Baby rhino makes her debut at Chester Zoo

This little rhino calf may be grey and small but it has made a big impact at Chester Zoo.

Just three days old, the Eastern Black Rhinoceros calf is the second to be born at the 110-acre zoo in eight months.

Like Asani, the black rhino calf which arrived in October, the calf will eventually make big strides in helping to boost the dwindling population of Black rhinos in the wild.

Born to six year old mum Ema at 2.45am on Friday following a 15 month pregnancy, the calf is female and will be given an African name. The calf’s father is 10-year-old Magadi.

Tim Rowlands, Assistant Curator of Mammals, said: “Asani was the first black rhino calf born at the zoo in 10 years so to welcome yet another in such a short space of time is a cause for celebration.

“Sadly, Eastern Black rhinos are teetering on the edge of extinction with just 700 animals left in the wild. Co-ordinated breeding programmes like ours can have huge benefits for the species as a whole. As much as the arrival of the new calf is a cause of great joy for us, it also offers some extra hope for the species in general.”

Mum Ema and her new calf are bonding well under the watchful eyes of the zoo’s keeping and veterinary staff.

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