Reinhold had been abandoned by his mother, who was not allowing him to suckle or feed. The reserve team tried several times to reunite them, but each time she moved away from him and showed no interest in caring for her calf.
It is believed that Reinhold may have been born prematurely, and that the natural hormonal response that helps a mother recognise and care for her calf had not yet taken effect. Sadly, this meant that although his mother was still alive, Reinhold could not remain with her in the wild.
Without milk, warmth and protection, a baby rhino this young has very little chance of survival. His rescue was therefore not only urgent, but essential.
The first few days after Reinhold arrived at the Zululand Rhino Orphanage were delicate and uncertain. There was real concern about whether such a tiny calf would have the strength to recover. But Reinhold had been given a chance, and the team began the careful work of helping him through the first and most critical stage of his life.
In the beginning, Reinhold needed constant care. He was fed milk every two hours, kept warm and closely monitored.
The team worked around the clock to make sure he was comfortable, hydrated and receiving the nutrition he so
desperately needed.
While caring for Reinhold, the team is always mindful that he is still a wild animal in rehabilitation. As he grows, human contact will
gradually be reduced so that he can prepare for life with other rhinos and, eventually, life back in the wild.
Since arriving at the orphanage, Reinhold has made wonderful progress. He is now stronger, healthier and far more energetic than the tiny calf who first arrived. One of his biggest early milestones was gaining around 6 kg in just two weeks. For a calf who arrived so weak and malnourished, this was a very encouraging sign that he was responding well to care.
Even more special has been watching his personality begin to appear. After such a difficult start, seeing Reinhold become playful, curious and full of life has been incredibly rewarding for the team.
Reinhold is a little calf with a very big personality. He is energetic, playful, affectionate and full of character. He loves playing with his ball and pushing it around his pen. During exercise time, he runs around with bursts of energy, slowly building the strength and confidence he will need as he grows.
Reinhold’s journey back to the wild will take time. The goal is for him to eventually be released onto a wild game reserve, but this process cannot be rushed. For now, he remains in his own part of the orphanage while he grows stronger. When he is ready, he will be introduced to a group of rhinos of a similar age. This will be an important step in helping him build natural social bonds with his own species.
As he gets older and more independent, he will gradually go through a rewilding process, preparing to face life in the reserve.
Thank you for your support!
Team Wildhood