By Faye Mayern via SWNS
An endangered baby rhino has well and truly found its feet after being filmed playing and exploring its new paddock – six weeks after being born.
The southern white rhino calf, named Benja, has begun to venture out of his indoor den and into the grassland at Whipsnade Zoo, Beds.
The heart-warming video shows adorable Benja, who weighs 100kg, running and jumping in the sunshine under the watchful eye of mum Jaseera.
The 100kg calf can also be seen playing in the mud before slipping and darting away.
White rhinos, like Benja, are facing threats of poaching and habitat loss in South Africa, with 500 killed last year for their horns.
Rhino keeper Michael Hepher said the southern white rhino calf loves to play with the rest of the herd, before snuggling up to his mom.
Hepher said: “When he’s not playing with the other rhinos, he loves to sleep and eat, and like any newborn, he still needs regular naps.
“At six weeks old he’s getting bolder by the day. While he started out quite wobbly on his feet, he’s now firmly found his stride.
“Benja is a great ambassador helping to educate the public about rhinos in the wild and inspire them to support our conservation efforts.”
The Zoological Society of London’s Kenya Country Manager Gurveena Ghataure said the field team chose the name Benja, in honour of the dominant black rhino bull who lives in the Tsavo Conservation Area.
She said: “Benja is a highly distinguished rhino, with his name symbolizing resilience. He is an incredible champion for these iconic creatures.
“We felt this was the ideal name for the new calf at Whipsnade Zoo.
“We hope baby Benja is as enchanting as his namesake and has a long successful breeding future ahead of him, to help conserve these magnificent animals.”
