A baby rhino, bursting with energy and curiosity, playfully chases a herd of wildebeest, bringing joy to those lucky enough to witness this rare and heartwarming scene.
Michael Botes, an expert safari guide at MalaMala Game Reserve, experienced this delightful sighting with his guests. He shared the details with Latestsightings.com:
“Driving around the airstrip at dusk always makes for great sightings. This time was no different – a newborn baby rhino alongside its grazing mother. This instantly captured our attention, and we decided to stay and watch the scene unfold.”
While its mother was more focused on food, the baby rhino had a different agenda – running, playing, and mock-charging the wildebeest. It is common for baby rhinos to engage in playful activities like this. Their clumsy, enthusiastic movements are both endearing and entertaining.
The young rhino is curious about its surroundings, testing out its place in the world, and thoroughly entertaining itself by trying to make friends with the wildebeest.
“It’s more of a playful game at the moment. Young animals love to run around like this, in leaps and bounds. It stretches their muscles and helps them explore what they can do with their bodies. This acrobatic play behavior also helps them develop their strength and coordination, which will be crucial for them in the future,”
The video also highlights a sad reality – the mother rhino has been dehorned. This once remarkable feature, used for protection, fighting, digging, and clearing, is now a missing part of her body. Her horns were safely and humanely removed to protect her from poachers.
“The mother was dehorned while she was still pregnant. This procedure was done about two and a half months ago, making this newborn baby around two months old.”
“We were initially concerned about the lion pride in the area targeting the mother now that she is without her horns. However, we haven’t seen anything worrying so far. As long as the predators have enough easy prey around, they will leave the rhinos alone. This might become a problem if there’s a drought and the prey population dwindles. Fortunately, our ecosystem is currently thriving and healthy.”
As her patience wears thin, the mother rhino decides to put an end to the play-chasing, making it clear to the wildebeest that she’s had enough. With a gentle nudge and a firm stance, she signals it’s time to move on. Together, she and her adorable baby trot off into the distance, leaving behind a memorable scene.