A white rhino calf is recovering at a rehabilitation centre after being airlifted across Loskop Dam, near Middelburg, yesterday.

The young calf was severely dehydrated and in a life-threatening condition after her mother, a young rhino cow, stopped producing enough milk to sustain her. Wildlife teams monitoring the animals noticed that the condition of both mother and calf was deteriorating and quickly mobilised to intervene.

“After getting the call that a rhino calf’s life was in danger, the teams moved quickly,” said Dereck Milburn, co-founder and managing director of WeWild Africa.

The rescue operation on September 21 brought together WeWild Africa, WildLifeVets, the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency Wildlife Management Unit, and the Wildlife Emergency Fund, with wildlife veterinarians from across Mpumalanga also assisting.

Mom and baby signal ‘SOS’

The young mother was also in poor condition. She had an infected wound on her side. The veterinary team treated the wound and assessed her overall health. She is now receiving supplementary feed to improve her condition and support milk production while wildlife teams continue monitoring her.

The calf, however, was already severely dehydrated and needed immediate medical attention. Both animals had to be safely darted so the veterinary team could treat and assess them.

Once the calf had received emergency medical care and the fluids she needed, the rescue team faced another challenge, there was no suitable road access from their location. The team carried the calf by hand to an emergency wildlife helicopter, which flew her across Loskop Dam.

The helicopter landed near a wildlife bakkie, and the tiny patient was carefully transferred to the vehicle before beginning the next leg of her journey.

She was transported on the back seat of the bakkie to Care for Wild, where she will receive specialised rehabilitation and care.

‘We would have lost that baby rhino’

Separating a young rhino from its mother is not a decision wildlife teams take lightly. In this case, Milburn said intervention was necessary because the calf would not have survived without emergency treatment.

“We don’t like taking babies away from their mothers, but this baby would have died,” he said. “Because the number of rhinos is so critical at this stage, we had to take action. We would have lost that baby rhino.”

The calf is now showing encouraging signs of recovery. Milburn confirmed today that she is doing much better and is regaining her strength with every milk feeding.

“She is doing extremely well. She’s drinking lots and lots of milk,” he said.

The hope is that, once the calf is old and strong enough, she can eventually return to the Loskop area and be reunited with her mother. In the meantime, her mother will remain under observation and continue receiving supplementary nutrition.

Watchful eyes save wildlife

The mother and calf were being closely monitored which is why the deterioration in their condition was identified early enough for wildlife teams to step in. The operation was a reminder of why it’s so critical to protect South Africa’s remaining rhinos. “Seeing a baby rhino airlifted and flown to safety and protection after being injured or in distress is an honour.” a team member said.

“It doesn’t matter how many times we experience it, finding and saving the life of a rhino remains one of the proudest moments of our lives,” Milburn said.

The rescue comes as World Rhino Day is celebrated today, September 22, making the timing particularly poignant for a calf whose life depended on a rapid response.

“Protecting our precious rhinos, wildlife, and the natural environment is our, and should be every South African’s—priority,” he said, echoing the voice of a protective father.

The little white rhino is safe and sound, drinking her milk, and getting stronger.

And, according to the team that raced to save her, “that is exactly where she needs to be…”

WATCH | Baby rhino airlifted to safety after emergency Loskop rescue near Middelburg