JOHANNESBURG -  His furious appetite then leads him to a wooden log on which he chomps on.

Healthy looking and with a boisterous personality it is almost unfathomable to think that more than two months ago his days were numbered.

A second chance at life was given to the baby, through the world’s first rhino orphanage situated at the Legend Golf and Safari Resort in Limpopo.

Officially opened this week, the orphanage forms part of the Rhino Response Strategy National Rescue and Response Network and seeks to save the species from extinction.

The young rhino is the orphanage’s first inhabitant. While in the bush, the calf was found to have medical complications and had to be taken from his mother as he would not survive, said renowned rehabilitation and rhino expert Karen Trendler.

“He was suffering with a rectal prolapse and his mother’s milk had dried up. This also caused him gastric problems as he started eating sand. He had to be darted and brought in,” said Trendler.

With only a few hours notice, the orphanage mobilised a 24- hour-care team that set up temporary facilities to relocate and nurse the calf back to health.

Allocated carers even spent nights next to the calf, cleaned up after he “did his business” and wiped his bottom, she said.

When in need of specialist veterinary care, the team then moved him to the Onderstepoort veterinary facility and then brought him back.

Newly-built facilities at the orphanage could save many other rhinos like him, especially babies whose mothers’ were victims of savage poaching incidents.

Centre director Arrie van Deventer said there were hopes to obtain a special ambulance to transport rhino under proper medical care and supervision from the place of the killing.

“Security will be extreme and it is vital that we give babies the very best chance of one day returning to the wild where they belong, so they will only be cared for by medical and rehabilitation staff,” said Van Deventer.

The public would only be allowed to view the orphans via CCTV camera, he added.

There are several buildings in the orphanage in an enclosed area, with intensive and high care units.

A special rhino tractor would also be used to move the endangered animals around.

The orphanage already has two white rhino, Mike and Nana who could serve as surrogate parents to more inhabitants.

“It does not matter that they are white rhino, and he is black. Any association with another rhino is good for him,” explains Trendler.

There were negotiations however to bring in another black rhino into  the facility.

The orphanage is a non-profit Section 21 company and relies purely on donations.

“There is so much more to do and we still need help from others who care as much as we do,” said Trendler.

“These babies drink a lot of milk.”

Anyone wanting to make donations can contact pete@theazaleagroup.com