Sometimes, extra measures are necessary to make sure your wildlife are okay.
One of our young white rhino bulls were seen walking with a limp, and we wanted to find out what the cause is and to treat him if necessary.
With the assistance from Dr Shaun Beverley as vet and Mr. Richard Burns from as pilot, the white rhino bull was located and darted. Dr Johan Marais was on the ground to take X-rays of the young bull’s left rear hock which was quite swollen but without broken skin, most possibly from an altercation from a larger rhino. The X-rays showed a fracture at the back of the hock and that the tendons are pulling the bones upward. No further treatment was suggested because there are no real viable treatment options and the injury will heal on its own. When the bull was reversed and he got up, he walked quite comfortably. He was also able to run away from the helicopter which shows his ability to run and evade danger.
A special thanks to our sponsors, Richard Burns from Wild Skies Aviation for flying, Dr Johan Marais from Saving the Survivors for providing the x-ray equipment and work, and for covering the veterinary costs of Dr Shaun Beverly from Limpopo Wildlife Vet.
