Abandoned by his mother at just a few days old, a little rhino called Ringo was rescued by Rangers at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya and nursed back to health. His feisty and energetic disposition charmed everyone and he became truly famous! Dearly loved by staff and rangers and all who visited Ol Pejeta, including many celebrities, his fan base grew by the day. Ringo’s endearing antics went viral!

 

Then sadly and so suddenly, at just a few months old, little Ringo became ill and died. No one really knows the reason for such a short life, but nature has a way of knowing and we suspect it was why he was abandoned in the first place.

Kenyan artist, Karen Laurence-Rowe, was one of those touched by Ringo. “I had the privilege to spend just a few short days with this little guy but in that time, as he did with so many others, he completely stole my heart. A few quick sketches and videos are all I have to remember him.

I knew I was going to paint him…but had no idea that it would be so soon. The painting below depicts my memory of him – interacting cheekily with all around him including the ever-present superb starlings.