A Fota opportunity for Indian rhino
FOTA Wildlife Park is predicting a 'handsome' boost in visitors from its new attraction.
One-and-a-half tonne male Indian rhino Jamil - which means handsome or beautiful in Indian - is one of the centrepieces of the park's new €6m Asian Sanctuary.
The sanctuary has already seen several endangered Sumatran tigers arrive, while Jamil will now be central to the park's most ambitious breeding programme in its 32-year history.
Display
"We are delighted that Jamil will go on public display from Friday and he will be joined by two rhinos next autumn," Fota director Sean McKeown said.
Jamil is a two-year-old rhino, with the body-like armour plates his species is famous for. Indian rhinos are native to northern India and Nepal.
There are just five rhino species left on the planet and all are regarded as vulnerable or endangered.