Hope Endures at Shamwari

Hope the Rhino continues here miraculous recovery at Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa. In case you haven’t heard her tale, poachers ambushed Hope in early June at Lombardini Game Farm. They darted her before severing the horn, but the vicious attack left a gaping hole in her sinus cavities and naval passage. Somehow she survived and was found wondering through the bush by game rangers.

Transported to Shamwari, the four-year-old rhino was operated on by Dr. Johan Marais and a team of other veterinarians. They cleaned and dressed the wound, then used stitches and screws to attach a fiberglass shield to what remained of the rhino’s face. “You just can’t believe that somebody from our own species can do that to an animal,” Marais told the Associated Press after the operation.

Hope’s caregivers at Shamwari reported in late June that she was doing well. “She still has a good appetite, from what we can tell, she is mostly pain free.” Most importantly, the shield covering her snout was holding tight, allowing the wound to heal. Further operations will help the long mending process. Dr Marais figures that full recovery will take at least a year.

You can check up on Hope’s recovery on the “Hope for the Rhino” Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/amazingrhino.

In conjunction with the Wilderness Foundation, Shamwari is offering a reduced rate for guests who donate a minimum amount to the foundations Forever Wild – Rhino Protection Initiative. Learn more about the offer at http://shamwari.com/propertycontent.asp?PageID=4054