South Africa: in Limpopo, an orphanage for rhinos
Audio 02:15
In South Africa, although rhino poaching has recently declined, the situation remains alarming.
Kruger Park, for example, has lost nearly two-thirds of its population over the past 10 years.
RFI / Elisa Drago
By: Claire Bargelès Follow
6 mins
In South Africa, when rhinos are poached, their babies are abandoned, too young to survive on their own.
This is why there is a center, in the province of Limpopo, in the north of the country, to collect them, the time that they become independent and can be released into the reserves.
Publicity
From our special correspondent in Limpopo,
It's a well-established routine: at specific times, Yolandé van der Merwe must be ready to feed the baby rhinos with powdered milk and boiled rice.
Because appetites are great and animals less than a year old can swallow up to 20 liters per day.
“
Since we opened 8 years ago, we have adapted our recipe.
We take powdered skimmed milk, and add a small percentage of fat, to try to recreate as best as possible what their mother would give them
, ”explains Yolandé van der Merwe.
Janie Van Heerden fills the bottles on which the name of each orphan is written.
“
There, they are waiting for us, we are going to call them, because during the day they are left free in their enclosure.
A little rhino approaches.
Yolandé presents it to us.
“
This little rhino is Mapimpi.
His mother was poached when he was only 5 or 7 days old.
He was really very small.
He has grown well in a year, he now weighs 400 kg, it has become a little monster,
”she exclaims.
► Also to listen: South Africa: the rhinos of Kruger National Park under surveillance
Limit human presence
In the center, which operates with private donations, no tourists, to limit human presence.
Because the idea is good to release these rhinos, according to Yolandé, once they are 4 or 5 years old.
“
The females will enter their weaning period, so within 6 months, we will no longer play with them, we will no longer be in the enclosure.
It is really necessary to break this human contact, because when they are released, we do not want them to become animals that cause problems, and we do not want them to naturally approach poachers,
” supports Yolandé.
A highly protected place
The place is very protected, because the rhinos continue to be killed for their horns, sold in Asia at exorbitant prices because of their supposed healing virtues.
A traffic that still has a bright future ahead of it, according to Arrie van Deventer, the founder of the orphanage.
► See also: Kenya: for the first time since 1999, no rhinoceros have been poached in 2020
“
It's a huge business, it's like we want to tackle the drug trade.
How to stop this?
There is too much money at stake. Governments need to get involved and say "stop, it's over".
It is a war that we are waging, and we cannot lose it.
And it is not isolated individuals or in small groups who act, it is organized crime
”, argues Arrie van Deventer.
About a hundred rhinos have already been released since the center was created.
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South Africa
Wildlife