A Rhino Mother and Son Enjoy Time at the Waterhole & Mud Wallow

With World Rhino Day today, we fully believe that while we need to continue to pool all efforts to protect and save our black and white rhinos in our last remaining wildernesses, we also can't let them disappear from the media. While trying to protect rhinos from poachers through huge and strict anti-poaching efforts and units in our Big 5 private reserve, we need to also raise awareness about the species to encourage support for and the conservation of our rhinos.

It’s important to continue to share the good and bad news and to continue to educate and amaze people in person and online about the beauty and importance of rhinos.

This new scene shows a mother and her son enjoying time in a mud wallow on the edge of a dam, some scratch time on a fallen tree stump and peaceful midday moments between these incredible mammals.

Jabulani MD and Owner & HERD Founder, Adine Roode has been integral in rhino conservation and pioneering poaching rehabilitation, running a rhino rehabilitation programme and forming part of several rhinos’ rehabilitative journey up until the HERD elephant orphanage was built, and shortly after the rhinos were released.

Six rhinos who were victims of poaching were taken into the care of HESC, after having had their horns hacked off and being left to die. Adine had an incredible team by her side and was instrumental in rehabilitating these rhino poaching survivors, together with: Saving the Survivors, Johan Marais, Dr Peter Rogers and Gerhard Steenkamp. All six rhinos now live wild and free again, and under the best protection possible.

Jabulani and the HERD elephant orphanage are situated in the Kapama Private Game Reserve, in the Greater Kruger Area and are guarded by a dedicated anti-poaching unit that works with the police as well as the CIS in the Kruger National Park, and several other anti-poaching units. The Kapama APU patrols in the high-risk areas of the reserve and conducts daily foot patrols on the reserve looking for traps and poachers. It also conducts occupational safety inspections on a regular basis.

In an effort to combat poaching, the Kapama APU has been using tracking dogs as part of its anti-poaching initiative. The canine unit is comprised of both Bloodhounds and Belgian Malinois dog breeds, who have been trained to track potential poachers.

We hope as always for the best for the rhinos rehabilitated and released back into the wild but we know that their protection will be a never-ending job for the men and women helping to save their lives. We are grateful for everyone working together to be a solution to the problem.