First eastern black rhino born in Wales is named
The first eastern black rhino born in Wales has been given a name.
The calf, which is just one month-old and one of the rarest animals in the world, will be known as Glyndŵr after the founder of Folly Farm.
The farm in Pembrokeshire says the strong Welsh name was an obvious choice after being suggested by members of the public. Its Director, Glyn Williams, is said to be the "driving force" behind the Eastern black rhino joining the breeding programme.
In a social media post, Folly Farm said:"We’re delighted to announce the name of our rhino calf is...Glyndŵr.
A strong, Welsh name for the first rhino to be born in Wales, suggested by members of the public in recognition of our founding director Glyndŵr Williams.
It was an obvious choice with Glyn the driving force behind us joining the Eastern black rhino captive reintroduction breeding programme in 2015. From our humble beginnings as a dairy farm to the birth of a critically endangered species that may one day possibly return to the wild, we’ve come a long way.
Thank you for all your wonderful suggestions, we’re truly touched by the way you’ve welcomed Glyndŵr into your hearts."
The calf's mum, Dakima, gave birth to the rhino on the 16th January after a 15-month pregnancy.
This new calf is one of only an estimated 40 eastern black rhinos to be born n the UK in the past 20 years.
Along with other zoos across Europe, Folly Farm is part of a breeding programme to help increase the numbers of Eastern black rhino in captivity and, ultimately, the wild.
The baby could one day be released into the wild to help boost population numbers - or move to another zoo to continue the breeding programme according to the zoo.