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| Location: |
Africa - Southern Africa - South Africa |
| Subject: |
Distribution - Records |
| Species: |
Black Rhino |
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Makoko is one of the group of five Black rhino recently purchased by Dale Parker at the Natal Parks Board game auction. Realising she was in an advanced stage of pregnancy, Makoko was therefore the first rhino to be released from the holding pen into Lapalala Wilderness to give her ample time to adapt to her new surroundings. But on 11 July 1992, just over a week later, she gave birth to a 21 kilogram bull calf. Returning from a morning game drive, a manager and his group of guests came across the tiny rhino on a steep dirt road, apparently alone and abandoned. When no trace was found of his mother, the starving and dehydrated baby rhino was immediately taken back to camp for safekeeping. Everyone sprang into action to save the little rhino, aptly christened Bwana Tshiwana-`Mr Orphan.' Karen and Roy Trendier from the Animal Rehabilitation Centre (ARC), together with a vet and an emergency supply of colostrum, met little Bwana and his entourage from Lapalala at Nylstroom. Colostrum, a substance found only in mother's milk, is vital in the first few hours of life to enable new born babies to build some internal.resistance to disease and infection. By 6.00 pm that evening the small rhino had safely arrived at .the Onderstepoort Veterinary facility. Little Bwana was believed to be at least a month premature and, as with many premature births, there was no lack of complications - the umbilical cord had not been properly severed and an infection developed, nearly leading to his death in the few weeks which followed. The rhino calf also contracted a bactericial infection which severely affects joints and had to be treated with strong drugs to ease pain and stiffness.
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Rhinos of the world
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