STAFF at Knowsley Safarai Park have had their hearts warmed by the progress of the venue's latest arrival.

Nomvula is the newest addition to the park's crash of white rhinos and is enjoying her days on the safari drive with Jason Doherty, Leah Drury and Jon Moss.

Nomvula is 21-year-old Meru’s sixth calf with the team at Knowsley Safari are recognised as one of the top white rhino breeders in Europe.

White rhinos are one of the most hunted animals with the safari park helping to fund work to help save the endangered species.

Keeper Jason Doherty said: “In my time here, I’ve bonded with so many of our newborns, but Nomvula has captured the heart of everyone with her mischievous ways and playful nature.

“She’s definitely one of our more curious calves and is getting to know the wildebeest and eland as she explores the 100-acre habitat with the rest of the crash.”

Nomvula was born earlier this year and can be seen exploring the safari drive.

Rhino keeper Leah Drury added: “I had to leave for a research trip in Senegal shortly after Nomvula arrived and it was a shame to miss her early days but we are more than making up for lost time now.

“She is so confident and very bright. She’s already learning and mastering many behaviours from her mother. "It’s always exciting to have new arrivals as not only does it give us someone new to coo over, it also gives us a platform to talk about why the breeding programmes for endangered species, especially the white rhino, are so important across all animal collections.”

White rhinos are one of the most hunted animals in the wild and according to 2010 figures from IUCN there are only 20,107 left in the wild.

A total of 1,215 white rhinos were killed in 2014. As part of their conservation work, Knowsley Safari have helped to fund the important work done by the Lowveld Rhino Trust (LRT) with more than £26,000 donated so far via direct sponsorship from visitor donations and fundraising activities since 2012.