Safari Park celebrate Indian Rhino calf's first birthday

Staff at West Midland Safari Park are celebrating the birthday of resident Indian rhino calf, Inesh, who turns one today.

The youngster, born on 8 September 2020, has been very popular with visitors at the Worcestershire attraction over the last year and can often be spotted by guests with his mum, 12-year-old Seto. 

To celebrate the occasion, keepers created a range of eye-catching 'presents', which were filled with some of Inesh and Seto's favourite treats. As soon as the pair left their sleeping quarters, they spotted a delicious 'bread trail' of carrots, which lead them to the colourful gifts containing a fun-filled birthday breakfast! 

A large 'number one' was placed on to the front of one box, to signify that not only is it Inesh's first birthday, but he is also the first Indian rhino calf to be born at the Park in its forty-seven-year history. 

Deputy Head keeper of Ungulates, Shelley Tudor, said, "It's been a wonderful year watching Inesh grow from a shy little calf, who stayed very close to his mum, to now a much more confident young boy with so much personality. 

"Inesh loves enrichment activities and is keen to interact with the keepers during his husbandry training sessions. He's brought so much fun and joy to the Indian rhino house and we look forward to watching him develop and maybe go on to produce his own little rhinos in the future!" 

Inesh's dad, 13-year-old Rap, was one of the first Indian rhinos introduced to the Park in 2009. Seto arrived at the Park in 2015 and along with nine-year-old female Sunny and Inesh, they now make up a crash of four Indian rhinos calling the Park home. 

Now weighing 496kg, Inesh's weight has more than tripled since his birth and he will likely continue to grow to be up to 3000kg when reaching adulthood. 

Also known as the greater one-horned rhinoceros, Indian rhinos are placid animals who are often recognised for their armoured and prehistoric appearance. They are classed as 'vulnerable' by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as face threats such as poaching and habitat loss in the wild. 

It's only been twelve months, but it's clear to see that Inesh will have a lasting impact on West Midland Safari Park, in supporting their efforts of raising awareness of the vital preservation of this fantastic species. Like his parents, he will go on to be part of an EEP (European Endangered Species Programme), an important breeding programme, which creates a reserve population of these threatened, magnificent animals. 

The Park is home to two types of rhinos – eight southern white rhinos and four Indian rhinos. All five species of rhino are sadly decreasing in numbers in the wild. 

Inesh's first birthday comes only ten weeks after the arrival of two white rhino calves, which were both born within six weeks of each other.