Knowsley Safari Park: Southern white rhino calf born

Mother Bayami with her calf, who was born on 12 February

A southern white rhino calf has been born at Knowsley Safari Park.

The female was born on 12 February to parents Bayami and Shaka, and was said to be doing well.

Southern white rhinos are known as a conservation success story, now with a population of about 17,000 - but are still threatened by illegal poaching.

Knowsley said once the young rhino has had all her checks, she will hopefully be out on the safari drive in the coming weeks.

The park was the focus of a recent programme on Channel 4, Secret Life of the Safari Park, in which viewers saw the male rhino, Shaka attempting to mate with Bayami.

That moment was a success and the birth came after a healthy 16-month pregnancy.

The birth came after a 16-month pregnancy

Knowsley Safari has one of the largest white rhino crashes in the UK, and their breeding helps to protect the rare and vulnerable species.

It is a closely related sub-species of the northern white rhino, of which there are only two left in the world.

The park's animal operations manager Chris Smart said: "The keepers noticed signs of imminent birth on their mid-morning checks when Bayami was becoming unsettled.

"She gave birth in the rhino house after 30 minutes and her calf was on its feet within 20 minutes.

"Our dedicated team of keepers monitored Bayami throughout and are delighted that there's the addition of another beautiful calf to the world's dwindling southern white rhino population."

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