Calf you heard the news?

The first baby Indian Rhino ever to be born in Ireland has been welcomed to the Fota Wildlife Park family.

The yet to be named male calf was born on 19 September, after a gestation period of 16 months, to mother Maya and father Jamil.

The calf is the second of only 3 Indian rhino calves born in any zoological institution in the world this year.

The Indian rhino is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with just 3,300 living in the wild. The illegal trade of poaching rhino horn for traditional medicine poses the biggest threat to the species.

The calf’s mother Maya was born in Rotterdam Zoo and is almost 10 years old. She came to Fota in early 2020 from the French Zoo, the Botanical Garden Branfér in Nantes, as part of the ex-situ European Endangered Breeding Programme (EEP). Maya is the only female Indian rhino residing in any Irish zoological organisation.

Jamil, who is 9 years old, was born in ZSL Whipsnade Zoo in the UK and came to Fota in June 2015. Both parent rhinos weigh approximately 2 tonnes each.

Fota Wildlife Park Lead Ranger, Aidan Rafferty, said the new arrival is the first of many to come and that both mother and baby are doing really well.

He said: “Maya is very protective and is constantly by his side. We’re delighted to see the little calf running around and playing. He is an absolutely gorgeous animal and he’s getting stronger and more curious every day.

Currently, the calf spends most of his time inside the Rhino house with his mum as he gradually gets used to being outside. As he gets older and stronger, the calf will be introduced to the remainder of the Rhino habitat, which features grass meadows, mud pools and a lake area. According to Mr Rafferty, the best time for visitors to see him is in the late afternoon,.

Rhinoceroses are the largest land mammals after the elephant and are made up of 5 species: 2 African and 3 Asian. The Indian rhino is the largest rhino species and is also known as the greater one-horned rhino.

The Indian rhino possesses highly distinctive armour-like skin and a single horn that can be up to 60cm in length. Its single horn distinguishes the Indian rhinoceros from its African counterparts, who possess two horns.

Nearly 85% of the global Indian rhino population is concentrated in Assam province, India, with 70% of this population in the Kaziranga National Park.

There are now 4 Indian rhino at Fota Wildlife Park - Maya, Jamil, the new calf, and a non-breeding male named Shusto.

Fota Wildlife Park is now calling on the public to help name the male rhino calf. To suggest a name and be in with a chance to win a conservation annual pass, visit fotawildife.ie/news.