White rhinos are the larger of the two African rhino species, and are fairly social animals living in groups of up to six in the wild. Their skin is grey in color and not white, and is no different in color from black rhinos despite the names.
Ailsa is a white rhino at England’s West Midland Safari Park. She gave birth to the calf during the early hours of May 24, following a pregnancy of 16 months.
Head of wildlife, Angela Potter, said, “We are absolutely delighted to welcome a new white rhino calf. He is a very strong boy and has been growing in confidence, settling in well since his birth last week. This is Ailsa’s third time as a mother, and as expected she’s been wonderful – we are very proud of her.
“With each rhino birth we have here at the park, it’s a fantastic achievement for the European Endangered Species programme. All five species of rhino are decreasing in numbers, and we hope that this birth can continue in helping to bring more attention to the plight of rhino species in the wild.”
The youngster has already made his first steps into his paddock and will eventually join his brother, Granville, on the safari drive-through within the next week. The baby boy is another triumph for the safari park’s breeding programme for white rhino.
Wild rhinos continue to face threat of poaching and habitat loss. At the last count, just over 20,000 wild southern white rhinos remained in South Africa.
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