A RARE baby rhino recently born at Chester Zoo has now been given a name.

It was reported last week how the female calf had been safely delivered by new mum Ema Elsa following a 15-month-long pregnancy.

Following the birth, which was captured on the zoo’s CCTV cameras, a poll was launched on the city attraction's Facebook page, inviting the public to help name the precious new arrival.

Keepers had shortlisted the names Kasulu (a town in Tanzania), Koshi (meaning ‘to try’) and Kaari (meaning ‘young girl/young daughter’) for voters to choose from.

More than 70,000 votes were cast and the baby rhino has now been officially named... Kasulu.

St Helens Star:

Conservationists at the zoo say the arrival of the calf – an eastern black rhino - will be ‘celebrated globally’ as fewer than 1,000 now remain on the planet.

The population of eastern black rhinos in zoos across Europe is vital to the long-term future of the species, with several rhinos born as a result of the carefully coordinated breeding programme between European zoos having been introduced to Africa to boost wild populations.

Most recently, in June 2019, experts at Chester Zoo spearheaded the transportation of a group of eastern black rhinos from Europe to Akagera National Park, Rwanda.