Original source: Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
© Marcus Westberg
Yesterday (February 26th), Lewa’s baby rhino Nicky, who is blinded by cataracts, was scheduled to have an operation that would help him regain some of his sight. The surgery, scheduled to take place at the nearby ranch of Ol Jogi, was to be carried out by a specialty optical veterinary team from South Africa with assistance from Kenya Wildlife Service’s vets. Alfie, another blind rhino from Ol Jogi, was to also be operated on.
The vets had to first perform ultra-sounds on both rhinos to establish the viability of the surgeries. It was very disheartening when the results of the scans indicated that removing the cataracts would not help either of the rhinos; it would not enable them to see. The vets say that both Nicky and Alfie will most likely remain blind for the rest of their lives.
Nicky came back home to Lewa yesterday evening. Although visibly tired, he seemed very glad to be in familiar territory, and in the loving care of his two dedicated keepers, Yusuf and Tonga. Lewa will continue to give the best care to little Nicky to ensure that he grows to adulthood and has a long life despite his blindness. On behalf of little Nicky, we thank you all for your support.
© Marcus Westberg
Africa Geographic blogger Marcus Westberg visited Nicky a few months back, read more about his visit here.
