A rhino calf lost her mother to poachers. Now, that same animal has given birth in the wild, turning an early trauma into a hopeful conservation success.
Here's what to know
In South Africa, Lula, a rhino rescued at about four months old after poachers killed her mother, has given birth to a healthy male calf.
According to Travel News, citing Good Things Guy, the calf was born on Sept. 7, and the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre said the pair was doing well.
Lula's story began with a difficult loss: after her mother was killed, she was brought to the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre, or HESC, where staff raised her.
At HESC, Lula formed a close bond with Khulula, another orphaned rhino. After the two were released together in October 2024, Lula was seen with Ubuntu, a rhino that had also been rescued and released, though the calf's father has not been confirmed.
The new calf also appears to be adjusting well. He spent his first days staying close to cover and started venturing around the reserve.
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What's being done?
HESC said it has rescued 19 rhinos, with 12 of them released back into the wild.
The center is also advancing its Reviving For Rewilding project, which is designed to provide rhinos still in its care with more room and reduced human contact before release. That approach is intended to better prepare the animals for life outside a managed setting.
Where can I learn more?
For more on rhino rescue and recovery efforts, these stories cover rescue care in South Africa, ongoing poaching pressure, and rewilding and birth efforts across Africa.
• In South Africa, pressure has been felt as rhino poaching continues despite containment efforts.
• Across African reserves, conservationists say this is just the beginning after releasing 40 at-risk rhinos.
• In Kenya, officials welcomed a wild birth of critically endangered rhinos once near extinction.
• In Kenya, footage captured the return to its native habitat after a 50-year absence.
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