Baby white rhino Nova makes her public debut at Belgium's Pairi Daiza zoo

Baby white rhino Nova has given her first open-air media show, jumping and frolicking with her mother Ellie in her enclosure at the Pairi Daiza zoo
Nova, left, an endangered Southern White Rhinoceros born in January 2025, stands next to her mother Elie at Paira Daiza Zoo in Brugelette, Belgium, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Marius Burgelman)

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Nova, left, an endangered Southern White Rhinoceros born in January 2025, stands next to her mother Elie at Paira Daiza Zoo in Brugelette, Belgium, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Marius Burgelman)

BRUGELETTE, Belgium (AP) — Baby white rhino Nova captivated visitors at Belgium’s Pairi Daiza zoo on Wednesday, making her public debut with a playful display of jumps and frolics alongside her mother, Ellie.

Born on Jan. 2, the rare calf first had to be nurtured in the warmth of a secure area where she could gather strength and weight. Earlier this week, her mother brought her out in the open to get acquainted with the other rhinos at the famous Belgian zoo. She was also given a hesitant outing where the public got a first peek.