say, as hunters continue to kill rhinos for their horns and the mammals can struggle to reproduce in captivity, with a gestation period of 18 months and often more than one male needed to stimulate reproduction.

Humans are the only predators to rhinos, reports the international conservation union, with hunters killing an estimated 1,000 rhinos a year. It says that roughly 17 rhinos are born each year.

Silverio, a twelve-day-old white rhino, runs next to his mother Hannah during his presentation at the Buin Zoo in Santiago, Chile, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. The baby rhino’s birth is the third of this endangered species born at the Buin. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Silverio, a twelve-day-old white rhino, stands next to his mother Hannah during his presentation at the Buin Zoo in Santiago, Chile, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. The baby rhino’s birth is the third of this endangered species born at the Buin. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Silverio, a twelve-day-old white rhino, stands next to his mother Hannah during his presentation at the Buin Zoo in Santiago, Chile, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. The baby rhino’s birth is the third of this endangered species born at the Buin. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Silverio, a twelve-day-old white rhino, walks beside his mother Hannah during his presentation at the Buin Zoo in Santiago, Chile, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. The baby rhino’s birth is the third of this endangered species born at the Buin. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

A twelve-day-old rhino called Silverio walks near his mother Hannah during his presentation at the Buin Zoo in Santiago, Chile, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. The baby rhino’s birth is the third of this endangered species born at the Buin. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

PARIS (AP) — A 75-year-old American swimmer took a dip in the Seine River on Thursday, braving the murky waters in central Paris to celebrate the Fourth of July and highlight the French government’s efforts to clean up the river for the Olympic Games.

He had good timing: Hours later, regional authorities released data showing water quality in the river improved over the past week, raising hopes it can host Olympic swimming events after all.

Joel Stratte McClure, who last swam in the Seine in 1976 for a magazine cover shoot and turns 76 this month, said he was impressed with the progress made in cleaning up the river, but still had concerns about its safety.

“I may regret having swum,” McClure said before entering the water. “But if I come back alive, it will prove that the French have done a good job cleaning up the river.”

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo initially planned to swim in the Seine last month to prove its cleanliness — prompting an online campaign by her many critics threatening to poop in the river on the day of her dip.

But she postponed the swim after President Emmanuel Macron announced snap legislative elections that have plunged France into political tensions and eclipsed pre-Olympic excitement for many. Heavy rainfall in recent months has also translated into faster-than-usual currents for this time of year, and Hidalgo says she will swim in the river in mid-July instead.

“I think the president organized new elections to avoid swimming in the Seine,’’ McClure joked.

After a brief swim, he declared the water “fantastic” and expressed hope that others would follow his lead and take advantage of the cleaner river.

Marathon swimming and triathlon are scheduled to take place in the river near the Alexandre III bridge during the Olympics, which run from July 26-Aug. 11, and the Paralympics, which run from Aug. 28-Sept. 8.

Unsafe levels of E. coli were found in the river last week for the third consecutive week. But on Thursday, regional authorities released new results showing an improvement.

The test results by monitoring group Eau de Paris show that for all but one day from June 26 to July 2, contamination levels were below the safe limit of 900 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters determined by the World Triathlon Federation for competitions.

French officials remain optimistic, and insist there is no Plan B for Olympic open-water swimming events.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Women discuss by the Seine river with stands installed on its banks, Thursday, July 4, 2024 in Paris. The Seine river will host the Paris Olympic Games opening ceremony on July 26. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A tourists boat makes its way on the Seine river with stands installed on its banks, Thursday, July 4, 2024 by Notre Dame de Pari cathedral in Paris. The Seine river will host the Paris Olympic Games opening ceremony on July 26. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Joel Stratte-McClure, 75, of the US, smiles after a short swim in the Seine river, Thursday, July 4, 2024 in Paris. The Seine River has been found unsafe according to test results published last Friday, less than a month before the Paris Olympics. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Joel Stratte-McClure, 75, of the US, holds American flag after completing a short swim in the Seine river, Thursday, July 4, 2024 in Paris. The Seine River has been found unsafe according to test results published last Friday, less than a month before the Paris Olympics. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Joel Stratte-McClure, 75, of the US, holds American flag after completing a short swim in the Seine river, Thursday, July 4, 2024 in Paris. The Seine River has been found unsafe according to test results published last Friday, less than a month before the Paris Olympics. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)