Romping Rhino Calf Arrives at Dublin Zoo

Dublin
Zoo is celebrating one of its most exciting arrivals of 2013: a male Southern
White Rhinoceros calf. The calf, who is yet to be named, was born to mother
Ashanti on April 26 and weighs approximately 110 pounds (50 kg).

Photo Credit: Dublin Zoo

The newborn is Ashanti’s third calf
and is another significant success for the European
Endangered Species Programme established to assist the survival of the near
threatened Southern White Rhinoceros.

Scientists estimate that only 20,000 Southern
White Rhinos exist in the wilds of South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. They have been reintroduced into some areas
where they had been eliminated. The most
significant threat to Rhinos is poaching:
Rhinos are killed for their horns, which are used in traditional medicine.

See more photos of the Dublin Zoo's Rhino calf below the fold.