RIVER

River arrived at Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary in August 2014, orphaned when poachers killed her mother. She was only a month old, very small and alone in the bush. Hyenas and lions attacked and wounded her on her rump. The wounds from the claw marks were infected and the Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary team cleaned and treated them. After the wounds had healed, a scar can still be seen on her rump.
The attack also traumatised her psychologically as she was terrified of shadows after she arrived at the sanctuary. For a long time, anyone working with her had to do so carefully, as not to startle her with their movements and the movements of their shadow. Although it took River a long time to settle after her trauma, she accepted her milk from a bottle very quickly.

Once River stated doing better, she became cheeky and started pulling the teats off her milk bottles at every feed! Her caretakers had to pay extra attention while feeding her. Later, as she grew stronger, she was introduced to the other rhinos, from whom she took no nonsense, like a real rhino does. River has come a long way in her rehabilitation process and is well on her way to being released with the other rhinos with whom she has formed strong bonds. But, for now, she still enjoys the safety and warmth of her night room in her enclosure where she spends the night with her friends, Tyson and Annie. During the day, though, she heads off into a large open camp filled with green grass and big trees that provide shelter from the hot summer sun.

TOGETHER THE FOLLOWING SCHOOLS support river ...

SELBORNE PRIMARY

South Africa / Eastern Cape

We are so pleased to have Selborne Primary participating in our OLLI #jointcustody School Rhino Challenge.

st mary's Diocesan School for Girls

South Africa / KwaZulu Natal

“St Mary's is a respected school, steeped in tradition and family values.
Our heritage, based on Christian values and an understanding of accountability and self,

is at the heart of everything that we do. “
Jonathan Manley - Principal

Our motto “Service before self, God before all” prefaces all we do as a school. We therefore have an active Eco-Club which encompasses these values. This year we have decided to focus on plastic recycling up and have run an awareness campaign in the school to highlight the devastating effects that simple straws and balloons can have on animals in our environment. We have placed plastic recycling bins in prominent positions in the school. We have also approached the coffee cart and they will switch over to paper straws once their plastic supplies are finished. Our school kitchen has also come on board and they now separate plastic, tin and food waste. These are taken to the recycling depot in Kloof twice a week. The learners are also involved in the Keep Kloof Beautiful railway clean-up. Our Eco-Club mentor, Natalie Volek has placed a worm recycling bin outside the Life Sciences block. The idea is that consumers provide organic material for the bin and then the worm wee and compost can be used in the school gardens.

The Olli Challenge is going to be our big drive for the year, in the same way that we supported the Adopt a Zebra project last year. In the third term the learners are holding a Bake for Rhino fundraising initiative.

We are so pleased to have St Mary's participating in our Olli #jointcustody School Rhino Challenge.

It is particularly special that DSG's Mrs Kathryn Bolton and Emma Bolton are also members of the Olli family.