It has been a tough run for Boytjie, the resident white rhino at Humane Society International project partner and Wildlife Land Trust sanctuary member SanWild. Received as a calf at the end of 2007 after he was attacked by a pack of spotted hyenas in the Pilansberg National Park, Boytjie shares the majority of his time with his best mate Bossie, a bush pig who was hand raised at the centre. But things took a turn for the worse a few weeks ago when Boy mysteriously fell ill.

After several rounds of tests and injections and days on end of pain and restlessness, Boytjie was diagnosed with a bacterial infection, although the veterinarians and staff at SanWild are at a loss as to how and where he picked it up. This diagnosis has led to a more focused treatment regime and recent improvements seem to indicate that Boy has turned a corner. We will keep you posted with any changes in his condition.

 Poaching, and for rhinos in particular, remains a massive problem in  South Africa, with four more killed this past weekend and two more  narrowly escaping poaching attempts. South Africa National Parks are  calling on the government to make army troops available to help  protect rhinos in National Parks, but this assistance unfortunately  doesn’t extend to private conservation refuges such as SanWild.

back to top