Kolisi, a white rhino orphan rescued by The Rhino Orphanage, was attacked by hyenas in 2019. He suffered extensive trauma to the bone and tendons in his hind foot.
WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES – Kolisi the baby rhino needs your help.
Kolisi (named after our Springbok captain), a few…
Posted by Saving The Survivors on Thursday, 12 December 2019
For months, the little one fought to recover and was rehabilitated by the team at the Orphanage. Tuesday, July 7 was his big day as his protective boot finally came off. ‘Finally the day has come that we have all been waiting for. So first of all our brave Kolisi is once more a BAREFOOT child!!!’ the Orphanage posted on Facebook.
🌞Kolisi’s Big Day 🌞
Finally the day has come that we have all been waiting for. So first of all our brave Kolisi is…
Posted by The Rhino Orphanage on Tuesday, 7 July 2020
‘The boot is finally off and here is the prognosis by Dr Johan Marais from Saving the Survivors after what has been a 7 month treatment,’ they continued.
‘There should be three bones (phalanges) for each digit (toe) of the foot. The phalanges (small bones) of the left toe are skew and displaced due to the damage the hyena caused, bone 2 should sit below number 1. On what used to be the right toe, bones 2 & 3 are missing (bitten off), but it is fine. All & all the foot healed incredibly well considering the extensive damage. A big issue was the two major tendons that were severed and in time some of it will grow back. The fibrosis there has strengthened the foot. Under the circumstances the foot looks very good. We just have to be careful that the bones don’t push through to the bottom of his foot.
‘So Kolisi & friend Phil [are] bound to a small boma for 2 – 3 weeks to give his foot a chance to get stronger and limit movement. It is still sensitive and Kolisi also needs to get used to the feeling of not having his boot on.
‘What an incredibly happy day and how incredibly lucky our Team is to have the expertise and passion of such amazing vets like Dr Johan and Dr Pierre. Thank you so much!’ the post concludes.
The 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.
Saving the Survivors treats injured wild animals that have fallen victim to poachers or other trauma. To find out more or get involved, visit their website.
Image credit: Facebook/The Rhino Orphanage
