Wireless and Tshu - White Rhinos - Click here to read the story of Tshu

The story of Wireless and Tshu, SanWild’s two white rhinos is quite exceptional.

Wireless the male, was born on a private game farm in the Thabazimbi district. When he was only 4.5 months old he was caught in a poacher’s snare. The young calf struggled to free himself and in the process managed to break the snare from the tree to which it was tied. By now the steel wire cut deeply into his neck and despite all his efforts the steel wire remained around his neck. For about a week he followed his mother but the pain and infection got progressively worse until he could no longer keep up. The cow remained close to him and was still by his side when a field ranger spotted the two rhinos. A veterinarian was called in to help the young calf that was very ill. All efforts to reunite the calf and cow after two weeks failed and Wireless was sent to Karen Trendler at Wildcare for hand raising. At Wildcare Wireless settled in well and was soon joined with another white rhino calf called Tshu.

This young calf also had an amazing story to tell. Her mother had also been caught in a poacher’s snare in one of the Limpopo Provincial Parks, but although she was still found alive, nothing could be done to save her and she died shortly after being captured by a wildlife veterinarian and a local game capturer on instruction of the conservation department. This is where Tshu’s story took a surprising and unexpected turn.

Unbeknown to the conservation department the owner of the game capture unit had during the same time stolen some rhinos, giraffe and lions from the provincial parks with the help of the reserve manager. Amongst the animals stolen were an adult rhino female and a calf. The calf died within hours after arriving in his holding pens as a result of injuries sustained during the capture operation. A trophy hunter shot the cow in the holding bomas three days later. The game capturer then contacted the conservation department and informed them that both Tshu and her mother had died. He had photographs and post mortem results on hand and showed the officials the two dead rhinos carcasses. They had no reason to doubt his recollection of events.

Tshu was then moved illegally to the Eastern Cape where the game capturer tried to hide her away, but one of the conservation officials studying his own photographs of Tshu and her mother when they arrived in the holding pens, became suspicious and on close inspection found that the calf that had died was indeed not the same animal. He immediately instigated a special investigation and found Tshu. She was confiscated and taken to Wildcare where Karen Trendler hand raised the calf and cared for her.

Tshu did very well and was soon joined with Wireless and the two young rhinos became the best of friends. All efforts to separate them and join Wireless with another group of rhinos failed – he broke the fence of the camps time and time again to get back to Tshu. It was clear that the two animals had become very attached and when they had to be moved to a larger premises Karen requested our help.

We raised donor funding and purchased Wireless from his owner to allow him to be moved to SanWild with Tshu. Both Karen and myself feel that if would be the best for both rhinos to remain together - especially because both of them were never afforded the security of a mother and a family unit. We have submitted an offer to the conservation departments to purchase Tshu to ensure that both she and Wireless can remain together at SanWild forever.