Wildlife Conservation South Africa Project #34492

Big Rhinos Need Big Hearts Too

by Wildlife Conservation Trust

Project Report | Jun 23, 2020
The Big Rhino's Half Year Update

By Lerissa van Biljon | Project Leader

Stompie and Balu

THANK YOU!

We have raised $ 36 445 for the Rescued Rhino's and are extremely proud to be able to say thank you to our amazing donors. We also want to especially thank everyone that supported us during this unstable time in the world! Every donation no matter how big or small helps us get closer to our goals!

AN UPDATE ON THE RESCUED RHINOS @ HESC

The six Rescued Rhinos @ HESC are all well and have been fully rehabilitated despite traumatic experiences in poaching incidents or having lost their mothers. We plan to release them all back into the wild, as is our conservation ethos, but at present, we consider them still too young to cope on their own. We are very grateful for the generous support received via GlobalGiving because although it is our privilege and passion to care for these animals, the financial burden is often greater than we can manage.

Here is an update on each of our beautiful rhinos:

Esme

Esme is doing really well and loves the company of her friend Dawid, They love playing around running after one another. They also now then try to get a curator involved to play with them. We still see Esmé as our little baby even though she is not at all that little anymore

Khulula

Khulula is turning into a beautiful lady and will always be seen by Lula’s side. She is also doing very well and with cold weather, she gets really playful.

Lula

Lula is also well. She has grown up so fast and we can see that she wants to be the top rhino as she keeps Khulula and Nkhandla in line when it comes to feeding time. She insists on being the first one to eat and only then may Khulula and Nkhandla follow

Nkhandla

Nkhandla is an adventure seeker. Often he will wander away from the ladies, just to see what he can find along the way. He really enjoys his mud baths and will most of the time be found lying around in the mud bath.

Stompie

Stompie is doing well and is mostly seen with Balu – in fact the two are almost inseparable. We are very proud of the bond that Stompie and Balu have made here, knowing that is was of great comfort to them in the rehabilitation process.

Balu

Balu is also well and is always first when it is feeding time. He and Stompie love taking mud baths and taking it easy on a warm day.

Hello Esme

Hello from Khulula

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Mar 2, 2020
Report #6: The Big Rhinos look forward to 2020

By Lerissa van Biljon | Project Leader

Lula grazing

THANK YOU!

We have raised $3 607 since December and are extremely proud to be able to say thank you to our amazing donors. We also want to especially thank everyone that supported us during the past giving season! Every donation no matter how big or small helps us get closer to our goals!

AN UPDATE ON THE RESCUED RHINOS @ HESC

After an eventful 2019 and the release of 7 of the Rescued Rhino’s, we can report that all of them are still safe and happy after their release!

News from the 6 orphans still in our care:

Esme has had a few visits from the Vet recently as she has developed a small hole next to her horn that needed attention. The Vets have not come to a conclusion as to what it is but it does not seem to be causing problems. Our team has just been instructed to drain it and to keep it clean while keeping a watchful eye on her. She still loves her mud baths and her daily visits from David as well as spending time with her pedi-sheep friend, Mielie.

Lula, Nhlanhla and Khulula are peas in a pod. They love taking midday naps next to each other under the same tree even if space gets limited sometimes.

Stompie and Balu stick together like superglue, they have been very fond of each other and best friends since they met. They also love hassling and playing games with the staff, especially when its feeding time.

We will send you another update on the rhinos and their progress within the quarter.

FUNDING

Funds raised from the Big Rhino Need Big Hearts Too project allow us to continue to rehabilitate, protect and give sanctuary where needed to this endangered species.

Thank you for your contribution to these beautiful animals. Please continue to support us where you can.

Nkhandla grazing

Esme and her Pedi-sheep friend, Mielie

Links:

Rescued Rhino's at HESC

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Dec 5, 2019
Report #5: A look back at the last year!

By Lerissa van Biljon | Media Coordinator

3 of the released rhinos doing well!

THANK YOU!

We would firstly like to say thank you to each and every person that has supported us. We have raised $22 970 to date. We also want to especially thank everyone that supported us on #GivingTuesday! Every donation no matter how big or small helps us get closer to our goals!

AN UPDATE ON THE RESCUED RHINOS @ HESC

We can proudly announce that we have successfully released another rhino.

Olivia was the seventh rhino to be released over the past year. She arrived at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre(HESC) in April 2016 as a little four-month-old, scared and alone. She had been witness to the savage killing of her mother and was found next to the butchered carcass, orphaned by the heartless actions of ruthless rhino poachers. She was successfully released in September 2019, the same weekend as World Rhino Day.

News from the 6 orphans still in our care:

Esme seems like she is enjoying the last few rainy days and is more active and playful now. Overall, she is loving her me-time and time with Mielie, the Pedisheep and David, the Anatolian Shepherd dog. Esme is still the youngest of our Rhinos and has been weaned earlier this year.

Lula follows Nhlanhla and Khulula around and doesn't leave them for a second. They have quite a close bond. Khulula as always she is always first in line to start enjoying her food. Nhlanhla is the first to fall down and enjoy a mud bath.

Stompie likes to block the trucks off with feeding time just so he can come around and say halo first before we can continue with feeding and Balu is always so eager for food he starts eating it off the back of the vehicle.

Here is a look back at the 6 rhinos that were released from our care into the wild since December 2018:

Dingle Dell and Lion’s Den – December 2018

These two were our first releases that took place five years after the two rhinos survived a vicious poaching attack that left them severely injured and a bull dead. Fully rehabilitated, but dehorned to deter further poaching attacks, they are living testimony of the rehabilitation work the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC) performs on injured and orphaned animals brought to the Centre. Needless to say, proud as we were, it was an emotional experience to let them go.

Gertjie and Matimba – July 2019

The story of these two orphans that came to us at the age of approximately three months and barely one month after their mothers had been viciously killed for their horns in their presence, is another one of our success stories. Their release was conducted in partnership with Investec Rhino Lifeline, longstanding supporter of our rescued rhino project, and was widely publicised in the media.

Ike and Phillipa – August 2019

We describe the tale of Ike and Phillipa as a story of rehabilitation and a heart-warming love story. Ike had his horn hacked off as a young bull of around three years old and was brought to HESC by Saving the Survivors. Understandably terrified and nervous in the extreme, he only relaxed after he met Phillipa in an adjacent camp who had experienced an equally horrendous poaching attack on her and her mother. The two-year-old Phillipa survived, but not the mother. Ike and Philippa were released together and are still never far apart!

Although we release our rhinos, we keep track of them and can report that all have adapted well to life in the wild again.

FUNDING

Funds raised from the Big Rhino Need Big Hearts Too project allow us to continue to rehabilitate, protect and give sanctuary where needed to this endangered species.

Thank you for your contribution to these beautiful animals. Please continue to support us where you can.

Rhino Nhlanhla at HESC

Rhino Balu at HESC

Links:

Read more about the Rescued Rhinos at HESC.

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