Emergency Rhino Orphan Appeal

Friday 16 April 2021

We DID IT - THANK YOU

Thank you so much for your generous and thoughtful donations to our Emergency Rhino Orphan Appeal. We set ourselves a target of raising £20,000 to help fund the critical first few months of little guy Leko’s care at the Zululand Rhino Orphanage and thanks to your AMAZING support over the last two weeks, and that of our matched giving donor, we have not only reached our target, but we raised a staggering £28,000, to help with his vital care.

Leko is continuing to improve and recover and the team of carers at the orphanage are working tirelessly around the clock to help him overcome his traumatic introduction to the world. The funds you so generously donated will go a long way towards funding the critical care Leko needs in his first year.

Thank you again for your incredible support. Please enjoy the video below to see just how much we and Leko appreciate your generous donations and how you can help him grow just like Khula has, from Little Guy to Big Guy.

Adopt Inkululeko (Leko)

ADOPT LEKO

and help him go from 'Little Guy' to 'Big Guy'

12th May 2021

Raising an orphan like Leko is difficult and expensive and this is where you can continue to help. By adopting Leko you will be helping to support his essential care from regular milk feeds to veterinary support and medication to critical security provisions. All of these are extremely important over the coming months and years.

Our experienced carers at the orphanage know just how much your adoption money helps. They have seen first-hand how a very young and traumatised orphan can grow and bloom under their love and care, all through the generous adoptions from supporters like you.

Khula, currently the eldest orphan at ZRO, is one such example. Khula came to the orphanage in 2017 and, like Leko, was very young when he was found, malnourished and dehydrated after his mother had rejected him. Three years on, Khula recently reached the ONE TONNE mark. He's one big guy now!

If you would like to see Leko grow and thrive just like Khula, please consider adopting him today to help him go from Little Guy to Big Guy. The adoption money really does make a difference and it will mean the world to this adorable little guy.

** Scroll to the bottom of the page to watch previous videos, including Little Guy's dramatic arrival **

BABY RHINO FOUND IN DISTRESS

When the call came in, the Zululand Rhino Orphanage team sprang into action. A baby rhino, just two days old, had been found, vulnerable, traumatized and desperately in need of nourishment. Sadly, his mother was unable to provide the first milk he desperately needed; her udders were severely damaged, infected and not functioning. The vet team concluded that her general health was very poor and heartbreakingly decided she should be euthanized. Had the little guy been left with her, he would not have survived another night.

With expert Vet, Trevor Viljoen and the help of some of the Rhino Orphanage team, a hydration drip was inserted and the little guy was blindfolded before helicopter pilot, Orton Bosman, airlifted them all to safety. It then became a race against time to carry the little guy to a warm and secure pen, measure his vital signs and start him on his long road to recovery.

Can you help this little rhino orphan?

As well as being able to adopt Leko and support him on his journey back to the life of a wild rhino, you can still make a donation.

He needs a milk feed every two hours to keep him well fed and hydrated, twenty-four hour round-the-clock care to comfort him just as a mother would, and he needs professional veterinary support to ensure his growth and wellness is constant.

Please give what you can to help this still vulnerable little orphan.

Every rhino really does count and only with your support can we get this little guy through his first traumatic weeks and months.

It costs approximately £1,500 per month to nurse a rhino orphan through his first precarious years but, with one rhino still being poached every day, every rhino we can rescue and nurture to adulthood will make a difference to the survival of the species - this little guy is no exception. Most orphans are cared for and protected for up to three years before they can be released back into the wild.

Thank you in advance of your generosity and rest assured, we will keep you up to date with his progress and growth.

Videos of Little Guy's progress since being rescued

Little Guy Arrives at the Orphanage

Little Guy's First Milk Feed

Little Guy's Plasma Transfusion

Night Time with Little Guy

Introducing Inkululeko (Leko)

Hose Play with Leko

Previous Updates

UPDATE - A Visit from the Vet

20th April 2021

'Little Guy' has had a visit from Trever the vet and it was decided that our adorable baby rhino should receive a plasma transfusion. This is deemed critical now as he did not receive the vital nutrients he needed from his mum.

The plasma, which was extracted from a healthy, adult rhino, will help boost his immune system and give him a better chance of survival.

This is still a critical time for a vulnerable baby rhino who has lost his mum. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far. I have you haven't yet donated to help care for 'Little Guy', he would be grateful for your contribution.

UPDATE - Your Donation Doubled

28th April 2021

Today we received a wonderful gesture from one of our supporters, who has agreed to match every gift to a value of £5,000. So if you are considering a gift to Little Guy, or for any additional donations that you might be able to make, your gift will be DOUBLED.

To date we have raised an amazing £10,000 of our £20,000 target for this Little Guy’s critical care, food and veterinary support. Can you help us reach our target for this baby orphan?

£20,000 will give Little Guy the round-the-clock care he needs to nurture him his first vulnerable year. It will also help to keep the Zululand Rhino Orphanage secure and protected for all the rhino orphans (and hippos) currently in their care.

UPDATE - Little Guy has a Name!

30th April 2021

Today we can announce that Little Guy's name is Inkululeko (or Leko for short), which means ‘Freedom’ in the local Zulu language. His name was chosen by a very generous supporter of Helping Rhinos and the Zululand Rhino Orphanage. It is very Apt as his name was given to him on Freedom Day in South Africa.

Your Donation can still be DOUBLED

Thanks to a wonderful gesture from one of our supporters, every gift, to a value of £5,000 received, will be matched. So if you're considering a gift to Leko, or for any additional donations that you might be able to make, your gift will be DOUBLED.

To date we have raised over £10,000 of our £20,000 target for this little guy’s critical care, food and veterinary support. Can you help us reach our target for this baby orphan?