The Milwaukee County Zoo has welcomed a new resident who could play a crucial role in conservation efforts for one of the worlds most endangered species.READ ALSO: Milwaukee County Zoo welcomes new eastern black rhino in renovat ed habitatZuri, a 15-year-old female eastern black rhinoceros, recently arrived from the Cincinnati Zoo and now calls Milwaukee home. Zoo officials hope she will eventually become a mother to future calves, contributing to the species survival.Watch: Eastern black rhino Zurri arrives at Milwaukee County Zoo How the new rhino at Milwaukee County Zoo could contribute to the species survivalZuri is our new female eastern black rhino. Shes 15 years old, and she has come here from the Cincinnati Zoo, and were hoping that she will be a mother to some calves in the future, said Joan Stasica, an area supervisor at the zoo.The breeding process requires careful planning and patience. Zoo staff plan to introduce Zuri to the zoos male rhinoceros in the spring, but even if the pair gets along and successfully breeds, visitors shouldnt expect to see babies anytime soon.Were hoping to introduce the two rhinos in the springtime, and hopefully if they get along well and they do breed, were still looking at a gestation period of over one year, Stasica said. Rhinos are pregnant for 15 months. Its quite a long time, but, you know, fingers crossed in the future we will have some rhino calves. Were really hoping we do. Zuris arrival coincides with significant improvements at the Milwaukee County Zoo. The new rhino barn represents a major upgrade for the facility, and the penguin exhibit at the front of the zoo has also been renovated.This new barn is a huge improvement for our zoo. Its really exciting, and weve also had some improvements up at the front at the new penguin exhibit, Stasica said. We have some other great indoor areas where you can see the animals. So, I mean, winter a lot of people think the zoo is not open in the winter but were still open, were still here, and were trying to add more indoor experiences so that people can visit year-round.The Milwaukee County Zoo operates 362 days a year, providing year-round opportunities for visitors to experience wildlife and conservation efforts.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Its about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip ...read more read less