Endangered baby white rhino named at Knowsley Safari Park
A endangered baby white rhino born at Knowsley Safari Park has been named
A endangered baby white rhino born at Knowsley Safari Park has been named
'Nomvula' beat other contenders including Simangele - meaning surprise, Thandeka - meaning beloved, Musikana - meaning ‘it’s a girl’ in Shona. The name with Shona origins means 'Mother of Rain' in the Shona language - likely the popular choice due to the recent soggy weather in the region.
At just six weeks old, the bundle of mischief already weighs in at approximately 15 stone, and is growing by the day in both size, weight and personality.
Jason Doherty, rhino team leader at Knowsley Safari, said: "Nomvula is a bundle of energy and continues to run circles around patient mum Meru. Adult white rhinos can reach two tonnes in weight, so she still has a long way to go in terms of size and weight, but what she is lacking in size, she makes up for in personality!
"The weather is still too cold for her to spend time on the outdoor Safari Drive and she is still very young and finding her feet, but there have been a few short moments where she has had a chance to explore the outdoor habitat.
"She's very popular with the team and we're all looking forward to the weather improving so she can explore the wider habitat and all of the other animals on the drive. We have a large 100 acre space here for the 'crash' to grow that helps us thrive as one of the top breeders of endangered white rhino in Europe." Knowsley Safari is part of a captive rhino breeding project managed in association with the European Endangered Species Programme.