Baby rhino growing up

Duna, the baby Indian rhinoceros, who was born at Benidorm’s Terra Natura Park last September, is slowly getting less dependent on her mother Shiwa.

Baby Duna weighed 50 kg at birth, and she now weighs 200 kilos, having put on 50 kg a month. This indicates that she is developing correctly. As she gains independence, her diet has been changed.

Up to now, together with her mother they had been eating around 30 kilos of fodder plus around 10 kilos of fruit and vegetables a day. Keepers had noticed that Duna was now eating more, so an extra two kilos of fruit and vegetables have been added to their daily rations.

Duna is almost completely fully weaned from her mother, although she occasionally demands milk. During these past few weeks, her mother has become less agproduction gressive towards the rest of the herd of rhinos, as she was especially protective towards her newborn baby.

As the days go by, Duna acquires greater self-confidence and becomes more playful. She now goes exploring on her own, spending more time away from the heated area of her enclosure and her mum’s watching eye.

Before she becomes completely independent from her mum, keepers and vets are considering introducing her to another female rhinoceros to allow her to interact with other members of her species.

Terra Natura Benidorm is a member of the European reproject (EEP) of Indian rhinoceros.

According to the strategic plans of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA), when Duna is fully mature she will be moved to another centre to meet other genetically compatible specimens to form part of a breeding programme

At present, it is estimated that there are only 3,500 copies of Indian rhinoceros left in the wild. The species has undergone a remarkable recovery, since in 1970 there were only 600 individuals left. It is on the list of threatened species.