Birth of rare greater one-horned rhino calf captured on camera at Chester Zoo
Members of the public have now been invited to vote for the new arrival’s name on the zoo’s Facebook page.
Cameras have captured the moment a rare greater one-horned rhino calf was born at Chester Zoo.
The female calf was born on October 14, sharing her parents’ “slightly wrinkled armoured plating” and weighing an “incredible” 50kg (110lb).
Keepers said it was “a true privilege” to see mother Asha give birth after a 16-month pregnancy.
“We’re absolutely thrilled with Asha and her new arrival,” said rhino team manager Sam Harley.
“Despite their enormous stature, this species has a really soft side.
“Mum and calf have been so relaxed and calm, spending time side by side, bonding together.”
Asha’s pregnancy was tracked by the zoo’s on-site endocrinology lab, which monitors hormones in dung samples to check how a pregnancy is progressing.
“Performing an ultrasound with an Indian rhino – and that amazingly thick skin isn’t easy… but by collecting and monitoring weekly samples of Asha’s dung, we’re able to track the pregnancy to see how mum and calf are doing.”
Greater one-horned rhinos can weigh up to 2.4 tonnes and run at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour.
Ms Harley added: “Not everyone is lucky enough to see a rhino in the wild, but Asha, dad Beni, and their new calf help our two million visitors a year to connect with this magnificent species.
“At one point, there were less than 200 in the wild so it’s a real privilege to be able to care for this newborn.”
The shortlisted names are Thuli, which is a river in Nepal; Jiya, the Indian word for sunshine; and Bahula, meaning “star”.
