A ‘miraculous’ recovery (Video)

When Seha the rhino was found he had suffered a brutal attack at the hands of poachers in South Africa. The 12-year-old White rhino bull was found on a game reserve in the North West province after he and four other rhinos were left for dead in a viscous attack by poachers. Seha – short for Sehawukele meaning ‘have mercy on us’ in Zulu – was the only survivor after five rhinos where poached on the same property. Both his horns were hacked off leaving a gaping wound of 49 cm x 26 cm and extending into the nasal cavities.

Workers at Saving the Survivors, an organization dedicated to looking after injured wildlife victims of poaching, persuaded the owner, who wanted to put him down, to let them try and save the rhino. Fortunately, the organization – founded by Dr. Johan Marais – was allowed to take Seha and transported him to a secure facility where they treated him. They never give up. Dorota Ladosz, a veterinary assistant at the organization, said that Seha faced an unimaginable horror at the hands of poachers. Despite the severity of his wounds and the pain he must endure when they are attended to, there’s nothing wrong with the appetite of this big guy. He is gobbling up everything that is put down in front of him, with a fondness for the green lucerne. 

Stripped of his identity and dignity

The poachers hacked into his head, intent on getting every last piece of horn, so valuable that on the black market it’s called gray gold. The organization said the brave rhino has endured many treatments over the years and has shown “remarkable resolve and courage to survive”. Veterinarian Johan Marais who treated Seha said: “I’m just so proud of him, proud that he made it. In a way, I think it’s a real miracle he’s still here.” Two years after he was rescued he was introduced to two female rhinos and the result was Daniel the baby rhino. The mother rhino, named Lucky, is also a “survivor of poaching.” Watch the video, it’s an amazing recovery.