Rescued, loved and released

Thabazimbi – Medivet Dierekliniek successfully released two rhinos of which one was orphaned by poachers.

The release of Lucky and Clyde was a bittersweet moment for the personnel of Medivet, who were happy that these beautiful animals got a second chance at life, but also sad, as they have become very attached to them.

After his mother failed to produce milk, rhino baby Clyde came to Medivet Dierekliniek on Sunday 8 August. He arrived in a small green crate and weighed a mere 60kg, and he barely had a sign of a horn. A few days later Bonnie arrived, smaller and much weaker. No one knows how long she has been next to her dead mother’s carcass where she was found. She tried to drink from her mother and swallowed a lot of sand in the process. Sadly, Bonnie died a few days later. 

After a rough first week, struggling to win his trust, Clyde started drinking and got stronger. He almost immediately started growing and gaining weight. A few days later, Lucky came to keep Clyde company after his mother was shot. She survived but Lucky, who was a few weeks older than Clyde, needed a temporary home. He was stronger and much wilder than Clyde. The Medivet team put in a lot of effort and worked in shifts to encourage the two males to drink, eat and grow.

“It was such a privilege to bathe and feed them every day. We wanted to tell everyone about them so that the whole community could share in our wonderful and humble experience, but we had to keep it quiet for the safety of the animals,” said Medivet Dierekliniek vet Dr Jamiela Barnard.

With each of them weighing at least 200kg, they were finally strong enough to go to their new home. It took six men to load them into a wildlife trailer. 

Helping these beautiful animals makes their work all the more worthwhile. It was a bittersweet but satisfying experience to see their rhino children go on 14 October. “We are proud and grateful for the experience, and we will miss our ‘boys’ but we are happy that they are back where they belong,” Dr Jamiela says. 

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