Baby southern white rhino 'Nandi' explores her enclosure

A rare white rhino that was born at Whipsnade Zoo after a 16-month pregnancy has begun to explore her enclosure just two weeks after her birth.

The female calf named Nandi, which means sweet one in Zulu, was born at the conservation zoo located near Dunstable in Bedfordshire, to mother Tuli and father Sizzle at 4am on August 21. 

Last month team leader Mark Holden said the zoo was 'overjoyed' with the 'precious addition' who will now join an endangered species breeding programme for white rhinos.

The latest scenes come just months after southern white rhino Keyah gave birth to a calf at West Midlands Safari Park on June 27. 

The calf was the second white rhino arrival at the safari park in Bewdley, Worcestershire, in the space of a few weeks. 

There are approximately 10,000 Southern white rhinos left in the wild, according to the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species.

However their numbers are in decline due to poaching, habitat loss, introduction of invasive species and climate change. 

Both male and female white rhinos typically feature two horns, with the longest at the front, a broad square-shaped upper lip and a thick neck to support their head.

The males can weigh in at 2.3 tons while females are slightly lighter at 1.7 tons.      

The 'white' in the animal's name does not refer to their colour but in fact comes from the Afrikaans word 'weit' which means wide and refers to the animal's mouth.