On November 21, 2025, Bioparc Valencia welcomed the arrival of a healthy white rhinoceros calf, born after its mother, Duna, completed an extraordinary 491-day pregnancy—over sixteen months carrying one of the largest land animals on the planet. This marked the very first white rhino birth in the zoo’s history, a moment of quiet triumph shaped by years of careful planning, dedication, and hope.
The newborn is more than just a successful birth. It symbolizes a significant achievement within the European Conservation Program, which carefully coordinates breeding between accredited institutions to maintain genetic diversity for species at high risk of extinction. Every pairing is deliberate, every birth intentional, and every calf is crucial.
White rhinos once roamed vast swaths of Africa, but centuries of hunting and modern poaching have left their numbers perilously low. Even with strict protections in place today, their survival remains uncertain. In this context, each newborn carries a significance far beyond its size.
Keepers describe Duna as serene and nurturing, guiding her calf gently through its first hours of life. Newborn rhinos are impressively resilient—they can stand and walk within a few hours and stay close to their mothers as maternal bonding begins immediately. For the staff who have waited years for this moment, watching the mother and calf explore their habitat together is tangible proof that patience, care, and dedication can still shape the future of endangered species.
While the birth of a single calf will not save the species on its own, conservation progresses gradually—through careful steps, one healthy newborn, one preserved lineage, one successful season at a time. Each calf strengthens the foundation for the future.
For now, Valencia quietly celebrates. A new giant has entered the world under vigilant care, and a species has gained another reason to endure.