It’s incredible to think that, through Rhino Africa’s sponsorship and help, an orphaned rhino, whose mother was killed by poachers, is alive and well, and now weighs in at 208.2 kilograms.
When we first introduced you to Rhino Don, he was barely four months old and he weighed in at 122 kilograms. He was still susceptible to a number of life-threatening conditions and he hadn’t yet been introduced to the other young rhinos at Care for Wild AFRICA rhino sanctuary.
Today Don is a member of a three-strong herd: Warren and Oz are his constant companions. He has been moved to a much larger boma further away from the sanctuary’s main operating centre. This is part of a strategy to reduce the amount of human interaction. Don is still the smallest and softest of the three, but he tries not to show his vulnerable side when he’s with his two friends.
It won’t be long until Don, together with Warren and Oz, are released into a larger herd made up of adolescent animals. This will take some adjustment, but there will be lots more social interaction and a lot more room to play, graze, roll in the mud and snooze.
The sanctuary has an adjacent 30,000-hectare nature reserve, which is truly beautiful. We cannot wait for the day that Don is able to roam this area during the day. He will have his own 24/7 monitor and – although we can never say that he will be 100 percent safe – he will be a lot safer than he would in some of Africa’s most remote (and targeted) national parks. He will also have freedom and, hopefully, the inclination to mate with a rhino cow from the sanctuary.
When the Rhino Africa family become “grandparents” to a new generation of safe and healthy rhino, we can’t promise that we won’t get emotional!
Just a note: we would never be able to have this kind of conservation impact without the customers, partners, and friends who have allowed Rhino Africa to guide their adventures and journeys across Africa. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Stay up to date on Don’s progress by following him on Facebook and Instagram.