Christmas has arrived early at Taronga Western Plains Zoo, with the birth of a White Rhino calf in the early hours of Saturday, 19 December.

The female calf is the third rhino born at the Zoo this year, with a male Black Rhino calf born in April and Australia’s first-ever Greater One-horned (or Indian) Rhino calf born in October.

The calf has been born to experienced mother Mopani, who is nurturing the calf extremely well.

“Staff are absolutely thrilled to be celebrating another precious rhino birth, it is wonderful to end a hugely successful conservation breeding program on such a positive note for 2015,” said Zoo Director Matthew Fuller.

Keepers have named the calf Kamari, meaning ‘moonlight’ in Swahili, symbolising the calf’s early morning birth.

Kamari will be on display with mother Mopani during the school holidays in the White rhino exhibit with the herd.

“Kamari’s birth and the other successful rhino births this year serve as a timely reminder about how important our conservation breeding programs are for species that are so heavily under threat in the wild,” said Unit Supervisor Pascale Benoit.

Taronga actively supports conservation efforts for wild rhinos in Africa, Indonesia and India, including providing funds and support for habitat protection and reforestation, anti-poaching and rhino protection units and reduction of human-rhino conflict. We’re also a founding member of the International Rhino Foundation

Taronga Western Plains Zoo is open every day of the year, so why not visit this little Christmas miracle during the festive season.

Taronga Western Plains Zoo is located in Dubbo in Central Western NSW and is open every day.  For more information visit www.taronga.org.au or contact 6881 1400.

Contact: Kellsey Melhuish, Public Relations and Promotions Coordinator, 6881 1413 or 0420 962 376.