“That’s not my name!” - Rhino calf echoes song to make his point

The two-horned youngster, who is four months old, is dubbed all sorts of nicknames but no one seems to know exactly what he is called.

The youngster was born shortly after the zoo 54th white rhino calf was born, Jabari, who was already stealing the show in the rhino barn. His name was chosen by newspaper readers in a competition and it means brave in Swahili. So poor old “no name” gets mixed up and has ended up without a proper title.

The newest rhino was a little shy at first and wouldn’t leave his mother’s side and so while keepers gave him a pet name for easy recognition he’s never had a formal public debut – until now!

So meet Shaka, named after the Zulu king who rose to great prominence in the 18th and 19th century for his intelligence, ambition and tactics on the battlefield and is remembered across the world.

An important name for an important African animal at Whipsnade - just don’t forget it!

Notes to editors

• The two-horned white rhino is one of the five species of rhino. It has a distinctive hump of ligaments on its neck which helps to support the weight of its large head.
• The herd at the zoo consists of ten rhinos, three males, five females and two calves.
• After a gestation period of 16 months, rhinos generally give birth to a single calf.
• Founded in 1826, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is an international scientific, conservation and educational charity: our key role is the conservation of animals and their habitats. ZSL runs ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, carries out scientific research in the Institute of Zoology and is actively involved in field conservation in other countries worldwide.

Press Contact

For further information please contact Christine Drabwell at the ZSL Whipsnade Zoo press office 01582 871303