It’s been a joyous week or so at Chester Zoo as the award-winning conservationists have welcomed a brand new eastern black rhino, “one of the world’s rarest mammals”, and even managed to catch the birth on camera.
Chester Zoo confirmed that one of their adult rhinos, Zuri, gave birth to a baby eastern black earlier this month and, in an even rarer turn of events, the zookeepers managed to catch the birth on camera in the middle of the day.
Noting that a daylight birth is “quite unusual”, the rhino team labelled the once-in-a-lifetime natural phenomenon “just the most incredible privilege”.
Yet to be named, the female calf is now just one of a handful of species left on the planet, with fewer than 600 eatsern black rhinos said to be living in the wild across Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda. However, the baby’s birth will massively help efforts to prevent an endangered species from disappearing.
Credit: Chester Zoo
Having trooped on through her 15-month pregnancy, mum Zuri delivered her baby on a soft bed of sand around 2:45pm on Sunday, 12 November, as the zoo’s rangers watched on in amazement.
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Rhino Team Manager, Emma Evison — who has been closely monitoring the two since the birth — said, “What’s most important now during these first few days is that mum Zuri and her new baby spend some time bonding and getting to know one another.
“So far, the pair have been inseparable and the little one is feeding regularly and already gaining in size and weight. She’s very inquisitive and full of energy, which is just brilliant to see.
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You can see the quite incredible moment the baby eastern black rhino entered the world here (we’ll pre-warn that it’s not for the squeamish, mind you…):
Nature is absolutely amazing.
As Evison went on to explain, “Sadly this is a species that, for more than century, has been hunted down and poached for its horn before being sold on the illegal wildlife markets.
“This precious newborn’s arrival is another positive step in safeguarding the species, which is what the endangered species breeding programme in European conservation zoos that we’re a leading part of is striving to do. This programme has already showed huge success, with a group of rhinos bred in zoo’s in Europe having been translocated to a protected National Park in Africa.”
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The illegal wildlife trade is the world’s fourth biggest international crime and, unfortunately, is the main driver in thousands of species disappearing from the wild, including the eastern black rhino.
The demand for rhino horn, stemming from the traditional Asian medicine market, has seen 95% Africa’s rhinos wiped out by poaching. However, the latest figures show that, for the first time in more than a decade, rhino numbers have increased slightly across Africa due to successful conservation efforts.
Mum and daughter, taking their first steps side by side.
The birth of this healthy calf can truly do wonders for the fate of this beautiful species and we couldn’t be more chuffed to see the Cheshire institution add another cutey to its collection whilst continuing to do their bit for wildlife conservation.
Mike Jordan, Director of Animals and Plants at the zoo, said: “Our efforts to protect this magnificent species extend far beyond the zoo’s boundaries and, while it’s incredibly positive news that conservation efforts across Africa have led to a small recovery in rhino numbers, giving them some much needed breathing space, we know there’s still lots of work to be to done…
“Zuri and her new arrival is testament to the unwavering dedication of conservationists here at Chester, and around the world, who are working to safeguard these incredible animals and ensure that they thrive long into the future.”
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Chester Zoo is a truly wonderful place that’s magic never seems to wane on us no matter how many years go by. They’ve also got a very special festive but still animal-themed event on this Christmas that you don’t want to miss either.
Plans to bring Greater Manchester’s rail services onto the Bee Network unveiled
Emily Sergeant
Ambitious plans to bring all rail services in Greater Manchester onto the Bee Network have been unveiled this week.
After the success of all the region’s buses returning to local control at the start of the year, Mayor Andy Burnham has set out Greater Manchester’s step-by-step plan to bring rail into the Bee Network by 2028, working alongside the rail industry to do this as the next part of his joined-up ‘London-style’ public transport system, which is intended to boost passenger numbers, and drive growth across the region.
Developed in partnership with the rail industry, Department for Transport (DfT) and Shadow Great British Rail, Mr Burnham says his plan is aimed at not only improving transport but unlocking major regeneration and housing opportunities on land around the region’s stations too.
Greater Manchester’s proposition is for eight commuter rail lines, covering 64 stations, to be brought into the Bee Network in three phases over the next five years.
Under the plan, the first two lines – which will work to connect Manchester to Glossop and Stalybridge, in Tameside – will join the Bee Network by December 2026, and then a further 32 stations, and all lines within Greater Manchester, would join by 2030.
Not only that, but Greater Manchester leaders have also committed to working with the Government and the rail industry to “improve reliability” and “implement service changes” to help drive growth too.
If all goes to plan, the first branded Bee Network train will be running by the end of 2026.
Bus, tram and train will finally be united in a tap-in, tap-out payment system with a daily cap offering much better value for money than existing rail fares.
Another major change is that TfGM has said it will work with the rail industry to accelerate the delivery of accessibility improvements – with more than 60% of stations on the eight lines set to have step-free access by 2028, compared to 43% at the end of 2024.
“Our rail system today is acting as a brake on growth and, as the UK’s fastest growing city-region, Greater Manchester deserves better,” commented Mayor Andy Burnham, as he unveiled his plans this week.
“We need a railway that is reliable and fully integrated with the rest of the Bee Network to drive growth and deliver new homes with public transport connections on the doorstep.
“Our plan puts passengers first by delivering a simplified, joined-up public transport network, with better services, stations and overall experience. Only by making travel by train more reliable, simpler, flexible and accessible to everyone, will we convince more people to leave the car at home and make the switch to the Bee Network.”
If everything goes according to plan, it’s expected to boost the number of trips by train by 1.3 million each year.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Manchester United reinstate season ticket of fan with dementia after fury over cancellation
Danny Jones
Manchester United have quickly reinstated the season ticket of a lifelong fan suffering from dementia after it was cancelled following confusion over his attendance.
The Premier League was met with huge backlash this week after a fan account on social media posted a message from a fellow supporter explaining how their grandfather had been stripped of his season ticket for supposedly failing to attend the last five games – only that wasn’t the case at all.
As detailed in the lengthy text shared countless times on X, the elderly fan who not only struggles with the neurological condition but also doesn’t own a mobile phone, has been using a paper ticket with a QR code printed on it ever since the majority of stadiums transitioned to largely digital ticketing systems.
Not only were many quick to point out that e-ticketing can be excluding for fans of a certain age and/or accessibility needs but the result in this instance could have been avoided had they taken into account an issue no doubt many other supporters face week in and week out.
@MUSTChair@MU_ST can you guys investigate this? I am not surprised but this is disgusting behaviour. Granted it's no doubt an automated IT system but the club need to make arrangements for the older/non IT fan
As the message goes on to explain, the QR code itself “hasn’t worked all season” and the stewards have simply been making an exception and letting him in on good faith and discretion, along with the presumption that there may have just been an error during the printing of the ticket.
However, since had and could not be scanned on each of these occasions, there was no real record of his entry on their database whatsoever, meaning that he unknowingly hit the limit of games supporters are allowed to miss before a season ticket can be removed.
As a result, not only was his season ticket of more than 45 years cancelled but his seat was immediately relisted for the ballot and quickly sold to someone else ahead of the Brighton game on Sunday, 21 January – at a now inflated price, no less.
Understandably, United supporters and various other clubs were left shocked by the error of the club, damning the decision as “shameful” and disgusting”, with many claiming that they are once again turning their back on so-called ‘legacy fans’.
One person replied: “Man United failing in their duties under the Disability Discrimination Act / Equality Act 2010, with regard to reasonable adjustments, and the club is now vulnerable to legal action […] Scandalous that clubs cannot just do the right thing anymore and only see fans as cash cows to exploit and (effectively) abuse as they see fit.”
What’s even more alarming is the worry that this has already or will happen again to other fans in similar situations, as a fellow Red responding to a response from the club reinforced the same concerns, claiming that they were unwilling to make reasonable adjustments for a family member with Alzheimer’s.
I'm the same. My mum has alzheimer's and I can't always go, especially to night matches but it maybe short notice so can't sell ticket. I asked if this could be taken into consideration at the end of the season and they said no. If you miss games then sell your ticket.
Thankfully, as per multiple outlets, the club has now at the very least rectified this particular mistake and although the club’s Director of Supporter Services had been “unhelpful” up until that point, the right steps have finally been taken.
On the other hand, as the original poster wrote following the update, “Good to hear this has now been resolved, but it should never have happened in the first place.”
Moreover, it’s clear that better measures and safeguarding practices need to be put into place when it comes to contingencies like this because although the Premier League has stated a full switch to digital e-tickets must be complete by the end of 2027 at the latest, there will always need to be exceptions.
As for ticket prices themselves, another banner up at Old Trafford after the club adjusted ticket prices and removed concessions across all categories for the remainder of the season – it read: £66 of your debt, not ours”. It’s not the first time fans have already protested since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s tenure began.
“£66 you’re taking the p*ss” sing those protesting behind the banner. There are also chants of “you’re forcing us out.” pic.twitter.com/L34l36uvXk
Danny Jones -
22nd November 2023 
