I'm Petronel Nieuwoudt, and I rehabilitate baby Rhinos that have lost their mothers to poaching. Ask me anything!

Is this your hippo?

http://imgur.com/JMmlZf1 http://imgur.com/39EW8M6

yes, this is eMMa. she is an amazing animal and still loves the couch

If one was to bump into a lone male rhino in the wild what is the best way to behave?

Are tech tools like GPS or RFID used to protect them in the fight against poacher bastards?

I would say no sudden movements because their eyesight is bad. They can smell very good. So try and not move to fast and go stand stand down wind from him. We microchip them, tag them and sometimes collar them.

Are we past the tipping point with rhinos? Is it possible to bring back the species to thriving numbers in the wild?

I really think if we stand together and fight this war as a unit we will win! Let's save as many rhinos as we can, ONE RHINO AT A TIME! Ian Player did it, so let carry on his life's work.

What is one misconception about rhinos/poaching/ivory that you would love to dispel or shed some light on?

Lets deal with rhino and rhino horn first and then elephants and ivory. Not the same thing at all. The big misconception is that rhino horn has a curative effect. There is no medicinal or aphrodisiac effect at all. If this could be truly understood there could be no further poaching. The misconception about ivory is it is beautiful to wear. Anyone who wears ivory when they understand how cruelly the animals are killed is plainly stated, ugly. And that is just the truth, they are not cool...

What was the most "human" behavior you have observed from a Rhino?

Nightmares. Such love and recognition, compassion, playfulness Incredibly emotional animals

How is Didi doing? She was being cared for at Care for Wild when I was volunteering there in June 2012. Her mom was killed by an elephant.

Happy to report that Didi has was released a while back

What are your thoughts on legalizing the Rhino horn trade? From what i hear there is huge stock piles of horns locked away in South Africa. Would flooding the market make a difference or only cause more damage?

Thanks.

I say yes. the trade should be legalized. It can make a huge difference if they can farm with the horns. It will increase the value of the rhino while it is alive. It is worth more dead than alive at the moment. The question is not the stockpile but control and management. It must be a controlled legal supply to the market, cutting out the crime syndicates who presently control the market and the price. Commercializing of the trade will result in large amounts of private capital into rhino.

This is amazing. Please keep up the awesome work!

My questions: *how long have you been rehabilitating these Rhino's? *How does one get involved?

All my life. But, intensively over the last 16 years. You can always come volunteer at the centre! Please contact African Conservation Experience. www.conservationafrica.net

What would you say to a poacher if you ever came face to face with a poacher?

My aim would be to turn his thinking around ......but i will have to pray for a lot of patience. I will ask him if he will enjoy someone killing his mom or his child brutally in front of him. Cruelty always return he they need to know it...

Is there any way I can help if I can't afford to donate?

You can still like and share our Facebook page! That would be greatly appreciated.. Plus, you can always come volunteer at the centre! Please contact African Conservation Experience. www.conservationafrica.net

Are you aware of /r/babyrhinogifs?

I will definitely check it out. Thank you

How often are the poachers caught and what are the penalties?

It is difficult to say. It sounds like there is more arrests at the moment. There is a case where the poacher got a sentence of 25 years in jail last week in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga.

How much does a rhino typically weigh? I'm asking for a friend

Birth weight typically 60 kg and a big male rhino about 2 tons. Heavy amazing creatures

Your love for rhinos really comes across. Thanks for the work you are doing :)

How old must rescued rhino be before they can be released into the wild?

Thank you so much. They are weaned at 18 months and then the process started. They love grazing short grass and they love mud baths. They also enjoy relaxing underneath shady trees. We introduce them first into small camps then bigger camps and then open areas where there is little to no human interaction so that they can breed.

Are rhinos your favorite animals?

Yes! Rhinos are my favorite animals but i also love giraffes and kudu antelopes.

What is the most astonishing fact about rhinos that probably most people not know about?

They have beautifully huge bellybuttons, and they can smile with their eyes. I just love them

Will these rhinos ever get released back into the wild?

This is absolutely the plan. We want them to roam freely and breed successfully. We want to make sure that we can save the species.

What's your cutest baby rhino story?

There are so many. But one of them is Lunar trying to hide me under the bedding (grass) so that Storm(rhino) can't see me. And at the end she did not succeed and decided to stand over me...very interesting

What can be done in the east to stop the consumption of rhino horns?

To educate them as much as possible. To make them aware that rhinos die unnecessary in the most painful way and then the babies are left alone to die in the bush. Rhino Horn cannot cure anything...it is 4 times more expensive than heroin and accomplishes nothing. Could any intelligent human be involved if they knew this was the case. These animals sometimes cry out for help...And what will our world be like without this iconic animal

What's your favorite "save" that you've made?

Thank you for the question. It is difficult to say. But I must say to be able to fly in a Huey (Bell UH1 helicopter) and as we were landing the rhino started waking up. Then there is the baby black rhino who stopped breathing 7 times and we are happy to say he is doing excellent. Then Manji with the huge laceration on his head above the eye where the poachers hit him with a panga (machete)....

Which is your favorite Pokémon? Please Answer

I will have to ask my son. The rhinos is keeping me so busy