** Sensitive Content Warning **
As a rhino orphanage, we don’t help just orphans, we help all rhinos of course and try our very best to prevent orphans.
Meet Impi, short term resident and her mother Manala. Impi got attacked by lions and they badly injured the tiny 1 month old baby’s leg. It is indeed a miracle that this little girl survived, being smaller at 1 month old than Mapimpi was at 5 days old. Her brave mother fought off 12 lions to save her life, a tremendous fate seeing that Impi is her first calf. The private reserve where they live (l9cation will not be disclosed), immediately called our vet dr Bester, to help the baby. The wounds were very deep where the lion that got hold of her, sank teeth and claws into her back leg.
At first it was decided to leave them in their wild home and treat Impi there. But after a week the lions, to whom Impi was now a challenge, tried repeatedly to hunt her down. It was subsequently decided to bring precious Impi and her mom to the orphanage for a while untill the baby girl is stronger. She is on strong antibiotics & pain meds.
Mom, being a wild rhino, adapted to the boma really fast and is eating well. She knows after long nights of torment by the persistent big cats, they are finally safe #brave #supermom #warriors #everyrhinocounts
**20 August 2021 – UPDATE**
Update on tiny Impi
Impi is making fantastic progress after the lions got hold of her. Her wounds are slowly closing up, allthough her joint is still very stiff and slightly swollen. She is drinking well from her mom but has shown signs of pain and discomfort especially during the last cold spells. Our vet has put her on a second course of antibiotics and our carers have administered pain medication with a pole syringe so that tranquilizing the two rhinos will not be necessary. It takes patience and time for Impi to come close enough to the barrier to get her jabs of medication, whilst mom is eating her food as she doesn’t trust humans (a very, very good thing from our point of view 🙌). But we can clearly see improvement every day. We can’t get over her adorable little face and sassy personality. Thank you carer Larize for the stunning photos.
