After heartbreaking chapters at Sibuya, little Lily has started to bring the light back.
Eastern Cape, South Africa (04 March 2026) – Sibuya’s Rhino Foundation has endured multiple poaching attacks over the last few years, which sadly claimed the lives of several rhinos in their care.
As a foundation that works to protect, preserve, and ensure the future of the endangered species, each loss has been a deeply upsetting heartbreak to shoulder, and a step back in the conservation work the team has upheld over many years at the reserve.
That pain makes Lily, a female rhino born in late November last year, a welcome ray of sunshine.
She is the baby of Laure, a rhino welcomed onto the reserve in 2024 at 11-years-old. Laure arrived as a beacon of hope in a significant step toward reviving Sibuya’s breeding herd after tragedy.
Lily is now only around three months old, finding her feet alongside her crash at Sibuya. She was named, just as her mom was, after one of the reserve’s greatest supporters.
“After much deliberation we have decided to name her Lily, in recognition of all of the amazing support and fundraising by Lilyfontein School. The pupils and teachers have shown so much dedication and enthusiasm in raising incredible sums of money for [our foundation] we just wanted to show how much we appreciate them!” Sibuya shared.
This week, the foundation shared the happiest video of Lily loving life, proving that ‘zoomies’ aren’t just for puppies and foals. Rhinos get them too!
“It’s not only puppies that get zoomies, little Lily also gets those bursts of energy that just need to be used! Luckily this means the cutest displays of fun for our guests!” it shared.
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