At eight weeks’ old and 200 kilograms, southern white rhino calf Jabulani has charged into public view for the first time, trotting and smelling his way through Melbourne’s own savannah.
The rhino calf was born at Werribee Open Range Zoo in the city’s south-west after a 16-month pregnancy, and was ushered into a keeper-only area to strengthen bonds with mother Kipenzi and other members of the crash.
This week is the first time Jabulani – the calf’s name is a Zulu word meaning “bringing joy” or “rejoice” – is ambling into public view alongside herds of giraffe, zebra, ostrich and antelope on the zoo’s African-inspired 30 hectares.
“Just like rhino calves would experience in the wild, Jabulani has been nurtured closely by his mother to prepare him for this very moment,” zoo life sciences manager Dominic Moss said.
“Visitors can expect to see Jabulani staying close by mum and eight tonnes of rhino family ‘bodyguards’. But as time goes by, he’ll venture out and explore more on his own.
“He’ll also be doing plenty of ‘zoomies’ and taking lots of naps as would be expected with any new bub.”
Jabulani weighed 55 kilograms at birth and has grown to 200 kilograms over the past couple of months.
The southern white rhino calf is the first successfully raised by its mother to be born in Victoria in more than two decades.
The calf’s mother is an 11-year-old, while its father Kifaru is 15.
