Mpho the rhino orphan has made leaps and bounds in her growth since being found; she just had her first-ever mud wallow and the video is brilliant.
Undisclosed Location, South Africa (02 October 2023) – Mpho has won over the hearts of followers from around the world. She is growing so fast after the recent rains where The Rhino Orphanage is located, Mpho found her first muddy spot and had her first-ever mud wallow. The team were over the moon as they watched her natural instincts kick in.
News broke on the 12th of June 2023, that an orphaned rhino named Mpho, just a few days old, had been found and was in transit to The Rhino Orphanage. According to the team, she was found on a private game reserve and a search was underway for her mother. She had been found following a Rhino cow and an older calf but it was clear to the rangers that something wasn’t right. To date, there has been no news regarding her mother.
Now she has settled in at the orphanage and her personality is shining through. Whether she is zooming around or raising awareness for Neonates, she brings endless amounts of joy to the team.
Recently, there was a cold spell which led to some decent rain in the area where the orphanage is located. The pen that Mpho calls home has a few deep spots where the water can settle and get nice and muddy.
Mpho is still spending her time with her handlers and has not yet been around older Rhino. Despite this, she has been able to tap into her natural instincts and the team saw this in full action after the rains. Mpho spotted the muddy patch and was instantly drawn to the mud where she started rolling through it and soaking in all its muddy goodness.
Wallowing is an important part of Rhino life as the mud acts as a protective layer on their rough skin. They will roll around in mud on a near daily basis, topping up on the muddy layer.
Take a look at Mpho’s first mud wallow below.
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