Fota seeking public's help in naming Indian rhino calf

Fota Wildlife Park in Ireland is currently seeking the public's assistance in naming its newest male Indian rhino calf. Born on July 13 to mother Maya and father Jamil, this is the second Indian rhino to be born at the park and the second at any Irish zoo. The wildlife park is offering an annual pass to the successful name submitter.

Visitors can submit name suggestions at the Serengeti Shop at the park until September 13. The winning name should reflect the Indian rhinoceros' native range and cultural heritage. The species, also known as the greater one-horned rhino, is classified as vulnerable with an estimated 4,000 remaining in the wild. Indian rhinos are the largest of Asia's three rhino species.

This birth marks significant conservation breeding success at Fota Wildlife Park, with the recent arrivals of Sumatran tiger cubs, Nubian giraffes, Asian lion cubs, François langur monkeys, and European bison calves. The park is also home to the first white-tailed sea eagle fledgling in a decade, a species that was once extinct in the wild in Ireland.

Senior Ranger Liam McConville expressed delight at the birth, noting that the park is the only one in Ireland where visitors can see Indian rhinos. Maya, the mother rhino, was born at Rotterdam Zoo and joined Fota in 2020. Jamil, the father, also hails from Rotterdam Zoo and was at Fota since 2015.