RiRi often browses the veld for her food – the occasional sweet and fruity snack goes down such a treat!
Mpumalanga, South Africa (06 November 2026) – Watermelon season has one very enthusiastic fan. Her name is RiRi.
The rescued rhino from Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary has made hearts melt after a video captured her receiving all the watermelon spoils from the organisation’s founder, Petronel Nieuwoudt.
“Whilst most of the sanctuary staff are in morning meetings, Petronel sneaks off to spoil RiRi with a cheeky piece of water melon! Caught on camera though!” Care for Wild Rhino shared, along with the wholesome video below.
RiRi is a critically endangered black rhino. She tragically lost her mother at 3 months old, and was rescued by the orphanage, where she has lived for the past three years. Her keeper, Lucas, is her very best friend, followed by Bokkie, a goat who has been at her side since the beginning.
Care for Wild provides a nurturing and calm environment to RiRi, where she is encouraged to develop the natural behaviours she will one day need as a wild rhino.
The team has dedicated their lives to ensuring these beautiful animals have a second chance to live wild and free. Rhinos progress from intensive care to protective zones in a rehabilitation programme that equips them with the life skills they’d rely on in the wild.
Alongside keeper Lucas, RiRi enjoys time out in the veld everyday to browse, explore, choose her own food and develop her natural behaviours. Sometimes, she receives sneaky little watermelon snackies!
“Where possible, we keep all our rhinos’ diets as natural as possible, allowing black rhinos to browse on branches, leaves, shrubs, and shoots, an important part of preparing them for eventual rewilding. But while in rehabilitation, they sometimes need a little extra support.” Care for Wild has previously shared.
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