In March 2012, the Kariega Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape of South Africa was targeted by poachers. Three rhinos were left for dead. All hope that there would be any survivors seemed lost. And yet, Thandi – the only female in the attack – made it. Her name means love, and it’s thanks to the tireless devotion of her caretakers that she will go down in history as the first rhino to survive a poaching incident. “This is the most important rhino in the world. We need to tell her story. We need to share the hope,” says wildlife photographer Adrian Steirn.
As if her own survival is not enough cause for celebration, Thandi has since given birth to three calves that should never have been born. By defying the odds stacked high against her, this courageous rhino has become a mother, delivering hope for conservation efforts around the world.
Footage by Adrian Steirn and Paul Mills was used in the creation of this film.
Up Next in Season 1
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Numbats
They’re skittish, have a penchant for termites, and there’s fewer than 1 000 of them left. Numbats were once widespread across Australia. But today, the indigenous marsupials have all but disappeared from the country.
The two remaining wild populations of numbats live in the Dryandra Woodland and... -
White Rhino
The second largest mammal in Africa faces constant threat as a result of poaching activity. This story serves as a reminder of why taking rhino horns makes the species more vulnerable in the wild and deprives it from behavioural functions.
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Butterflies
The butterfly is known as the symbol of warmer months and renowned for its spectacular colours, but so often our knowledge of these flying insects stops there.
