Gertjie (#littleG) The Baby Rhino - LIVE Channel

Gertjie AKA "Little G" is an orphaned baby rhino who's mother was killed in May by poachers for her horn. He is now in the care of the Hoedpsruit Endangered Species Centre, where he spends his days taking long walks, mud baths and grazing. The live camera below is his bedroom where he sleeps from 6pm-6am CAT (12pm-12am EST), and sometimes naps during the day. If you don't see him he is most likely enjoying the outdoors at HESC. You can see him being fed at approx 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm CAT.  Much more info down the page.

Latest Updates

Tuesday June 10, 2014

It took the Rhino a bit longer to get relaxed with the sheep, with out chasing them around.

The bigger sheep is quite old and has been with a variety of different animals, this is the first time the younger sheep has been introduced with something else other than her own species.

The older sheep is only in there to protect the youngster ( you will see how she dominates Gertjie) and to get her relaxed with him.  As soon as we see that no harm will come to the younger sheep or Little G, the older sheep will be removed.  The youngster would still want to bond and follow something, with the older sheep out it would only leave Gertjie for her to bond with.

We didn't just put the sheep in with him and left them, we had them in a second house earlier today, and we will now monitor them on Africam.  This way we can rule out any human interference, and will know for certain how they react towards each other.

Monday June 9, 2014

• Little G is now weighing 136kg

• He is receiving 15 L of milk a day (2.2 L per feeding)Bottles will now be divided into 7 feeding a day instead of 8

• We fed him half the amount of what he should get on 10/06/14 @ the 03H00 bottle, the other half will be given @ 06H00

• We also fed him a bit later to brake the routine, of him getting up for that bottle

The Story of Gertjie (AKA "Little G")

Age: 4 months old   Weight: approx 312lbs (136kg)

Why is He Here?:

This is the heartbreaking story of baby rhino Gertjie, affectionately known as “Little G”, who lost his mother to rhino poachers in May 2014. Little G's new home is the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC) in South Africa, which specialises in the treatment of orphaned or injured animals.

“ We took custody of a very special animal last night. A 3 month old baby rhino, anticipated to have been born on around the 19th February, was brought to the HESC after being found next to his dead mother who had been tragically and brutally poached for her horn. It was a devastating sight, as the tiny animal would not leave her side, and was crying inconsolably for her.”, reported HESC in an official statement.

Unfortunately, baby rhinos are only weened at 15 to 18 months so there is no way he would have been able to survive in the wild on his own. So now HESC is his new home, and he will be cared for and rehabilitated there until he can hopefully be reintroduced into a wildlife reserve.

Where is this camera located?:

The LIVE camera you are watching is inside little G's bedroom. This is where he sleeps each night and sometimes goes to relax during the day. He has taken full ownership of this room and feels very safe there. Often after his walks and daily activites outside it is his idea to spend a little time inside. Since he needs 24 hour care, the staff from HESC sleep outside right next to his room at night so that they can make sure he is fed every 3 hours.

Diet:

Milk and vitamin supplements every 3 hours. You can see him have his meal at 6pm, 9pm, 12am, 3am and 6am CAT (12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm and 12am EST)

Security:

Little G has staff from HESC with him at all times. He has constant care and protection. In addition, because of his age and not having a horn he is not a target for poachers. That is why he was left after his mother was attacked.

Did I just see a sheep?:

Yep, there is a sheep that spends time in the area with Little G. The two are bonding, and the sheep acts as second Mom to the baby rhino. Sometimes after he leaves the room she comes in and seems to tidy up a bit.

Lighting:

There are 2 infrared heat lamps inside the room to help keep the baby rhino warm this winter. They are the only light source which is why the camera is always in night mode.

His Daily Routine:

Little G is being cared for and prepped to some day return to a more natual setting by the staff at HESC. Therefore his day can be quite full working with the curators and guides at the centre. Grazing, mud baths, exploring and even playing are part of the little rhino's daily schedule. HESC has seen a number of injured and orphaned animals successfully rehabilitated over the years, and they are hopeful that this will be another happy ending.