At just a few weeks old, white rhino calf Wilson was found collapsed and gravely wounded in a South African game reserve after being attacked by a clan of hyenas.
There was no sign of his mother and she has never been seen since.
The little rhino calf was severely injured and running out of time.
Rhino calves rely entirely on their mothers for protection and nourishment for up to two years. Without his mother, Wilson was an easy target and stood almost no chance of survival.
Rhino calves rely entirely on their mothers for protection and nourishment. Without their mothers, they won’t survive in the wild. Credit: Shutterstock/Rudi Hulshof
Many rhino calves die shortly after losing their mothers.
Wilson very nearly became one of them.
Fortunately, rangers reached him just in time. Severely dehydrated and covered in deep bite wounds to his limbs and ears, the calf was airlifted to the safety of our partner, the Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary in Mpumalanga (CFW) – an expert rehabilitation centre dedicated to saving orphaned rhinos.
Upon arrival, Wilson was rushed into intensive care and given emergency veterinary treatment to stabilize him. But he remains in an extremely fragile condition and a long road to recovery lies ahead.
Orphaned rhino calf Wilson is still fighting for his life.
He needs six months of intensive, round-the-clock care if he is to have a real chance of survival.
Severely dehydrated and covered in bite wounds, this rhino calf was airlifted to specialist care after rangers reached him just in time. Treatment has begun — but he is still fighting for his life. Credit: CFW
The rhino calf’s wounds are cleaned and tended to daily. Each treatment brings him one step closer to recovery. Credit: CFW
Wilson is battling a serious infection, and having received very little colostrum from his mother, he is extremely immunocompromised. This little calf needs more than the experts at CFW and a miracle to pull through. He needs you.
If we can raise $13,000 (around £9,540), we can cover the infant’s critical medical treatment and rehabilitation for the next six months – including wound care, specialized milk formula and supplements, pain relief, antibiotics and ongoing diagnostics to carefully monitor his recovery.
After a brief recovery in 2022 and 2023, white rhino numbers in Africa declined by more than 11% in 2024.
Wilson is severely immunocompromised but with your help, we can give him the critical care he needs to recover. Credit: CFW
Latest figures reveal that 516 rhinos were killed across Africa in 2024, with 420 of these killings occurring in South Africa.
This concerning rise in poaching reminds us that we must do everything we can to protect and save Africa’s rhinos, including Wilson.
Wilson’s life is critical.
Please, will you help us give this brave young calf the second chance he deserves? He has had a painful and traumatizing start to life, but together, we can help him survive.
