It's incredible to think the Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre has now been around for over twenty years. In 1991, a group of people passionate about wildlife decided to start the centre when they saw the great need for a place where animals and birds could be nursed back to health in order to be introduced to the wild when they were ready. Brian Jones was a key part of starting the centre and was already caring for a crowned eagle before the centre even began. Soon after the centre started to come together, a baby zebra was brought to the team for care as well. Since that time, countless animals and birds which were hurt, deserted or poisoned have been rehabilitated back into their natural habitats.
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.
Moholoholo's recent rhino addition was rescued earlier this year when a baby white rhino was found by an employee at a nearby game park. It seemed as if the mother had chosen to disregard her baby. After Moholoholo received the call from the game park, a group of staff went immediately with Brian to save the young rhino who was about an hour's drive away. After reaching the rhino, the staff could see that this baby female was not even twenty-four hours old yet, and her feet were mildly deformed.
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.
Moholoholo's recent rhino addition was rescued earlier this year when a baby white rhino was found by an employee at a nearby game park. It seemed as if the mother had chosen to disregard her baby. After Moholoholo received the call from the game park, a group of staff went immediately with Brian to save the young rhino who was about an hour's drive away. After reaching the rhino, the staff could see that this baby female was not even twenty-four hours old yet, and her feet were mildly deformed.
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.
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Looking to find information on animal rehabilitation in South Africa, then visit www.moholoholo.co.za to get updates on abandoned and injured wild animals taken care of at Moholoholo Animal Rehabilitation Centre.
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