He is too cute.
Who doesn’t love a trip to the zoo? And the latest arrival to Dublin Zoo is sure to make the day out even more appealing.
A male rhino calf was born last Thursday weighing approximately 60kgs. The youngster was born to Ashanti and Chaka and joins the rest of the herd, Sam, Reni, Chaka, Zanta and Nyala at the African Savanna.
Just look at how small he is.
The calf is yet to be named and Dublin Zoo is encouraging the children of Ireland to suggest a name for the newest arrival based on his African origin. Name suggestions can be submitted at www.DublinZoo.ie.
The newborn is Ashanti’s fifth calf and is another significant success for Dublin Zoo which aims to assist the survival of the near threatened southern white rhinoceros as part of the European Endangered Species Programme.
It’s surprising to think that there were as little as 50 left in the wild in the early 1900s but this subspecies of white rhino increased to become the most common of all the rhino species.
It is estimated that 20,000 of these animals exist in the wild, the majority are found in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Kenya. Poaching for rhino horn is the most significant threat to the wild population.
