Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
A baby Indian rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) is born after a gestation period of nearly 16 months. Its weight at birth ranges between 80-100 lbs and it can stand up sturdily on its own feet within an hour. The baby is cared for entirely by its mother, who will often trample down tall plants to provide food for her little one. She also provides protection against Bengal tigers by way of her size and sharp teeth. Then, after two to four years, the young rhino usually leaves to fend for itself.
The 2023 baby Indian rhino from Schleich measures just under 7 cm long and stands 4.5 cm tall at the ear tips. It is sculpted in a casual walking stance with its head upright and glancing slightly to the left, its ears perked, its left front leg extended forward, and its right front foot raising off the ground.
The baby is coloured exactly like the adult version that I reviewed three years ago: brownish-grey all over with dark grey wash and glossy black eyes. Its sex is indeterminate, so feel free to imagine away.
The sculpting and accuracy of this little toy are very good indeed. A rounded bump on the nose indicates where the horn will eventually grow. The head and neck are covered in wrinkles and the skin on the body is bumpy and folded to look rather like plate armour. The stout little legs end in three-toed feet, although I’m not sure if I ever came across a rhino figure with the wrong number of toes. It certainly would be a pretty glaring and inexcusable mistake to make!
Finally, this baby rhino is like most mammal babies in that it looks very cute and endearing with its wide eyes and perked ears. It goes with the adult version quite nicely, although as I noted in that review, it’s a male, which wouldn’t have anything to do with raising a baby, not even its own. Nevertheless, my five year old son enjoys pretending that the two toys represent himself and his daddy, and far be it from me to dissuade him!
This baby Indian rhino is a fun and appealing little toy and currently available wherever Schleich products are sold. Recommended!
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I am not (yet) into collecting juveniles of mammals in my collection, but if the day ever comes, this is one I’d want to get!