White rhino siblings celebrate first birthday at Cotswold Wildlife Park

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 27 Oct, 06:08 · Archive

White rhino siblings Markus and Mo turned one at Cotswold Wildlife Park with specially made cakes.

Mammal keeper Liam Klingsick made the pair birthday cakes from soaked pellets and carrots decorated with salad leaves. Both calves ate their treats, although Markus's mother Nancy surprised keepers by using her horn to split one of the cakes in two.

Markus and Mo's arrivals brought the park's rhino population to nine, the highest number at the park at one time in its 56-year history. Markus is Nancy's seventh calf and Mo is Ruby's sixth, with both fathered by breeding male Monty. The calves weighed about 70kg at birth but now weigh around 500kg each, with Markus slightly heavier.

At the time of their births, they were the only white rhino calves born in the UK in 2025, with just six born across European zoological collections that year. The breeding programme has welcomed 13 rhino calves over the past 13 years, including one named by former Prime Minister and Witney MP David Cameron. Park chairman Reggie Heyworth said the successful breeding was particularly poignant after the attraction struggled to breed its original rhinos.

White rhino siblings celebrate first birthday at Cotswold Wildlife Park — Image: Oxford Mail

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White rhino siblings tuck into specially made first birthday cakeCotswold Wildlife Park’s white rhino siblings Markus and Mo celebrate turning one with cake, as the UK’s largest rhino family supports conservation efforts.Oxford Mail · 27 Oct, 05:00
White rhino siblings tuck into specially made first birthday cakeCotswold Wildlife Park’s white rhino siblings Markus and Mo celebrate turning one with cake, as the UK’s largest rhino family supports conservation efforts.Oxfordshire Guardian · 27 Oct, 05:00

In this story: Markus · Mo · Cotswold Wildlife Park · Burford · Nancy · Ruby · Monty · David Cameron

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