Hampshire's Marwell Zoo welcomes baby rhino calf on Mother's Day
Mum, Zahra, gave birth to the calf in the early hours of Sunday morning
Marwell Zoo in Hampshire has welcomed a baby rhino calf on Mother's Day.
The new calf was born at 6:30am on Sunday morning and is not yet known to be a girl or a boy.
Eight-year-old mum, Zahra, is said to be doing well with her calf.
Laura Read, Marwell Wildlife's CEO, spoke to us and said: "We've just had a new baby rhino calf born to mother, Zahra.
"Mum and baby are doing well, but it's still early days, so we're hoping that by the Easter holidays, guests can come and get a sneak peak at the new arrival.
"We're really pleased and we've always been really proud of our white rhino heard here.
"They're full of personality and everyone loves them.
"We are part of the European breeding programme for white rhinos, that are obviously a species under threat from poaching and all the pressures that are placed on them in their wild populations.
"So, it's really special to be able to have a rhino born here and we can go onto be champions for their species."
White rhinos are one of the world’s largest land animals.
They have two horns and can live to 40 years-old.
At eight-years-old Zahra is the youngest of Marwell Zoo’s four rhinos, and is likely to have been pregnant for 16 months.
Ms Read spoke to us about potential name suggestions.
She said: "They need to settle in and we need to make sure the calf is doing well.
"Then we can start going out with some naming suggestions, or we might ask the public for their suggestions.
"It's certainly early days, though, as we don't even know if it's a girl or a boy yet."
Animal Team Leader Hoofstock Phil Robbins at Marwell Zoo, said: “These early days are incredibly important, and our expert keepers are monitoring mum and baby closely while giving them the calm space they need to bond.
“Encouragingly, the calf has been seen suckling and staying close to mum. It’s still very early days, but things are looking positive so far.
"We will be able to confirm the sex of the baby once mum and baby are fully settled.”