If you thought Bambi was sad, you’re going to need at least two boxes of tissues for this bittersweet story about a rhino named Donnie who lost his mother. After poachers killed his mom, Donnie tried really hard to find another parental figure, ultimately attempting to connect with a warm jeep on a tourist road.
Orphaned baby rhino thinks this jeep is his new mum – all the tears http://t.co/jP8s9XQVfW pic.twitter.com/RxtKNiR0o0
— Metro (@MetroUK) August 8, 2015
Metro reports that Debbie English, a tourist, found Donnie when he wandered onto the road and tried to imprint onto a Jeep because he thought it might be his mother. Unfortunately, Jeeps can’t take care of babies, but English and her father did everything they could to get Donnie to safety and to a new family.
This is what English told Metro:
‘My father and the veterinarian managed to tranquilize the poor little thing and fly him to his new home… but not without any hiccups along the way. The pilot had to make an emergency landing after this little guy flat-lined.’
Fortunately, the rhino got to his new home at Kruger National Park safely after he was resuscitated, and English is certain he’s taking to the park much better than he had to the Jeeps on the road. According to Metro, the picture was posted on English’s Facebook to show the dangers of poaching. If the photo above doesn’t do it, what will?
(Via Metro)