Taronga Western Plains Zoo is delighted to announce the safe arrival of a male Greater One-horned Rhino calf, born in the early hours of the morning on Sunday 17 October 2021.

Keepers arrived to find mum, Amala with her calf by her side and spent the first day observing the pair as the calf started suckling and the all-important mother and calf bond was established. The calf has been named Hari by his keepers, which means sun in Nepalese.

“This is Amala’s second calf and she slowly bonded with him over the course of the first day. She is now very protective of him and doesn’t like him being too far from her side,” said Keeper Katharina Pollock.

“We are all very excited by this new addition and it is great to see mother and calf doing well. It has been an amazing experience for many of the keepers to see the calf arrive and watch it go from strength to strength.”

“This birth is a testament to our dedicated team of keepers and veterinary staff who guided the introduction process between Amala and the calf’s sire, Dora, and then monitored Amala throughout her pregnancy,” said Zoo Director Steve Hinks.

“It is well known that we have an experienced team who work in rhino conservation and this birth is another achievement for a species under threat,” said Steve.

Taronga Western Plains Zoo is the only Zoo in Australia to hold and breed three species of rhino – Black Rhino, White Rhino and Greater One-horned Rhino. Greater One-horned Rhinos are classified as vulnerable in the wild with approximately 3,700 animals remaining in north eastern India and Nepal.

This birth follows the arrival of female Black Rhino calf Sabi Star earlier this year.

“Amala and her calf are currently behind-the-scenes to allow them more time to bond and will make their public debut in the coming weeks,” said Katharina.