Of the many activities related to Wildlife Conservation, «rhino notching» is one of the most important for the reserve, and one of the most attractive for guests. Last Friday Rhulani Safari Lodge supported such an activity and invited all our guests present at the lodge to this special, memorable experience.

As the location of the activity was just on the other side of Madikwe Game Reserve, in the east, and it was followed by a delicious lunch at the Madikwe Botanical Gardens, the program took much longer than a normal morning game drive. After all, we returned to Rhulani in the afternoon. Our guests decided to skip the evening game drive and to recount the experiences with a cocktail in the lounge, enjoying the sunset.

The many hours should be worthwhile. Our guests received a deep insight about the threatened rhinos, the relentless fight against poachers, and the various measures to better protect the animals. “Rhino notching” is one of them.

Then there was action: A young, white rhino was darted and immobilized by the veterinarian from the helicopter. While the mother was kept at a distance, the ears of the young rhino were notched. This will facilitate the identification in the future. 

Everyone was able to actively participate and, for example, measure the animal, inject a microchip under the skin, take blood or remove a sample of the horn.

For each guest it was even possible to take a ride with the helicopter, and to look at the breathtaking landscape of Madikwe.

After the successful operation, the little rhino was woken up again. Soon after it was back on its feet and started to call for its mother. It was nice to see that mother and cub are back together and can now graze peacefully again.

Are you interested in sponsoring a conservation activity and organizing such an event for you, your group or you family? Read more here how to do it and get in contact with us!