Watch adorable baby white rhino be born and take first steps at West Midlands Safari Park

The adorable female calf was born at 1.48am on January 11 to her 15-year-old mum, Keyah, following a tricky breach birth.

Keepers were quick to help the youngster get to her feet, as CCTV footage shows her walking tentatively over to her mum for a first feed.

Now a week old, staff at West Midlands Safari Park said the calf was settling in well and has been given the African name, Malaika, meaning "angel".

Head keeper of Ungulates, Lisa Watkins, said: "The team are absolutely over the moon with the safe arrival of a female white rhino calf. After a long wait, having had two male calves born in 2021, a female was a very welcome addition to the crash.

"Mum, Keyah, is doing a fantastic job of caring for the newborn with older brother Jumani eager to meet his little sister.

"I am really proud of the team for all their daily hard work and dedication, to allow this calf to arrive safe and healthy.

"We all look forward to showing the new arrival off in the near future, but for now, both mum and calf are spending some important time bonding in the warmth and comfort of their house."

Malaika will be left to settle into her home for the time being before she is gradually introduced to the rest of her herd, including brother Jumani, half-brothers Granville and Jambo and dad, Barney.

The new arrival is the sixth baby white rhino to be born at the Park in the last eight years, marking another success for the site's involvement in a collaborative European breeding programme with an aim to conserve threatened species.

Katie McDonald, research and conservation officer, added: "Like all wildlife attractions, we believe it is extremely important for us to contribute to the conservation of the species we hold.

"White rhinos are one of the species for which there is a European-wide breeding programme and West Midlands Safari Park has been a strong contributor.

"Having safe and healthy populations in zoos and parks is extremely valuable when the situation in the animal's natural habitat is precarious. White rhinos are threatened in the wild by poachers, who kill them so they can sell rhino horn on the black market.

"Through our amazing conservation partner, Save the Rhino International, we actively support rhino conservation by helping to fund anti-poaching activities in uMkhuze Game Reserve, South Africa, where dedicated ranger teams work every day to monitor and protect rhinos across the reserve."

Southern white rhinos have been categorised by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as near threatened, with around 16,000 remaining.

The population of white rhinos has recovered greatly since almost becoming extinct in the early 1900s but are the subspecies of rhinos considered most threatened by poaching.

Malaika brings the number of white rhinos at the Park to nine, who can be spotted on the safari drive-through, which is included in the admission charge.

For more information about West Midlands Safari Park, go to wmsp.co.uk or call 01299 402114.