Zoos SA Share Rare Footage of Rhino Calves Developing Horn

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: October 16, 2020 11:59 am

Eshe the southern white rhino calf with her mother

Photo Credit: The Animal Facts

Monarto Safari Park has captured rare footage of their rhino calf, Eshe’s horn as it emerges from under the skin to become as magnificent as her mum’s. The horn is made from keratin the same substance as human hair and fingernails.

Geoff Brooks, team leader of works captured the footage of the two and half month old calf as she approached him for a scratch and a pat.

Zoos SA (operator of Monarto Safari Park) hope that the footage will remind viewers of the illegal wildlife trade which is decimating the population of southern white rhinoceros.

Eshe enjoys a scratch with her small horn visible as it starts to develop

Video Credit: Zoos SA

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Current estimates from the International Union of the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) report that as few as 10,000 mature southern white rhinoceros remain in the wild. Their population is continuing to decrease.

Zoos SA are working to create a rhinoceros sanctuary as part of the Australian Rhino Project. This will see a large group of southern white rhinoceros move to Monarto Safari Park in 2022 where they will become part of a breeding program.

Currently six southern white rhinoceros and two black rhinoceros are housed at Monarto Safari Park. The crash of southern white rhinoceros includes two males, three females and calf Eshe.