Bali, an adorable one-horned rhino calf, was born last month in Dunstable, England, and the zoo released footage of the blessed event:
After carrying her baby for 17 months, 19-year-old rhino mom Behan delivered Bali about 20 minutes after the ZSL Whipsnade Zoo staff left for the day on Sept. 6. His arrival was captured on CCTV, and he weighed in the next morning at a healthy 76 kilograms, or about 167 pounds. He joins Behan’s other offspring, a sister and three brothers.
Whipsnade’s staff is especially excited that Bali arrived just in time to help them bring attention to World Rhino Day last month on Sept. 22. Worldwide, the rhinoceros population is under tremendous pressure from habitat loss and poaching. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were about 500,000 rhinos. There are estimated to be only about 29,000 left left. Bali is one of only 3,000 surviving greater one-horned rhinos. White rhinos are even more scarce: There are only four of them now. Yes, you read that right: four.
Meanwhile, adorable Bali’s doing well, packing on from 1 to 2 kilograms a day. He’s got the classic armor-like look of one-horned rhinos, with skin between 1.5 and 5 centimeters thick, and folds that make it look like he’s decked out in interlocking plates.
Welcome to Bedfordshire, little man.
