Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre began in 1991 when a game farm owner and wildlife enthusiast Brian Jones decided to care for a crowned eagle which is an endangered species. Shortly after, a baby zebra was brought in who needed care, and Jones soon began the centre to care for injured, abandoned and poisoned animals with hopes of rehabilitating them and releasing them safely back into their natural habitats. The nonprofit organization now not only cares for a variety of wildlife including lion, cheetah, leopard, hyena, zebra and vultures, it also breeds endangered species such as the crowned eagle to get their numbers back up in the wild.
When a rescue party is put together for an animal, particularly a white rhino that is at risk, Jones is the one who is sent along with a team of staff members. The white rhino is not only the second largest mammal weighing up to two tons, it is an endangered species. At one time, there were actually thirty different kinds of rhinos, and the white rhino sadly is now only one of five rhino species. Of all the species, the white rhino is said to be the most calm and sociable, but that doesn't mean he won't pose a risk if he feels threatened.
Early in 2012, Moholoholo received a call from a game park about an hour away saying there was a baby white rhino that seemed to have been abandoned by her mother. Upon arriving, Brian and the rest of the staff found the rhino to be not quite a day old and generally healthy in her appearance. The only thing that was different was her feet which seemed to be slightly malformed.
If a rhino mother abandons her baby, it's usually due to her sensing there is something terribly wrong with her child's health; this caused great concern in the staff for the baby's physical condition. The staff also found out from the game reserve that the group of rhino had recently been transported to the game reserve. They then realized, to their great relief, it was most likely due to the mother's stress over being captured and moved that she gave birth early - which often causes this specific type of feet deformity.
Upon reaching this baby female, the staff immediately offered her some milk since her mother hadn't been up to feeding her. She showed no hesitation in satisfying her hunger and surprisingly remained calm - even with all the staff members surrounding her. Another sign of health the staff had to be sure of was that the baby female was passing waste regularly and easily. After seeing this was the case, she charmed each staff member by making herself at home in their presence which is not normal behavior for baby rhinos.
Because a baby rhino has to eat every two hours, one could say that it's just as challenging to care for a baby rhino as it is to care for a baby human if not more so. When you think of how a baby rhino goes from about forty-six kilograms to five hundred kilograms in the first two years of life, there's no wondering why so much eating is required! In addition to the feeds, the caregivers also had to keep her from eating or sucking on anything that was dirty because of her system still being so fragile. Of course taking care of a baby rhino is a huge commitment, but the team at Moholoholo takes great satisfaction in such a rewarding work. To them, there's nothing like seeing an animal restored back to strength and then released back into the wild.
When a rescue party is put together for an animal, particularly a white rhino that is at risk, Jones is the one who is sent along with a team of staff members. The white rhino is not only the second largest mammal weighing up to two tons, it is an endangered species. At one time, there were actually thirty different kinds of rhinos, and the white rhino sadly is now only one of five rhino species. Of all the species, the white rhino is said to be the most calm and sociable, but that doesn't mean he won't pose a risk if he feels threatened.
Early in 2012, Moholoholo received a call from a game park about an hour away saying there was a baby white rhino that seemed to have been abandoned by her mother. Upon arriving, Brian and the rest of the staff found the rhino to be not quite a day old and generally healthy in her appearance. The only thing that was different was her feet which seemed to be slightly malformed.
If a rhino mother abandons her baby, it's usually due to her sensing there is something terribly wrong with her child's health; this caused great concern in the staff for the baby's physical condition. The staff also found out from the game reserve that the group of rhino had recently been transported to the game reserve. They then realized, to their great relief, it was most likely due to the mother's stress over being captured and moved that she gave birth early - which often causes this specific type of feet deformity.
Upon reaching this baby female, the staff immediately offered her some milk since her mother hadn't been up to feeding her. She showed no hesitation in satisfying her hunger and surprisingly remained calm - even with all the staff members surrounding her. Another sign of health the staff had to be sure of was that the baby female was passing waste regularly and easily. After seeing this was the case, she charmed each staff member by making herself at home in their presence which is not normal behavior for baby rhinos.
Because a baby rhino has to eat every two hours, one could say that it's just as challenging to care for a baby rhino as it is to care for a baby human if not more so. When you think of how a baby rhino goes from about forty-six kilograms to five hundred kilograms in the first two years of life, there's no wondering why so much eating is required! In addition to the feeds, the caregivers also had to keep her from eating or sucking on anything that was dirty because of her system still being so fragile. Of course taking care of a baby rhino is a huge commitment, but the team at Moholoholo takes great satisfaction in such a rewarding work. To them, there's nothing like seeing an animal restored back to strength and then released back into the wild.
About the Author:
Learn more about animal rehabilitation in South Africa. Stop by Moholoholo's site where you can find out all about abandoned and injured wild animals taken care of at Moholoholo Animal Rehabilitation Centre.
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