Poaching Orphans – the highs and lows.
Poaching orphans are becoming more frequent as the numbers of poached animals in South Africa rises. Young calves are left alone in the wilderness to fend for themselves. Fortunately, a new rhino rehabilitation enclosure has been built to allow orphans to receive the best care and meet other orphans. The around the clock care, companionship, and protection they require is extremely costly and reserves rely on donations to provide the conditions necessary to raise these orphans to return to the wild.
Meet Noelle and Winston:
Both Noelle and Winston’s mothers were poached on different reserves within weeks of each other. Both orphans were moved into a rhino rehabilitation enclosure, where carers bottle feed, entertain, enrich and attend to their needs 24 hours a day. At first, both orphans suffered terribly from missing their mothers, and staff battled to get Noelle to feed. Once Winston arrived, Noelle started to settle down and took comfort in the company of another rhino. Fortunately, this tragedy has led to the strongest of friendships between the pair who are only two months apart in age. Both orphans are doing well despite their terrible start in life. Noelle enjoys her favorite food, which is teff, which contains sweet molasses and both Noelle and Winston love their afternoon naps in the sun. When the pair is old enough they will be released together onto a reserve to live out their days, hopefully in peace and safety.
