Big Rhinos Need Big Hearts Too

The summer rains have blessed Limpopo province with lush greenery and the animals are certainly loving their environment, which makes for good photos too.

Lula and Khulula are given free range to explore and prefer to keep to themselves by hiding in the dense bush, away from any human interaction. They do however occasionally make an appearance for the curators to photograph them.

During the summer months, they aren’t given any lucerne bales because they are able to graze off the abundance of green grass available to them at any time. Being white rhinos, their lips are wide, allowing them to pull at the grass to eat.

Esmé also continues to venture out each day with her friend Mielie the pedi sheep by her side. Because she stays in her boma area at night, she is still given lucerne bales in the evening to sustain her.

Dense bush does of course also mean that ticks are an ever-present pest to the rhinos. In the wild (and also at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre), red-billed oxpeckers can frequently be seen on the backs of the rhinos picking at the ticks, which provide a juicy meal for them to enjoy. The curators however also spot treat the rhinos for ticks to prevent possible infection, which could have devastating consequences for the rhinos.

Even though Lula, Khulula and Esmé are given their freedom to roam about, they are closely monitored by the antipoaching team on site, as the threat of poachers is still a very real and valid concern.

Thanks to you, our valued supporters, the efforts to rehabilitate and care for these rhinos can continue.