Releasing rhinos back into the wild where they belong so that they can thrive and live out their lives in peace is our goal. The rhinos housed at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC) need to undergo the next step in their rehabilitation process - moving them to a larger area of land where they are further away from the daily activities around the centre, and where human contact will be kept to a minimum.
After the release of Lula and Khulula into the wild in October 2024, the land at HESC where they were kept became overgrown. The rhinos currently kept at HESC were not yet able to move into this area as they needed more hands-on care, which meant they needed to be placed closer to the centre staff. There are not enough funds to keep unoccupied land maintained. In addition, the recent floods in the Hoedspruit area have damaged roads and fences, which now also need to be taken care of.
Clearing the land, repairing the roads and fences, and upgrading the security systems will allow the rhinos to undergo the next phase of their rehabilitation on a stretch of land that can not only sustain them, but will also allow the curators to check in on them and bring through supplementary food when needed, especially during the winter months. In addition, the technological upgrades to the security systems will ensure that they are kept as safe as possible.
Once this land has been prepared for rewilding, it can be maintained at a manageable pace for the introduction of the HESC rhinos. Not all the rhinos may be moved at the same time, as there are various factors to take into consideration. This means the land needs to be kept in constant peak condition to allow for a few years of introductions. This land directly contributes to the rewilding of rhinos and their ability to adapt to life in the wild.
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