** New arrival **
What started as a relaxed Wednesday caring for animals at the orphanage, turned into another trip to fetch an orphaned rhino. A very special, critically endangered little black rhino of close to one year old.
His mom is suspected to have died of a virus, but the results of her blood tests will confirm if it was indeed the case. The team arrived back with the baby just after midnight and he was left to sleep off the tranquilizers in the trailer.
Little Ryan, as he was named by the person who had discovered him, has since been offloaded into an overnight room so that the carers could calm him and monitor his eating and drinking closely. Because if his age the carers do not have to get him to take milk. Very often older rhino calves brought in can go on hunger strikes but we are happy to report that little Ryan is eating and drinking like a star. His carer slept right outside his room last night and although he charged a couple of times, he lay down to sleep whenever she laid down.
** Update on Ryan **
Our newest black rhino calf, Ryan, has calmed down a lot and took his first steps outside in the nice warm sunshine. He now has a small boma to roam in while he is closely monitored, before he goes to a larger area. He is eating very well (as you can see in the video – just give me my food woman 😜) and is less jumpy but still not allowing the carers to remove the last piece of plaster that kept his IV catheter in. Baby steps but moving forward
*27 May 2019 – Update*
The little black rhino orphan, Ryan, is progressing very nicely and has an insatiable appetite. He is eating so much that our carers had to cut more browse late last night.
This morning the little rhino was calling softly and started sucking on a carers hand. It was decided to try milk one more time…. Happy rhino bummie ❤️🦏💕 the only way he figured out how to suck on the artificial teat was laying down and that is probably because at this age in the wild, they suckle from mom when laying down. The only way they can manage to drink from mom😊