Orphaned Rhinos 
(Rehab & Release)

Project Info

Our intern program is integrated into the daily running of the sanctuary and evolves over time as the needs and requirements of the rhinos change. Our programme is carefully structured and co-ordinated to support the needs of the rhinos as well as to give you a thoroughly educational and rewarding experience. 

Interns will support staff with the daily care of young rhino orphans and will assist with milk preparation, bottle feeding, husbandry, boma care and maintenance, dry feed preparation, behavioural observations and health checks. Please remember that we are a conservation project with a long term vision of releasing every rhino. Contact with the orphans will be limited to essential needs only. For your own safety interns are expected to adhere to strict rules and stringent health, hygiene, and safety policies.As well as working with the younger orphans, interns will have the opportunity to accompany staff on drives to monitor the released rhinos. You will assist with feeding, capturing body condition photos, and recording behavioural observations. You will also get to assist with monitoring the development of new calves born in the protected area. This is an amazing and extremely privileged opportunity! 

Care for Wild is a registered wildlife rehabilitation centre for all African species. The ongoing protection of the rhinos here at Care for Wild, has led to the conservation of an entire ecosystem that is home to giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, kudu, impala, nyala, sable and duikers. Interns will also assist with the care of other wildlife species under rehabilitation and will support the ongoing management of the protected area by capturing and recording essential information on game drives interns use tablets to input data on game counts, tracks, alien invasive plants, middens and territorial markings. This information is transferred to the operations centre in real-time to support the monitoring of animal movement patterns, habitat health and utilisation, and population demographics. All of this data is processed by Earth Ranger to provide one unified view that facilitates wildlife protection.

Poaching of rhinos for their horns is a major threat to this species. When a mother rhino is poached, her baby will usually die from starvation. As an intern in this project, you will be part of the world’s largest rhino orphanage. You will participate in all stages of giving medical care to baby rhinos, hand-reading and rehabilitating rhinos as they grow stronger.  You will learn aspects of animal husbandry as you prepare formula, bottle feed, monitor weight gain and physiological and behavior changes in the animals. During this internship, you will learn about the threat of poaching, the management techniques to try to combat poaching, and be part of the fight to save these endangered animals. 

This location also cares for other orphaned animals including giraffe, wildebeest, kudu, and other African wildlife.

Our intern programme also incorporates a series of educational lectures given by our highly trained and experienced staff:

• Welcome to Care for Wild
• Boma management & hygiene
  
• The differences between black and white rhinos
  
• Admission of a new calf
  
• Wildlife emergency treatment
• Transportation of rhino calves
• Rhino calf nutrition
  
• Wound management
  
• Important health issues
  
• Stress in rhinos
  
• Rewilding and Release
  
• Dehorning
  
• Do’s and Don’t’s of wildlife
  
• Scorpions
  
• Hippos and other animals at Care for Wild
  

You will leave a piece of your heart with us and take an experience never to be forgotten home.