Colchester Zoo’s baby white rhino finally has a name – and celebrated the occasion by rolling about in the mud.

East Anglian Daily Times: Lottie saw her first-ever muddy puddle in her paddock and was excited to run right through it Picture: COLCHESTER ZOOLottie saw her first-ever muddy puddle in her paddock and was excited to run right through it Picture: COLCHESTER ZOO (Image: Archant)

Emily the rhino gave birth to the calf on the evening of January 4, and the team at the zoo made the announcement on January 9 after they could confirm it was happy and healthy.

Initially asking for African names for the new calf, the newest addition to the zoo has instead been named Lottie.

East Anglian Daily Times: Colchester Zoo's newest white rhino now has a name - Lottie has been spotted enjoying the muddy puddles in her outdoor paddock Picture: COLCHESTER ZOOColchester Zoo's newest white rhino now has a name - Lottie has been spotted enjoying the muddy puddles in her outdoor paddock Picture: COLCHESTER ZOO (Image: Archant)

Many of the zoo's rhinos have African names, but keepers decided Lottie was showing the personalities of both her parents and combined their names instead.

Now she has been spotted taking her first steps into her outdoor enclosure, which quickly turned into excited trotting through muddy puddles and skidding on slippery hard court.

East Anglian Daily Times: Lottie took her first steps outside this week, getting used to her outdoor paddock in the company of her mother, Emily Picture: COLCHESTER ZOOLottie took her first steps outside this week, getting used to her outdoor paddock in the company of her mother, Emily Picture: COLCHESTER ZOO (Image: Archant)

Her mother joined her outside and took the opportunity to wallow in the mud.

Lottie and Emily will gradually spend more time in the outside paddock before being introduced to the zoo's female rhinos and the other species who share the paddock.

East Anglian Daily Times: One of the adorable red panda cubs at Colchester Zoo, which was born in 2019 Picture: COLCHESTER ZOOOne of the adorable red panda cubs at Colchester Zoo, which was born in 2019 Picture: COLCHESTER ZOO (Image: COLCHESTER ZOO)

Visitors will be able to catch a glimpse of the calf in the zoo from the outdoor viewing area, the balcony inside the Kingdom of the Wild building and the 'Rhino Cam' inside the building.

The birth of the new calf follows a baby boom in the zoo, with Amur leopards, Amur tigers and red pandas all being born in 2019.

East Anglian Daily Times: The Amur leopard cubs which were born in Colchester Zoo in September have now been named Lena and Luka Picture: EMILY TOWNSENDThe Amur leopard cubs which were born in Colchester Zoo in September have now been named Lena and Luka Picture: EMILY TOWNSEND (Image: Archant)

White rhinos are listed as 'near threatened' on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List due to poaching and the ivory trade.