The Aquila 24 Hour Rapid Rhino Response team under the guidance of the Saving Private Rhino organisation confirms that the calf that was birthed from the surviving poaching incident rhino is now orphaned and cared for at a Western Cape rhino orphanage.

“The mother abandoned the calf during the evening of the day of the birth which meant that the baby was left alone for a number of hours. Unfortunately the mother was also not producing sufficient milk and therefore the new born calf did not get enough essential nutrition to build its immune system” said a team member.

During the first few hours of any wildlife birth it is vital that the newborn gets enough of mom's milk. 

The monitoring team under the guidance of the Anti Poaching Unit and Saving Private Rhino kept a watchful eye and found the baby to have been born premature and underweight. The calf was in desperate need of nourishment and they then made the crucial decision to rescue the baby in order to save its life.

24 hour specialist care has been provided to the baby since it was moved to a rhino orphanage managed by the Aquila Collection, while no expense has been spared in medical treatment and veterinarian costs to help save the baby’s life.

The experts currently monitoring the baby said he is stable but needs lots of love and support. They will make further updates in the coming days about the progress of the orphan.

Searl Derman, owner of Aquila Collection has been on site to observe the progress of the baby and ensure that the calves' health is first priority. “Our teams are doing excellent work! Over the years we have been involved in the care of a number of orphans and our facilities are geared to provide a safe and healthy environment for orphaned rhinos to get the best possible second chance.”

In the best interest of the rhino’s rehabilitation and security, the care facilities are not open to the public and funded by the multi award-winning Saving Private Rhino NGO and Aquila Collection with the hope of further support from corporate and private donations.

Caring for a baby rhino is extremely costly and high risk as they are prone to infections. A baby rhino needs milk feed every three hours and there are a lot of additional staff intensive chores with regard to feeding, hygiene and cleaning facilities on a 24 hour basis.

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Photos: https://aquila.page.link/Inv-Rhino-1

Saving Private Rhino donations: https://www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/aquila/ 

MEDIA CONTACT: Johan van Schalkwyk
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