\t\t\tIn the early hours of Sunday morning, a precious little life came into the world. Rubybelle, one of Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary\u2019s most beloved rescues, delivered her very first calf!<\/p>\n
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Nelspruit, Mpumalanga (19 August 2025) \u2013 Once the team was sure both mother and baby were doing well, they shared<\/a> the joyful news: Ruby, the rhino orphan who once fought for her life, is now a mom.<\/p>\n The healthy little bull calf is already under the watchful care of his fiercely protective mama.<\/p>\n Ruby\u2019s story began almost a decade ago in heartbreak. Back in August 2017, she was only four weeks old when her mother was gunned down by poachers in the Sabi Sands. Alone and terrified, Ruby was spotted running through the veld as lions closed in. It was a race against time.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the team searched for the poachers, their thermal imaging revealed a tiny calf running through the veld, with lions closing in,\u201d writes Care for Wild.\u00a0<\/p>\n A helicopter team led by pilot Dave Powrie and veterinarian Dr Ferreira du Plessis intervened in the nick of time. Ruby was darted for her safety and flown out, sleeping soundly on caring laps as they rushed her to the sanctuary.<\/p>\n At just 92kg, she was admitted straight into intensive care, fragile but alive.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t long before Ruby found comfort in friendship. She was introduced to fellow orphans Khanya and Rose, and later Fern, forming a close-knit crash that would grow up together in rehabilitation.<\/p>\n With round-the-clock care and the safety of Care for Wild\u2019s protection zone, Ruby began to heal.<\/p>\n Now, almost eight years later, Ruby\u2019s story has come full circle. From a vulnerable calf who nearly didn\u2019t survive, she has become a mom herself.<\/p>\n The sanctuary celebrated the new life, thanking those who have supported Ruby along the way. For the team who watched Ruby grow from a frightened orphan into a confident adult, the birth of her calf is wonderful news.<\/p>\n Not just for her, but for the future of her species.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you so so much to those who have supported Rubybelle since she arrived as a small orphan. Successes such as these would not be possible without love and support,\u201d says Ruby\u2019s carers.<\/p>\n Even the most fragile beginnings can grow into new life!<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Sources: Linked above Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We\u2019re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we\u2019ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.<\/p>\n \t\t
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