Rhino Orphans Leko and Tweed Return to the Wild

Together with our project-partner the Zululand Rhino Orphanage (ZRO), we are thrilled to announce the recent rewilding of two of our rhino orphans.

Rhino orphans Leko and Tweed have returned to the wild following the completion of their rehabilitation journey under the expert care of the ZRO team.

Returning to the wild is the ultimate goal for all of our orphans, and through this programme 13 orphaned rhinos have successfully been rewilded in the past six years, a real cause for celebration.

Rewilding our orphans is a long-term endeavour, requiring expert care, dedicated staff and consistent funding. Returning these rhinos to where they belong isn’t simple, but it is essential for the future of this species and to give these animals the chance of living as rhino should.

Leko and Tweed would never have reached this vital milestone without the support of our rhino adopters and generous donors, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped us achieve this successful rewilding.

THE IMPORTANCE OF REWILDING RHINOS

Returning orphaned rhinos to the wild is key to boosting population numbers and ensuring much needed genetic diversity. Our rewilded orphans have the chance to play a role in the conservation of their own kind and fulfil their role as a keystone species who shapes their environment to the benefit of themselves and countless other species of fauna and flora.

As the only dedicated rhino rescue and rehabilitation facility in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, our work with the Zululand Rhino Orphanage plays a key role in preserving the rhino’s future in the current global epicentre of rhino poaching.

PREPARATION FOR REWILDING AND POST RELEASE MONITORING

All our rhino orphans go through an extensive rehabilitation process that starts the moment they are taken under the care of the ZRO team. As well as ensuring overall health and wellbeing, our dedicated carers teach these young rhinos everything their mothers would to prepare them for life back in the wild.

The rhinos under our care are rewilded at around 3-5 years of age, with this process being set in motion years before  their release date. From weaning to socialising, there are many stages to preparing our orphans for release.

The rewilding programme aims to ensure our orphans are released into healthy ecosystems and suitable areas for breeding where poaching levels are low and there is effective 24- hour anti-poaching security.

Before they are released all our orphans are de-horned and fitted with state-of-the- art tracking devices to ensure they can be effectively monitored.

After release they are closely observed by trained rhino monitors who check on them daily. The monitoring process is quite intense in the first 12-months, not only due to security procedures but also to ensure the rhinos are adapting well to their new homes. As Leko and Tweed are both white rhinos, this means they are grazers. They will initially receive supplementary food such as teff, lucerne or pellets to ensure they stay in good condition as they adjust to life in the wild.

LEKO AND TWEED’S JOURNEY TO A LIFE IN THE WILD

Both Leko and Tweed arrived as very young calves under tragic circumstances, but thanks to the dedication of the orphanage staff and the support of our incredible adopters and donors, they have grown into strong, healthy adult rhinos. Here’s a reminder of their journey back to the wild:

A BROTHERLY BOND

In their almost three years together Leko and Tweed have formed a truly remarkable bond. We have often referred to them as brothers, because though they may not be related by blood, their bond is that strong.

From the instant they met, Tweed was desperate to follow Leko wherever he went, and older orphan Leko had all the patience in the world for this energetic new arrival. Even though Leko and Tweed have both mixed well with the other orphans, with Leko often taking frightened younger orphans under his wing, they have always returned to each other.

This inseparable pair have brought great joy to the whole team during their time under our care and will be greatly missed. But we know that the time is right for them to return to the wild, and that the bond they have formed will put them on the best footing possible.

A LIFE BACK IN THE WILD

Following a slight delay due to adverse weather conditions, the time had come for Leko and Tweed to return to the wild. Having both been fitted with tracking devices the two orphans were successfully darted and transported to their new home. Upon opening the crates both Leko and Tweed slowly but purposefully walked out into their new home, sticking close together as always. It was a bittersweet moment for all involved, as these two boys who have captured so many hearts return to where they should have been all along.

LEKO AND TWEED STILL NEED YOUR HELP

Leko and Tweed may have left the Zululand Rhino Orphanage, but it does not mean that our duty of care has ended.

This bonded pair may be now living in the wild, but they still need your support. Orphaned rhinos need help for life, and just as we provided resources when they were young, we will continue to support the costs of monitoring them in the wild.

Through our Rhino Orphan Adoption Programme Helping Rhinos provides funding to care for our orphans from the moment they arrive at the orphanage to the monitoring and support they receive once they return to the wild.

Funds raised from adoptions are used to help cover monitoring costs such as vehicle use and maintenance, telemetry sets, binoculars and cameras to assess the rewilded rhinos’ condition, as well as any supplementary food they might require, ensuring they stay in good condition.

The success of the rewilding programme, and the impact it has for the future of this species is only possible with your support.

Once again thank you to all our adopters and donors who have helped us support orphans like Leko and Tweed on their journey from vulnerable young calves to thriving adults, living as wild rhinos should.