Big Rhinos Need Big Hearts Too

It is officially spring in the southern hemisphere, and we are seeing the signs of new life slowly appearing in the form of green shoots and leaves. However, at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre, winter has most certainly left its mark. Even with the green leaves showing up here and there, the vegetation is still sparse, with mostly dry, crispy leaves and branches. This means that the animals are adversely affected, as food is scarce.

The rhinos are solely dependent on the food provided by HESC in the form of lucerne and teff bales. To ensure that the rhinos receive adequate nutrition, the quantity they are fed in winter drastically increases from the summer months. This will be the case up to November, when the rains have hopefully made enough of a difference to allow the rhinos to also feed off the greenery around HESC as they wander through the various areas.

Your monthly donations ensure that there are funds available to purchase the feed and allow the rhinos to survive the dry months. The current costs per month add up to around R80 000 (around $4 500), so as you can imagine, we need as much help as we can get. We are so grateful for your contributions, as every bit makes a difference. And we are especially grateful to our monthly donors, many of whom have been making monthly donations for the last 5 years!

Here are some photos showing our rhinos Lula and Khulula, as well as Esmé, who has had her hands full looking after the calves.

Please continue to follow us on social media to see the various videos and photos we post.

Since our last report, the weather has started to change, with the southern hemisphere winter setting in. This means that the landscape is now revealing dryer grass with the occasional sparsely leaf-decorated tree.

Lula and Khulula

Because of this change in weather, Lula and Khulula’s lucerne and teff portions will be increased. In the wild, rhinos would be able to move around freely and go in search of more dense vegetation when the seasons change. However, being resident for the time being at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC) means that the rhinos are kept in specific secure areas, and not able to move far away. For this reason, their food intake is monitored closely and substituted with the lucerne and teff as required.

When it comes to food digestion, a white rhino’s digestive tract is unlike other herbivores such as antelope and giraffe, who have chambered stomachs to repeatedly break down their food by means of specialised bacteria. Rhinos, instead, have a simple stomach, and rely on their caecum (which contains gut flora) to break down the food into simpler compounds before it reaches the large intestine.

Esmé

Esmé has proven to be a real star when it comes to the rhino calves. Both Bula and Peter (who has become Esmé’s little shadow) are now with her in the boma - along with Thaba, Mango, and pedi sheep Mielie and Liquorice. A full house indeed. They are kept in their boma from the late afternoon through to the early morning; when they are let out to roam freely around HESC.

Our hearts are warmed at the thought of all the rhinos doing so well, and we look forward to bringing you more stories as they go about their peaceful coexistence.

Links:

• Watch the rhinos live from their boma