Earlier this month, the Rhinos adopted Apollo, an orphaned black rhino who was found beside his deceased mother in Kenya last September. He was rescued by members of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) before he was flown back to the SWT’s Kaluku Field Headquarters in Kenya, where he is currently being raised. The adoption will help cover Apollo’s food, caretakers, any necessary veterinary care and ensure the protection of the rhinos’ natural habitat.
A little over a year old, Apollo enjoys daily excursions and cooling sand and mud baths. Rhinos are typically solitary creatures and prefer only to visit familiar territories. He does, however, love his caretakers and keeps them in great shape because it’s not easy to keep up with Apollo’s curious and tenacious personality. “He leaps and spins and charges around, slipping and sliding, hoisting red muddy piles with his little snub horn cheekily perched atop his nose… [W]hen he has bursts of exuberance, Apollo listens to nobody!” At night, he has a strict bedtime routine that includes wearing a mattress on his back, like a tent, and wandering around his stable for a bedtime snack. Once he is ready to sleep, he flops onto a hay pile, right under his keeper’s bunk. Read more about Apollo’s story here.
Because of poaching and hunting, Rhino species are critically endangered or near threatened. You can help save wild Rhinos by donating to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Apollo’s home, or the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, the caretakers of the team’s first adopted Rhino, Tatenda.
Read more about Apollo’s rescue and updates on his growth by clicking here!
