our baby rhino orphans
read about the baby rhinos who need your help.
Gender
Female
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
Unknown
Place of Origin
Private
What happened to her mom?
Unknown
What makes her special?
Little Binti was found stuck in the mud in a dam. Her mother was nowhere to be seen and it was estimated that she was alone for at least 36 hours. Binti’s stomach was very empty and she went crazy every time after drinking a bottle of milk, like she was scared there wasn’t going to be anymore. She was plagued by nightmares, calling in her sleep in the first weeks at TRO, but she has settled in well and is now a very independent little rhino.
Gender
Male
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
Unknown
Place of Origin
North West Parks
What happened to their mom?
Brutally poached
What makes them special?
Our team was on standby for 8 days waiting for Houdini’s arrival. He kept on disappearing and the rescue team was unable to locate him. His mother was poached although she was dehorned. A foreign object, a suspected ricochet bullet, hit Houdini in his face and he battled with infection in his nasal passages, sneezing out detached bone fragments and struggling to breath some days. He is doing well now and will soon lead a normal rhino life.
Gender
Female
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
12 months old
Place of Origin
Private reserve
What happened to their mom?
Died from a Clostridium infection
What makes them special?
Ozzy was not put on milk due to his age and excellent body condition. He is a shy boy and immediately made friends with one of the older female orphans. He is a little fighter though and after settling in at TRO, bravely stands his ground against the older male orphans that shares his camp.
Gender
Female
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
5 months
Place of Origin
Private
What happened to their mom?
Mom passed away of unknown cause
What makes them special?
Mahlatsi was spotted by chance next to her mother’s carcass. She must have been alone for more than a week. Mahlatsi had scratches on her back evident of a leopard attack and her hocks were bitten by hyenas. She is a sweet but strong little survivor but very clingy and paranoid a bout milk. This is probably due to the fact that she got so hungry before she was rescued.
Gender
Male
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
5 months
Place of Origin
Private reserve
What happened to their mom?
She was poached
What makes them special?
Balega means “to run very fast” and he was named by our vet. When he was darted for capturing after his mom died, he ran faster than any rhino orphan we have rescued. Balega was very stressed and struggled to accept humans. Our rhino moms wore cricket pads to protect themselves against Balega charging and hitting. He is now actually a very sweet boy and will instantly lay down when you scratch his belly.
Gender
Male
Species
White Rhino
Date of Birth
11 March 2026
Place of Origin
The Rhino Orphanage
Who Is my mom?
Lebombo
What makes her special?
Lebombo’s mother, Nandi, nearly died as a young orphan with a torsion in her gut that required surgery. At the start of her pregnancy years later, the Team was scared that she suffered a hernia at the old surgery incision but luckily it was only swelling that cleared up after a few weeks. Lebombo was born about 11 days before the standard 16 months gestation had lapsed. He was tiny and somewhat underweight, but his first-time mom has done a fabulous job. He is extremely shy and scared of most things around him and keeps very close to mom all the time.
Gender
Male
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
29 January
Place of Origin
The Rhino Orphanage
Who Is my mom?
Nyani
What makes Him special?
Andile’s mom was the youngest orphan in the history of TRO to be admitted. Hours old and thought to be born a few days premature, Nyani has been an exceptional mother to Andile, hiding him so well that the team couldn’t find her with a helicopter. Andile is a shy and timid little boy, keeping close to his mom. Nyani is currently our oldest orphan and by adopting Andile, you will be supporting both mother and calf.
Gender
Female
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
12 months old
Place of Origin
The Rhino Orphanage
Who Is my mom?
Grace
What makes Her special?
Tiny little Dimpho was discovered by the orphanage patrol team early morning, minutes after she was born. It was only a few days later that the team realized that Dimpho was born on the exact day her mother was orphaned 8 years before. Dimpho is one of the most playful little rhino calves we have seen, running and playing since the age of 3 days old. A confident little firecracker just like her mother.
Gender
Female
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
4 months
Place of Origin
Private reserve
What happened to their mom?
Shamara’s mother suffered an injury before becoming pregnant and stopped producing milk due to the trauma.
What makes them special?
Shamara is a miracle. Due to an injury by a hippo, no-one expected Shamara’s mom to fall pregnant and carry a calf full-term. Shamara means “ready for battle”, and this feisty little wonder lives up to her tenacious name every day.
Gender
Female
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
6 months
Place of Origin
Private reserve
What happened to their mom?
Sadly, Amali’s mother was poached.
What makes them special?
After her mother was killed, Amali’s original owners had to urgently capture her by hand. While in a holding enclosure at her reserve, she got stuck in the water provision. Despite the ordeal, Amali almost immediately accepted love and comfort from her human moms. Although Amali has a sweet nature with her carers, she gets extremely jealous when Shamara is around. Amali means “hope”, in Swahili.
Gender
Female
Species
Black Rhino
Age on Arrival
24 hours
Place of Origin
Private reserve
What happened to their mom?
She had abandoned the baby at birth
What makes them special?
Baby Tshepi was born a suspected premature calf as she couldn’t stand on her back feet properly. An anti-poaching patrol came across the mother after she had given birth and kept watch from a distance. A few hours after the calf was born, the mother left despite the baby calling her continuously through the night. The APU watched over the baby until the next day when the call was made to rescue her. Our team was greeted by the sight of a tiny rhino calf trying her very best on wobbly feet, to follow one of the anti-poaching rangers out of the bush, completely trusting in him to help her. And this is why she was named Tshepi, a derivation of the original Setswana word Tshepo that means “I trust in you”.
Gender
Female
Species
White Rhino
Date of birth:
19 March 2026
Place of Origin
The Rhino Orphanage
Who is my mom:
Orphan Nyani
What makes them special?
Nova is our New Years baby, born on the 1st day of the year, a very independent young rhino who loves to mingle with other rhinos, no matter their age or size. Mom Alexa doesn’t always notice when Nova wonders off and it is always clear when the penny drops, confusion and panic all over Alexa’s face. It usually results in a lot of anxious calling from mom with Nova casually strolling back like nothing happened. Nova is latin for “new”.
Gender
Male
Species
White Rhino
Date of Birth
22 July 2025
Place of Origin
The Rhino Orphanage
Who is my mom:
Orphan Joey
What makes them special?
Joey, one of the older orphans that was admitted to TRO, made the team wait for years before she finally had a calf. The Team started thinking that she was infertile but had a major surprise in the middle of winter. Trompie is the name of a character in an Afrikaans children’s series, a boy who was always up to mischief. And this plucky little rhino matches that personality perfectly, bravely standing up against the wildlife that shares his mother’s home range and getting into trouble all the time.
Gender
Female
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
8 months
Place of Origin
North West Parks
What happened to their mom?
Alexa’s mother was killed by poachers.
What makes them special?
Alexa is a very sweet-natured and affectionate rhino. She loves to nibble on Lesego while he’s sleeping.
Gender
Male
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
6 months
Place of Origin
North West Parks
What happened to their mom?
Lesego’s mother was cruelly poached and he was found the next day.
What makes them special?
He is such a gentle boy and absolutely loves milk!
Gender
Male
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
16 April 2025
Place of Origin
The Rhino Orphanage
Who is my mom
Orphan Kabira
What makes them special?
Kabira made the TRO team wait with bated breath several times, thinking that she was going to have a baby. She had gone through an entire 16-months gestation, just to have a phantom pregnancy. When she was eventually ready to give birth, she had chosen the most difficult area in the reserve as a maternity ward. On the edge of a cliff, in a very dense and wet area. Her chubby baby boy had to walk many miles in remote areas following his mom, and that’s where he got the name Bundu, a slang South African term meaning far and remote. Bundu was always close to his mom, bravely trying to huff at the other wildlife that was stealing his moms supplementary breakfast pellets.
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Gender
Female
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
2 months
Place of Origin
North West Parks
What happened to their mom?
Nandi’s mother was poached a week before she was found. She had joined up with another rhino cow and calf.
What makes them special?
Nandi is sweet and gentle. She loves to drool all over her carers.
Gender
Female
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
6 months
Place of Origin
North West Parks
What happened to their mom?
Thula’s mother was poached. The bullet that killed Thula’s mother also passed through Thula’s shoulder, hitting cartilage and part of her scapula.
What makes them special?
Thula is a very vocal rhino and loves to “talk”. She’s very gentle and has been crazy about milk from the moment she arrived. Thula is completely blind, and will remain under our care for the rest of her life.
Gender
Female
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
5 weeks
Place of Origin
Private reserve
What happened to their mom?
Impi’s mother is still alive.
What makes them special?
Thanks to Impi’s courageous mother, Manala, Impi survived an attack by 12 lions. Impi and her mother were both brought to the safety of The Rhino Orphanage where the incredible team at Animotion created and fit a brace to help stabilise her leg that was injured by the lion attack.
Gender
Female
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
7 months
Place of Origin
North West Parks
What happened to their mom?
Grace was found wandering the reserve alone and rangers were unable to locate her mother.
What makes them special?
Despite her small size, Grace has a feisty personality and keeps her carers smiling. She’s super clumsy and tends to wander off on her own.
Gender
Male
Species
Black Rhino
Age on Arrival
18-24 months
Place of Origin
North West Parks
What happened to their mom?
Stevie’s mother died of natural causes.
What makes them special?
Because Black Rhinos are critically endangered, our big dream for Stevie is that he finds a mate and has calves with her. There are so few surviving Black Rhinos, and Stevie can play a vital part in ensuring that they don’t go extinct.
Gender
Female
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
2 days
Place of Origin
Private Reserve
What happened to their mom?
What makes them special?
Gender
Female
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
5 months
Place of Origin
North West Parks
What happened to their mom?
Kabira’s mother died from injuries sustained when a rhino bull tried to mount her.
What makes them special?
Kabira’s name means “powerful” and is well suited to this sassy little girl. Kabira loves to run and play with everyone. Her favourite activity is to scratch on rocks or tree stumps.
Gender
Female
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
4 months
Place of Origin
North West Parks
What happened to their mom?
Jessie’s mother was poached.
What makes them special?
Jessie was so traumatised after her mother was killed that she had an anxiety attack within her first few days of being at the orphanage. However, this little rhino was so desperate for comfort and food that she accepted the carers immediately. Jessie is extremely gentle and has never shown aggression toward her carers.
Gender
Female
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
4 months
Place of Origin
North West Parks
What happened to their mom?
Amelia’s mother was poached.
What makes them special?
Amelia was so lonely and distressed after her mother was killed, that when a ranger and his guests found her, she walked right up to the ranger and lay down next to him. Her gut was empty, and she was severely dehydrated, which indicated that she’d survived several days without her mother. She was so relieved to have contact, comfort and affection that she immediately accepted her carers as her new mom.
Gender
Male
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
1 week
Place of Origin
North West Parks
What happened to their mom?
Mapimpi’s mother was poached
What makes them special?
Mapimpi means “let him be humble.” Mapimpi was found when he was only 7 days old. His mother and another sub-adult bull – most likely an older brother – had both been brutally killed. Mapimpi is very “talkative” and loves to let his carers know when he wants his milk.
Gender
Male
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
18 months
Place of Origin
North West Parks
What happened to their mom?
Kei’s mother died of natural causes.
What makes them special?
Poor Kei was so traumatised by the loss of his mother that he didn’t stop calling for her for 14 days. He settled in a little better after he was introduced to two females. However, when the carers let him into the boma (open-air enclosure), Kei broke through two fences in desperate search of his mother. He was recaptured, and we introduced him to an older female who serves as an “adopted mum”. She’s is a great source of comfort to him.
Gender
Male
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
3-4 months
Place of Origin
Laphalala
What happened to their mom?
Kolisi’s mother is alive on the reserve.
What makes them special?
Kolisi was attacked by Hyenas. The predators tore off a piece of his right ear and also severely damaged his right hindfoot, causing him to lose two toes. Kolisi developed a life-threatening infection as a result of his injuries. To help him recover and prevent him from losing his leg – or even his life – to the infection, Kolisi had to be removed from his mother and was placed in our care.
Gender
Male
Species
White Rhino
Date of birth
19 March 2026
Place of Origin
The Rhino Orphanage
Who is my mom:
The Rhino Orphanage
What makes them special?
Kilima is orphan Nyani’s second calf and has a completely different personality than his half brother Andile. Kilima is very independent and often wonders off to follow some of the other rhinos out of curiosity. Kilima means “mountain” in Swahili as this baby was born on the side of a mountain in a very steep and dense area.
Gender
Female
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
3 months
Place of Origin
Private reserve
What happened to their mom?
Eve’s mother was poached.
What makes them special?
Eve lost her mom to poachers on New Year’s Eve, which is why we called her Eve. Eve loves her milk and drinks much slower than the other orphans. A Spitting Cobra spat in her eye, but she miraculously regained her vision.
Gender
Male
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
8-10 months
Place of Origin
North West Parks
What happened to their mom?
Davide’s mother was poached.
What makes them special?
Of all the orphans we have ever cared for, Davide called for his cruelly murdered mother for the longest time. His heart-wrenching cries echoed throughout the reserve for over a week. Whereas other calves usually accept milk within 3 days, Davide was severely traumatised, and refused the milk we offered him. Whereas trauma drove him to initially bash down barriers when he arrived, Davide is actually a gentle soul. He hasn’t shown any aggression towards his carers since they earned his trust.
Gender
Female
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
6 months
Place of Origin
Private reserve
What happened to their mom?
Annie’s mother was cruelly poached.
What makes them special?
Annie had a really rough start after she was rescued. She paced and called for her mother non-stop and refused comfort, love and bottles from her carers. She suffered full-blown anxiety attacks, which meant we had to remove her blindfold before she’d had the chance to take milk. She was in extreme pain and suffered from colic spells for days. She had ulcers on her eyes which were treated and eventually healed. We worked out she was afraid of the dark, which was another source of distress for her. Annie took almost 2 weeks to completely settle and heal.
Gender
Male
Species
White Rhino
Age on Arrival
3 months
Place of Origin
North West Parks
What happened to their mom?
Kabelo’s mother died from complications due to being shot by poachers 2 years earlier.
What makes them special?
Kabelo means “gift”, and a gift he truly is. Kabelo has a gentle but playful character, and is both curious and brave. He loves his milk and going for walks in the bush.
choose your rhino + adopt now