VIDEO: Meet Flamingo Land's newest arrival - Yorkshire's first ever baby Black Rhino!

The as yet unnamed boy was born at 5.25pm on Sunday October 24 to mum Samira and father Magadi.

After a 16-month pregnancy the final stages happened very quickly, with zookeepers keeping a watchful eye via a network of cameras.

Head Keeper, Sam DeBelle, said: “We have waited so long for this. Both mum and baby are doing incredibly well and I am so proud of Samira and all her keepers”.

Black rhinos first arrived at the zoo in 2015 in the newly built Selous Rhino Reserve.

Samira transferred from Zurich Zoo as part of the European Ex-situ Programme (EEP) managed by EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria) and Magadi followed in 2019 from Chester Zoo.

Zoo Manager and Park Executive Ross Snipp said “This success represents eight years of planning for the team and working collaboratively with our partners across Europe.

“All new births are exciting but there is added significance for this one, both for us and the global population.”

Flamingo Land owner Gordon Gibb said: “This is the first time a black rhino has been born in Yorkshire and, with only approximately 3,000 black rhinos left in the wild, continues our vitally important conservation work at home and abroad.

“In 2019, we released our female Olmoti to Akagera National Park, Rwanda, as part of the largest translocation of rhinos from Europe to Africa and we are also in the process of sending our rhino Chanua to be released in Tanzania soon.

“Who knows? One day this baby may follow in the footsteps of his big sisters.”