Source: Fortune.com
Summary
Animal behaviorists from the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society traveled to Zimbabwe to help an endangered white rhino with a life-threatening eye infection. The team, led by Thad and Angi Lacinak, developed a plan to administer eye drops to the rhino, Thuza, by coaxing him into a small chute and desensitizing him to humans. The plan was successful, and Thuza’s eyes have been protected. The conservation status of southern white rhinos is listed as near threatened, with about 16,000 animals living in the wild.
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The plan to save Thuza’s eyes was deemed “ridiculous” by Daniel Terblanche, a security manager with Imvelo Safari Lodges. But with only 16,000 southern white rhinos living in the wild, the team was willing to try anything. The Lacinaks’ expertise in animal behavior was key to the success of the plan. Thuza’s recovery is a small victory in the fight against poaching and habitat loss. The Community Rhino Conservation Initiative continues to reintroduce southern white rhinos to communal lands in Zimbabwe.
Author: Evan Null
