Rhino Rescues and Sanctuaries

As we wind down our Erumpent Rescue campaign, we’d like to let you know about some of the other magical folks who, like us, are working hard to save rhinos in South Africa. These 5 groups are actively involved in the rescue, rehabilitation, and in some cases release of orphaned and injured rhinos.

Five Rhino Rescues and Sanctuaries Newt Scamander would be proud of

1) The Rhino Orphanage (https://therhinoorphanage.co.za/)
 
As a non-profit company founded in 2012, the orphanage is a specialist centre dedicated to caring for orphaned and injured rhino calves who have been victims of the poaching crisis. The staff raises the rhinos with limited human contact to prevent imprinting, with the goal of eventually releasing them back into the wild in protected reserves.

2) Rescued Rhinos at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre
 (http://hesc.co.za/)
 
Founded by Lente Roode, the HESC is an NPO which not only cares for orphaned and injured wildlife, including Rhinos, but it is also a centre for research on endangered species. Since the poaching epidemic in South Africa became prominent in 2008, the centre began the Rescued Rhinos @ HESC project. Through this project, rhinos of all ages who have been victims of poaching are put through rehabilitation and then reintroduced to the wild if their condition allows. Community education is also a huge component of the project’s protocol.

3) Rhino Calf Rescue/Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve
(http://www.rhinorescue.co.za/index.html)
 
Orphaned rhinos are brought in by Rhino Calf Rescue to partner reserves like the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve, where they are raised until they can fend for themselves. At this point they are either allowed to stay on those reserves, or are sent to other reserves throughout Africa and the world for repopulation efforts.

4) Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park Rhino Sanctuary
(https://www.awf.org/projects/rhino-sanctuary-hluhluwe-imfolozi)

In this park founded to protect the last white rhinos in the wild, rangers are equipped with ATVs, metal detectors, camera traps, and more in order to catch poachers (one year they arrested 12). They also focus on care for orphaned rhinos, and have been so successful in raising population numbers that they have even sent some rhinos off to repopulate other historical homes of rhinos in Africa.

5) Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary
(http://www.careforwild.co.za/)
 
One of the largest rhino sanctuaries in the world, Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary is a treatment and care centre for tending to injured and orphaned animals, with a heavy focus on rehabilitating rhinos to be released back into the wild. The founder Petronel Nieuwoudt, along with her team of veterinarians, nutritionists, and ecologists, are specialists in the care, rehabilitation, and release process.

To help save rhinos and their erumpent cousins like these amazing rescues, visit ErumpentRescue.com

The information in this article should not be considered an endorsement of the organizations on the part of the Fantastic Beasts Foundation, is for educational purposes only, and was gathered from the following sources:
 
1) “Giving Rhino Orphans a Future.” The Rhino Orphanage, The Rhino           Orphanage, therhinoorphanage.co.za/
2) “Our Story.” HESC, Hoedspruit Endangered Species Center,   hesc.co.za/our-story-history/
3) “Rhino Sanctuary - Orphan Rhino Rescue.” Care For Wild Africa, Care       For Wild, www.careforwild.co.za/
4) “Rhino Sanctuary at Hluhluwe IMfolozi.” African Wildlife Foundation,       African Wildlife Foundation, 6 May 2015,            www.awf.org/projects/rhino-sanctuary-hluhluwe-imfolozi
5) “Rescued Rhinos @ HESC.” HESC, Hoedspruit Endangered Species   Center, hesc.co.za/projects-programmes/rescued-rhinos-hesc/#
            Rhino Calf Rescue, DJANI Wildlife Projects, 2009,   www.rhinorescue.co.za/index.html