There’s never a bad time for good news. The same goes for newborn rhino calves. What better way to start the new year than with new hope. Kariega Game Reserve’s poaching survivor, Thandi the rhino, brings new life into the world.
Thandi and her new calf seen wandering in the Kariega Game Reserve.
Photo credit: Adrian Steirn.
Two Kariega rangers witnessed Thandi give birth to a perky rhino calf yesterday morning at 08:50. After Thandi’s brutal poaching attack two years ago (read the original story here), which required multiple operations and a skin graft, many are stunned that she survived. Since rhino conservation in South Africa is taken very seriously, the birth of a new rhino calf is a joyous celebration. According to data compiled by the South African Department of Environmental Affairs, the rhino population is decreasing dramatically. In 2014, 1114 rhinos were poached, a bewilderingly large number.
For the safety of Thandi and her calf, Kariega Game Reserve have made the area off-limits to visitors. These efforts are being made to ensure a stress-free environment and increase the calf’s chances of survival.
Dr Fowlds of Investec Rhino Lifeline comments: “Thandi’s story has always been an incredible testimony of the will to survive against all odds. She represents so much of what her species faces under the current poaching crisis. Her survival has already given us inspiration but the birth of her calf brings a new dimension of hope to the crisis showing us that a future generation of life is possible if we put our minds and hearts to it.”
Calves weigh around 30-40 kilograms and are born without a horn. This means the calf depends entirely on the mother for protection. New life brings on new beginnings. Thandi brings hope to all with her ongoing effort towards survival.
For more good news: watch a rhino calf frolicking for the joy of it
