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RR and RRUK celebrates a conservation success story!

Posted by James Stagman

The best news ever – we are to become grandparents!!! Masingitta, one of the Lucky Five re-wilded orphans is pregnant! A pregnancy test was taken when she was recently dehorned – she is also looking quite wide!

She was seen mating with the dominant adult bull rhino a few months ago. We are so proud, thrilled and excited. The re-wilding process is complete – an orphaned rhino calf is back in the wild, and having mated with a wild white rhino, will produce the next generation of wild rhino. This helps ensure valuable genetic variety – and every rhino counts.

As white rhinos have a gestation period of 16 months, it may be some time before the pitter patter of tiny feet – we will keep you posted. A HUGE thank you to everyone who has raised funds to support The Lucky Five from their arrival in 2015/2016 as traumatised orphans, to helping keep them safe back in the wild today.

What a journey – and what a conservation success story.

Then

Masingitta’s arrival at the orphanage five years ago. Her name means miracle in Tsonga. She was given this name as it took a very long 24 hours to track and find her, after her mother was found poached. She arrived at the facility by helicopter in Nov 2015 – she was very traumatised and only three months old.

Now

Here is Masingitta, back in the wild, five years later. You can see how wide she is looking!
(This image was taken on the day of her dehorning – hence the white dust on her face).