Photos: Rare rhino birth marks new chapter in England zoo’s 56-year conservation effort
Southern white rhinos were once on the brink of extinction, with their wild population reduced to around 20 individuals in South Africa by the late 19th century.
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THE TAKEAWAY
- Whipsnade Zoo welcomed its 61st southern white rhino calf, a male born Nov. 1 weighing roughly 88 pounds.
- Named Mazinda, the calf honors the first southern white rhino born in Europe at the same zoo in 1971.
- The birth continues a conservation breeding program that began in 1970 to help safeguard the threatened species.
BEDFORDSHIRE, England – A southern white rhino calf has been born at Whipsnade Zoo, marking the 61st arrival in well-established conservation breeding program that has been a vital pipeline for the threatened species for more than five decades.
The male calf was born Nov. 1 to mom Fahari and dad Sizzle, weighing an estimated 88 pounds — roughly 11 times the weight of an average human newborn.
Mazinda, a southern white rhino calf, was born weighing roughly 11 times as much as an average human newborn.
(Whipsnade Zoo)
Zookeepers named him Mazinda in tribute to the first southern white rhino calf born in Europe, which arrived at Whipsnade in 1971, according to a zoo news release.
The name honors the zoo’s long history of helping protect the species while welcoming its newest addition.
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"We’re delighted to now welcome a new calf to Whipsnade Zoo, and mom Fahari is proving to be the perfect parent. The little one has stayed close by mom's side in the rhino barn since birth and has been growing stronger and more confident every day," said Mark Holden, the zoo’s Hoofstock team leader.
The male calf was born Nov. 1 to mom Fahari and dad Sizzle, weighing an estimated 88 pounds.
(Whipsnade Zoo)
A conservation legacy
Whipsnade’s conservation breeding program began in 1970, when a herd of white rhinos arrived from South Africa under an agreement with the Natal Parks Board to help safeguard the species.
"Whipsnade’s wide-open space and expertise in conservation breeding made it the ideal place to establish the program. Unbeknownst to keepers at the time, one of the females was already pregnant, and on 24 June 1971 she gave birth to the original Mazinda – the first white rhino calf born in Europe," Holden said.
Zookeepers named him Mazinda in tribute to the first southern white rhino calf born in Europe
(Whipsnade Zoo)
Southern white rhinos were once on the brink of extinction, with their wild population reduced to around 20 individuals in South Africa by the late 19th century, according to the zoo.
Conservation efforts have helped their numbers recover significantly. The zoo cites estimates of roughly 17,500 in the wild across Africa, though poaching and habitat loss threats remain present.
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More than five decades after its program began, Whipsnade continues to work with other European conservation zoos to maintain a healthy, genetically diverse backup population.
Southern white rhinos, including calf Mick, who weighs roughly 842 pounds, during the annual weigh-in at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire, England.
(Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty Images)
For now, the new baby Mazinda is busy finding his footing.
"Mazinda is a very inquisitive calf who already loves exploring his surroundings. Rhino calves take some time to grow into their large hooves, so it’s been fun to watch him totter around and test his balance," Holden said.
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Visitors can see Mazinda alongside Fahari in the zoo’s rhino barn, where the pair are spending time bonding.