The Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary on Friday shared video footage showing an orphaned black rhino calf expressing herself with a “happy jump” performed in front of observers.
Black rhinos are critically endangered and the female calf, named RiRi, is undergoing rehabilitation as part of a “rewilding” process.
The footage was captured after a feeding session as temperatures dropped at the facility in South Africa.
Care for Wild stated via Instagram: “The goal of successful rehabilitation is to prepare a rhino orphan for rewilding and release back into their natural habitat so encouraging natural eating and browsing behaviors is very important.
“But the cooler weather has made RiRi particularly playful and so full of energy. Check out her gloriously happy jump at the end!”
Black rhinos have been decimated by poachers over the years, but they’re slowly coming back thanks to conservation efforts. Their numbers plummeted from 65,000 to only 2,300 animals between 1970 and 1993.
According to the International Rhino Foundation, black rhinos now inhabit 12 countries in Africa, numbering an estimated 6,421 animals.
