Cotswold park welcomes Markus, a rare white rhino calf

A rare and celebrated birth has brought joy to the Cotswold Wildlife Park in England, where a new white rhinoceros calf is captivating visitors and keepers alike.

The male calf, named Markus, represents a significant success for European conservation efforts, being one of only five of his kind born on the continent this year.

The event was made even more special when a park keeper managed to capture the birth on camera—an unusual occurrence, as rhino births typically happen under the cover of darkness.

The calf's mother, Nancy, carried him for a 16-month gestation period, one of the longest of any land mammal.

The park reports that Nancy, an "exceptional" and experienced mother, is bonding well with her seventh offspring.

The newborn was named in honor of the late Markus Borner, a pivotal figure in the restoration of Tanzania's black rhino population.

While white rhinos are currently the most numerous of the five rhino species, their survival in the wild remains under severe threat from a recent surge in poaching.