Florida Zoo Saves Wild Rhino's Sight in Two Weeks

A wild rhinoceros in Zimbabwe was scratching his eyes so badly he risked going blind. Then a team from Florida showed up with an idea that made local conservationists laugh.

Palm Beach Zoo CEO Margo McKnight was visiting Hwange National Park last August when she learned about Thunza, a male white rhino with bleeding eyes from a parasitic infection. The animal was part of a groundbreaking project to reintroduce rhinos onto communal lands, giving local communities a stake in protecting them.

McKnight and her team proposed treating Thunza the way they'd treat a zoo animal. They would use positive reinforcement to earn his trust, then administer eye drops directly while he stood still voluntarily.

"Believe me, we didn't think of it. It was a completely ridiculous idea to us," said Daniel Terblanche, a security manager at the local safari lodge. Wild rhinos don't exactly cuddle up to humans.

But the alternative was watching Thunza go blind. So the team got to work.

They started by luring Thunza and other rhinos into corrals with their favorite foods. Day by day, they helped the massive animals grow comfortable with human presence. They squirted water on their faces, petted their thick skin, and gently tugged their horns.

The 4,000-pound rhino could have charged at any moment. Instead, something remarkable happened.

Why This Inspires

Within just two weeks, Thunza learned to approach the team willingly and stand calmly while they applied medicine directly to his infected eye. The Florida team then trained local security staff to continue the treatment in case the infection returned.

The method worked so well it could change how conservationists care for wild animals in the future. Instead of darting animals with tranquilizers or letting treatable conditions go untreated, caretakers can now build trust through patience and positive reinforcement.

Thunza's recovery carries extra significance because he's part of a pilot conservation program with huge potential. The Community Rhino Conservation Initiative aims to spread rhino populations across more of Africa by giving local communities economic reasons to protect them.

Southern white rhinos are the most numerous rhino subspecies in the world, but they still face severe poaching threats for their horns. Every healthy rhino that can breed safely matters for the species' future.

Today, Thunza can see clearly again, and a team of local conservationists knows how to help if he or other rhinos need care.