The Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary has welcomed another little calf into the world! The rhino girl’s mom, Twinkle, was once a rescued orphan:
Mpumalanga, South Africa (16 March 2025) — The Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary have a new rhino to love thanks to the birth of a little female calf earlier this week! The calf was born to Mama Twinkle—a rhino whose story is a testament to the power of the work that Care for Wild undertakes through their rhino orphan rehabilitation efforts.
Twinkle was rescued from a dire situation years ago. A terrible poaching case saw her attacked by a machete and took her mother from her forever.
Following her rescue, Twinkle’s rehabilitation process was “extraordinary and extensive”, the team explained. But, by 2019, Twinkle was strong enough to phase into the rewilding and release program. By 2022, she had welcomed her first baby—a girl named Coco!
The new calf girl then serves as another happy ending for Twinkle and all those who fought for her beautiful life.
Twinkle’s new calf is the 23rd calf born to the cohort of rescued and released rhinos that Care for Wild has supported. Rhino mom Venus kickstarted the 2025 births; welcoming a girl of her own.
As the team put it perfectly:
“This birth is more than a celebration—it’s another critical step in establishing a thriving rhino stronghold in South Africa. With each new calf, we move closer to securing the future of rhinos in their natural habitat.”
Meanwhile in other news where stories of rescued wildlife made us cry happy tears, Jabulani the elephant is celebrating his 28th birthday this month! Rescued at around four months old decades ago, Jabulani was the first elephant orphan whose story inspired the incredible HERD elephant orphanage. Read more, here.
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