![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771649828_904_scale;webp=auto;jpeg_quality=60.jpg\")
Timbavati Nature Reserve<\/p>\nLast September, a field guide in South Africa noticed a white rhinoceros lagging behind the rest of her group. A lethargic or immobile rhino is often in distress, so the guide got out their binoculars.<\/p>\n
Timbavati Nature Reserve<\/p>\n
Looking closer, the guide saw something wrapped around the rhino\u2019s hind leg.<\/p>\n
![\"Close-up](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771649828_823_scale;webp=auto;jpeg_quality=60.jpg\")
Timbavati Nature Reserve<\/p>\n
This type of entanglement could turn deadly if it hinders a rhino\u2019s ability to move. Not only would it make grazing and following food sources difficult, but it would also continue to separate a social animal from her group.<\/p>\n
The guide radioed the Timbavati Nature Reserve<\/a> for help. Coordinating with the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency<\/a>\u00a0and a wildlife vet, the group set off in a helicopter to help the ailing animal.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen our team arrived, it was clear she was in a difficult situation,\u201d Edwin Pierce, warden of the Timbavati Nature Reserve, told The Dodo. \u201cThe wire had tightened around her leg and midsection, likely over several hours or even days, restricting her movement and causing visible discomfort.\u201d<\/p>\n After successfully darting and sedating the rhino, the team carefully inspected her.<\/p>\n It turned out to be a sharp piece of galvanized wire wrapped around the rhino\u2019s leg and body. Pierce guessed the wire came from either a fence or a snare.<\/p>\n \u201cOver time, these remnants of human activity can become hidden hazards,\u201d Pierce said. \u201cRhinos are large, powerful animals that often brush through thick vegetation, and it\u2019s easy for a loose strand of wire to loop around a leg or body and tighten as the animal moves.\u201d<\/p>\n Miraculously, the rhino had no visible injuries or cuts. The team removed the wire gently with bolt cutters.<\/p>\n Minutes later, the rhino woke up, free of the dangerous wire that had slowed her down.<\/p>\n \u201cShe lifted her head, looked around, and then slowly stood up,\u201d Pierce said. \u201cAfter a brief pause, she trotted off and rejoined the other three rhinos, as if nothing had happened.\u201d<\/p>\n Pierce added that rescues like this remind him that \u201ceven well-intentioned materials, if left behind, can pose a serious risk to wildlife.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771649829_967_scale;webp=auto;jpeg_quality=60.jpg\")
Timbavati Nature Reserve<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771649829_852_scale;webp=auto;jpeg_quality=60.jpg\")
Timbavati Nature Reserve<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771649829_125_scale;webp=auto;jpeg_quality=60.jpg\")
Timbavati Nature Reserve<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771649830_845_scale;webp=auto;jpeg_quality=60.jpg\")
Timbavati Nature Reserve<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771649830_906_scale;webp=auto;jpeg_quality=60.jpg\")
Manuel ROMARIS\/Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Baby](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1753342383_725_flatten;crop;webp=auto;jpeg_quality=60.jpg\")
<\/a>Baby Elephant\u2019s Trunk Looks Strange, Then Rescuer Realizes The Scary TruthShe\u2019s going to make a full recovery \ud83e\udd79<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Last September, a field guide in South Africa noticed a white rhinoceros lagging behind the rest of her…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":489214,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[49,48,6586,13999,196690,14001,8014,66,196688,196689,2225,6584,150683,323,8687],"class_list":{"0":"post-489213","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wildlife","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-daily-dodo","11":"tag-rhino","12":"tag-rhino-rescue","13":"tag-rhinoceros","14":"tag-sarah-ashley","15":"tag-science","16":"tag-snare","17":"tag-snare-rescue","18":"tag-standard","19":"tag-the-dodo","20":"tag-white-rhino","21":"tag-wildlife","22":"tag-wildlife-encounters"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/489213","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=489213"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/489213\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/489214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=489213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=489213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=489213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}