White rhino siblings Markus and Mo celebrated their first birthday with specially prepared treats at Cotswold Wildlife Park near Burford, pushing the park’s white rhino population to nine animals, the highest number in its 56-year history.
Birthday Treats for Markus and Mo at Cotswold Wildlife Park
Mammal keeper Liam Klingsick marked the occasion by preparing custom cakes made from soaked pellets and carrots, decorated with salad leaves for the two young animals at the Burford attraction. Both calves tucked into their treats, though Markus’s mother, Nancy, quickly joined the festivities and surprised staff by using her horn to split one of the cakes directly in two.
The two siblings weighed about 70kg at birth and now tip the scales at roughly 500kg each, with Markus weighing slightly more. Following their arrival, the facility’s total rhino count reached nine, marking the peak number housed concurrently at the location throughout its 56-year existence. When they were born, they stood as the sole white rhino calves delivered in the UK in 2025, alongside a mere six births across zoological institutions in Europe during that same year.
Breeding Success and a Poignant Family History
The dual birthday occasion underscores an extraordinary period of reproductive achievements at the facility, which has produced 13 rhino calves over the last 13 years—featuring one that was named by David Cameron, the former Prime Minister and Witney MP. Markus is Nancy’s seventh calf, while Mo is Ruby’s sixth, with both fathered by breeding male Monty.
Reggie Heyworth, chairman of Cotswold Wildlife Park, reflected on how far the institution has come since its early struggles with breeding the species. Mr Heyworth noted:.
I remember when our first White Rhinos arrived as youngsters from South Africa in 1972, and they lived happily here until all three succumbed to age-related issues between 2008 and 2010, but they never bred here. It was always secretly a big disappointment to me and my father, the Park’s founder, that we never succeeded in breeding such iconic and endangered animals.
Reggie Heyworth, chairman of Cotswold Wildlife Park
The passing of Mr Heyworth’s father occurred in 2012, preceding by twelve months the arrival of the park’s initial calf from the fresh group of three white rhinos. Mr Heyworth expressed his wish that his father had lived long enough to see the family they now have, adding that his father would have been thrilled to bits and that the animals were a constant source of joy and pride to everyone at the park and to visitors.
Broader Conservation Stakes for the Species
During the early decades of the 20th century, white rhinos faced near-total annihilation, with an estimated population in the African continent dropping beneath 50 individuals. Despite currently holding the status of the most abundant among all five rhino varieties, the institution emphasizes that protective conservation measures continue to be essential.
As participants in the European Endangered Species Programme, Markus and Mo contribute to efforts designed to safeguard a healthy insurance population in captivity. In addition, Cotswold Wildlife Park partners alongside the conservation organization Tusk, generating upwards of £120,000 across the past ten years to support its initiatives safeguarding endangered African wildlife.