Support Thula Thula fundraiser, urges resident
A Glenhills resident is on a mission to raise funds to help find Thabo, the 11-year-old rhino, a mate.
IN 2017 tragedy struck at the Fundimvelo Thula Thula Rhino Orphanage after staff and volunteers were brutally attacked. What’s more, two rhino calves were also attacked and poached.
The 18-month old calves were shot and had their horns hacked off at the orphanage on the North Coast which was the brainchild of Lawrence Anthony, known around the world as the ‘Elephant Whisperer’. The attack prompted local and international outrage and months later lead to the closure of the orphanage permanently due to increasing security threats to the orphanage’s staff and animals.
In months following the attacks the orphanage was rebranded the Fundimvelo Thula Thula Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, home to two rhinos, brother and sister, Thabo and Ntombi. For Glenhills resident, Warren Mc Allister, and longtime volunteer at the centre, the news has been heartwarming. Since 2016 he has helped to raise funds to increase the security at the sanctuary.
Read also: Nicole steps up to raise lupus awareness
Now he is on a mission again, this time to help fundraise to help find Thabo, the 11-year-old rhino, a mate.
According to Mc Allister, Thabo is in his breeding prime, hence the need to find him a ‘girlfriend’.
“Why is it so important for Thabo to find a girlfriend? For one rhino are under threat of extinction as in the last decade more than 8 300 rhino have been poached for Asian medicine. The staff had observed Thabo’s scent-marking ceremony showing that he is ready to find a mate so the time was right to look for a female for him. They’ve aptly named the fundraising project as ‘Operation Girlfriend for Thabo’.
Read also: Eco warriors wage war on plastic
“The team at the reserve has found female rhinos that could join Thabo at Thula Thula. It’s quite costly to transport the animals so we are trying to raise the funds to help facilitate the move. More than R350 000 has been raised so far and we hope residents will support the fundraiser as we try and raise the last R60 000,” he said.
If you would like to support the fundraiser, visit www.givengain.com/cc/thabo/ or email Francoise Malby-Anthony: francoise@thulathula.com for more information.
For more from Northglen News follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram
