Endangered Southern White Rhino Calf Born at British Zoo

Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire, England, has announced the birth of a male Southern white rhino calf, marking the 61st calf of this species born at the zoo since its conservation breeding program began in 1970. The calf was born on November 1 to mother Fahari and father Sizzle, weighing an estimated 88 pounds—about 11 times heavier than an average human baby.

The newborn has been named Mazinda by zookeepers, in tribute to the first Southern white rhino calf ever born in Europe, which was also named Mazinda and was born at Whipsnade Zoo in 1971. That historic birth came after a herd of white rhinos arrived at the zoo from South Africa in 1970, following an agreement with the Natal Parks Board to safeguard the threatened species through a carefully managed European conservation breeding program.

Mark Holden, Hoofstock Team Leader at Whipsnade Zoo, said: “Whipsnade’s wide-open space and expertise in conservation breeding made it the ideal place to establish the program. Unbeknownst to keepers at the time, one of the females was already pregnant, and on 24 June 1971 she gave birth to the original Mazinda—the first white rhino calf born in Europe.” He added that the new calf is doing well and that mother Fahari is proving to be an excellent parent.

Southern white rhinos were once on the brink of extinction, with their wild population reduced to around 20 individuals in South Africa by the late 19th century. Although numbers have recovered significantly, the species continues to face threats from poaching and habitat loss. The latest estimates place the wild population at around 17,500 across Africa, and the species is classified as near threatened.

The birth is particularly significant as it coincides with the 200th anniversary year of ZSL (Zoological Society of London), the conservation charity that runs Whipsnade Zoo. Holden noted that the new calf’s name honors “a significant part of Whipsnade’s conservation legacy,” highlighting the zoo’s long-standing role in breeding and protecting this threatened species.