A 7-month-old male white rhino calf was taken in by The Rhino Orphanage on Friday, June 18 after a ‘brutal poaching incident,’ the Orphanage said on Facebook.
‘Our vet dr Pierre came to assist with the offloading early on Saturday. The blindfolded baby was placed on an IV line as dehydration is the norm. It is suspected that he was alone for around three days.
‘Our carers worked around the clock to try and get little Duane on milk and finally around 1am on Sunday morning he took the bottle. His blindfold was removed on Sunday afternoon but the traumatised calf did not tolerate any humans in with him. Our carers kept on trying to give him milk and luckily he is drinking through the barrier,’ the organisation continued.
‘They can still not go in with him and there will be long hours ahead for rhino and carers. We are keeping a close watch for any signs of colic due to impaction as a result of dehydration. Gastric ulcers caused by stress will also be a possibility. Please keep him in your thoughts.’
According to Rhino.org, there are only about 18,000 white rhinos left in the world, nearly none of which are found outside of protected areas.
Fun fact: The white rhino’s name is derived from the Afrikaans word “wyd”, meaning “wide” referring to its mouth. Early English settlers misunderstood and wrongly interpreted the word “wyd” for “white”.
The Rhino Orphanage is the first specialist, dedicated, non-commercial centre that cares for orphaned and injured baby rhinos with the only aim of releasing them back into the wild.
To find out more or get involved, visit their website.
Pictures: The Rhino Orphanage
