Monarto Safari Park Welcomes Baby Southern White Rhino

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: July 25, 2020 8:00 pm

Photo Credit: Zoos SA/ Geoff Brooks

Monarto Safari Park in Adelaide, Australia has welcomed the successful birth of a female southern white rhino calf to mum Umqali.

The birth took place at 7.10pm on the evening of July 22nd and was captured on CCTV. Umqali tended to the baby overnight and keepers got their first glimpse of it that morning. The father is known as Satara.

This calf has been long anticipated with southern white rhinos having a 500 day gestation period.

Senior Ungulate Keeper Mark Mills said, “We are so happy that she has arrived safely and so far all the signs are very positive. She is standing well, feeding and both mother and calf appear calm and relaxed.”

“The young rhino is absolutely gorgeous and, like all little rhinos, looks like she has a lot of growing to do to catch up with her large ears and feet!” finished Mark.

Umqali is an experienced mother and this latest arrival is her 7th calf. Keepers are giving mum and the calf time to bond behind the scenes though it may be possible for some visitors to see it from the exhibit viewing area.

Photo Credit: Zoos SA/ Geoff Brooks

The latest arrival brings the crash of rhinos housed at Monarto Safari Park up to 6. There are currently 2 males, 3 adult females and the calf.

This number is set to grow as Monarto becomes a sanctuary for the threatened southern white rhino as Monarto Safari Park director Peter Clark explained, “Zoos SA is working with The Australian Rhino Project and other partners to bring a rhino sanctuary to life at Monarto Safari Park. The project will see more Southern White Rhinos relocated from Africa to Monarto Safari Park in 2022.”

“This calf will play her part in helping to ensure the survival of White rhinos by boosting the numbers of animals held safely in Australia and New Zealand. We hope Monarto will eventually become home for up to 40 rhino, most of which will live in our new and very large Wild Africa safari experience area. This sanctuary will create a viable rhino insurance population outside of Africa should the species become extinct.”

“Nearly ten thousand animals have been lost to poaching in the wild in just the last 10 years with numbers surviving now thought to be less than 15,000,” finished Peter.

Learn more about the southern white rhino – Southern white rhinoceros fact file | The Animal Facts

Learn more about Monarto Safari Park on their website – Monarto Safari Park