This rescued rhino calf was two months old, severely dehydrated, extremely thin and too weak to stand when she was rescued on 21 September 2026. After intravenous treatment, syringe feeding and round-the-clock care, she now takes milk from a bottle, has walked outside and recorded her first weight: 99.2 kg.
When a two-month-old white rhino calf was rescued on 21 September 2026, she was in a critical condition. Severely dehydrated, extremely thin and with almost no reserves left, she needed urgent veterinary intervention and intensive care to survive.
Her mother had become severely malnourished during the dry conditions and was no longer able to produce enough milk to sustain her calf. Recognising how vulnerable the little rhino had become, rangers and reserve management stepped in to rescue her, giving her a chance she might not otherwise have had.
After receiving emergency treatment in the field, she was transported by helicopter and then vehicle to Care for Wild’s Rhino and Wildlife Clinic, where the veterinary and caregiving teams prepared for the intensive care she would need.
The first critical days of rhino calf rehabilitation
On arrival, she was dangerously weak. She could not stand or hold her own head up and was unable to suckle properly. She was also suffering from multiple thorns embedded in all four feet, several of which had caused painful abscesses.
Her treatment began immediately. She received intravenous fluids to address severe dehydration, rhino plasma to support her compromised condition and specialised intravenous nutrition because she was too weak to obtain everything her body needed from milk alone. Her feet required treatment, medication and pain relief, while her condition was closely monitored around the clock.
Feeding her was another challenge. Initially, she could manage only small amounts of milk at a time and had to be carefully syringe fed by her caregivers. Every feed required patience and close attention, with her head supported while she gradually regained the strength to swallow.
Slowly, the team began to see signs of improvement.
She started swallowing more readily and eventually became strong enough to take milk from a bottle. At first, she still needed her head gently supported, but with continued care, she began to suckle with greater strength and purpose.
As her feeding became more consistent, her hydration and nutritional needs could be managed increasingly through her milk feeds. Her bloodwork was monitored closely, and her electrolytes returned to balance. Once she was feeding regularly and maintaining her hydration, her intravenous line could be removed.
Each step marked progress, but it was also a reminder of how much careful, specialised support she had needed to reach that point.
Learning to feel safe again
Recovery involved more than medical treatment and nutrition. As a very young, critically compromised rhino calf, she also needed a calm environment in which she could rest, feed and gradually become comfortable with the world around her.
Her care included the use of a blindfold and earplugs to limit stimulation while she was most vulnerable. When the time came to remove her blindfold, the team followed a carefully managed process, doing so at night under red light and while she was drinking milk. This helped associate the experience of seeing her caregivers and surroundings with something familiar and reassuring.
As she grew stronger, she began responding more confidently to her caregivers and her surroundings. She eventually took her first steps outside into the sunshine, a welcome milestone for a calf who had arrived too weak to hold up her own head.
More recently, she was seen confidently following her caregiver from the boma into the night pen for her milk. With her blindfold off and her earplugs removed, she was increasingly responsive and comfortable with the routine she had come to know.
A first weigh-in
One of her latest milestones was her first official weigh-in since arriving at Care for Wild.
She confidently followed her caregiver and walked onto the scale, recording a weight of 99.2 kg.
Weighing is an important part of monitoring a young rhino’s growth and development. Accurate weight records help the veterinary team assess whether she is gaining weight as expected and guide decisions about milk quantities, nutrition, medication and supplements as her needs change.
For a calf who arrived extremely thin, dehydrated and with very little reserve left, being strong enough to walk onto the scale was an encouraging sign of how far she had come.
Her recovery is still ongoing, and she will continue to need careful monitoring, appropriate nutrition and specialist care as she grows. But the progress made since those first critical days has been significant.
Help us continue her care
Giving a rescued rhino calf a chance to recover takes far more than the initial rescue. It requires veterinary expertise, specialised nutrition, milk feeds throughout the day and night, medication, medical supplies and dedicated caregivers who monitor her condition and respond as her needs change.
For this little rhino, that support made it possible to move from a state of extreme weakness to feeding more independently, taking her first steps outside and confidently following her caregiver for milk.
You can help us continue giving her the care she needs.
Your donation will contribute towards her ongoing veterinary treatment, specialised nutrition, milk, medication and rehabilitation as she grows stronger. Every contribution helps Care for Wild provide the individual care and attention required by vulnerable rhino orphans.
Please donate today at www.careforwild.co.za and help give this young rhino the opportunity to recover, grow and work towards a future in a natural environment.
Thank you for standing with us and helping give her that chance.
Follow her journey: Adopt this rhino · Donate · Volunteer · Stay at Rhino View Lodge
Frequently asked questions about the rescued rhino calf
Why was the rhino calf rescued?
Her mother had become severely malnourished during the dry conditions and could no longer produce enough milk. By the time rangers and reserve management rescued her, she was extremely thin, severely dehydrated and too weak to stand.
How is a critically weak rhino calf treated?
She received intravenous fluids, rhino plasma and specialised intravenous nutrition, plus treatment and pain relief for thorn abscesses in her feet. She was syringe fed small amounts of milk until strong enough to take a bottle, with her condition monitored around the clock.
Why do rescued rhino calves wear a blindfold and earplugs?
They limit stimulation while the calf is most vulnerable. This calf’s blindfold was removed at night under red light while she drank milk, so seeing her caregivers and surroundings became linked with something familiar and reassuring.
Why is a rhino calf weighed?
Accurate weight records help the veterinary team assess whether she is gaining weight as expected and guide decisions about milk quantities, nutrition, medication and supplements. Her first official weigh-in recorded 99.2 kg.
