Rhino Orphanage Celebrate 10 Years by Remembering the First Rhino

Photo Credit: The Rhino Orphanage

The Rhino Orphanage celebrated a decade of saving orphaned rhinos by remembering the very first rhino they ever took in, little Tswalo.

Undisclosed Location, South Africa (26 May 2022) – The Rhino Orphanage has been operational for a decade this month, saving as many of the orphaned species as they can. The team took time during the celebrations to remember the very first rhino they took in, little Tswalo – a black rhino calf.

Arrie van Deventer founded the Rhino Orphanage in 2012. The orphanage takes in young rhinos, rehabilitates them and then releases them back into the wild when they are ready. The facility became the World’s First Rhino Orphanage.

Since then, they have saved countless young rhinos and returned them back to the wild. The team dedicated themselves entirely to the cause, working day and night to be there for the scared young souls.

“We will never give, never stop fighting, never stop caring”.

Little Tswalo was the very first and actually not an orphan. Tswalo sadly had a few health issues that meant he was living a very uncomfortable life in the wild. He was taken to the orphanage in the hopes of saving him from a life of pain. Most of his ailments would likely heal, but his leg injury was too extensive.

“He did not lose his mother to poachers but suffered a severe rectal prolapse. He also suffered a fracture in his shoulder which later on had become the reason he had to be euthanized. Needless to say our Team was shattered when the specialist vets told us that there was nothing they could do for his leg (the opposite leg was damaged due to limping and carrying all the weight)”

“This little boy was the first of many rhinos in need entrusted to the orphanage team. One thing remains certain, Tswalo will forever remain the inspiration to our management team, still the original team that had climbed this mountain, the World’s First Rhino Orphanage, a decade ago. Tswalo will forever remain the toughest heartache, the biggest rollercoaster and our saddest goodbye. Never forgotten, always remembered, and loved forever.”

The orphanage does incredible work and the orphans they save, go on to become beautiful adults. They are running an incredible giveaway for one lucky supporter to spend a night at the facility and to get involved in all the rhino magic. To enter, you need only make a donation towards their cause here.

Bigger space, better future!

The organisation is moving to a new, larger space and hoping to raise funds to help with the big move. The organisation launched a fund to cover the costs of adding 4,800 hectares of pristine land to their sanctuary!

This amount of land will mean so much more for the rhino orphans and their futures. The team are calling it Project Paradise. The land itself has been donated to the organisation, but they will need to establish the new orphanage there, which will be at their own cost.

The initial fundraising goal is $50,000. The organisation, which is supported by both local and international donors, set up the fund on Donor Box to help reach their international audience easily; however, local donors can simply reach out for the relevant banking details to make a more direct donation.

The funds will be used as follows:

A new water provision system
A revamp of the current “response and arrival room” – This is where new orphans are taken.
Construction of The Rhino Hotel (overnight rooms)
The Rhino Kitchen
Rhino Nursery and Daycare (camp & boma system)
Special Needs Rhinos (camp system)
The Rhino Hospital (Clinic & medical facility)
Paradise – the overall project.