Baby Black Rhino Loves To Snuggle Under His Blanket… Until It’s Bottle Time.

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Meet Kitui, a rare baby black rhino, who lives in Kenya.

Baby Kitui of @lewa_wildlife learning which branches are edible and which aren’t. Orphans of poaching who are lucky enough to be raised by humans on a conservancy do not have the luxury of a rhino parent to teach them the ways of the world, so these babies spend a lot of time in the bush learning things through trial and error. While they do not grow up as wild rhinos, their dedicated keepers give them another shot at life. In essence, they become part rhino, part human.

A photo posted by Filmmaker. Photographer. (@martinbuzora) on

Kitui’s blind mother couldn’t protect her previous babies from predators, so Katui is being raised at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. His foster “mom” is Elias.

I’d like to dedicate this post to all the men and women around the world who acknowledge that just because we have the power to destroy other species, does not give us the right. To all the people who recognize that having dominion over animals is a false, primitive and destructive way to view the world. And to all the human beings who appreciate our fellow animals and work tirelessly to protect the millions of creatures we share Planet Earth with. We spend so much of our energy trying to find civilizations elsewhere in the universe, without realizing that the intelligent aliens we’re looking for are often right under our noses. HAPPY WORLD ANIMAL DAY!!! Pictured above: Baby Kitui and one of his beloved keepers Elias Mugambi of @lewa_wildlife. Kitui is an orphaned black rhino who is being raised on Lewa Wildlife Conservancy with the hopes of being released back into the wild some day.

A photo posted by Filmmaker. Photographer. (@martinbuzora) on

Kitui spends his days playing with friends like Nicky. (pictured here)

Happy #worldwildlifeday! Today, make the commitment to support and care for wildlife. Picture of Nicky and Kitui by @martinbuzora #rhino #animals #animalsofinstagram #endangered #wild #wildlife #lewawildlifeconservancy #lewa #whyilovekenya #Kenya #Africa

A photo posted by The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy (@lewa_wildlife) on

How Nicky and Kitui spent their Boxing Day – by taking mud baths! Pic by @pilot_lemaiyan #boxingday #rhino #endangeredspecies #animals #naturelovers #nature #Lewa #lewawildlifeconservancy #WhyIlovekenya #Kenya #Africa

A photo posted by The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy (@lewa_wildlife) on

But at the end of the day, Kitui returns to the comfort of his pen and his orange blankie.

Orphaned baby black rhino on @lewa_wildlife. Kitui is the rambunctious baby brother of our beloved Kilifi, who recognized his little brother’s smell the moment they met and welcomed him with warmth and affection. Their mother suffers from blindness due to cataracts in her eyes and is therefore unfit to safely care for her little ones in the wild. Thankfully the lovely staff at Lewa Conservancy know just how to care for these little dinosaurs so they can grow up big and be re-introduced into the wild when the time comes. Until then, this little baby will be provided with everything he needs – milk, acacia leaves, more milk, and unlimited belly rubs. Did I mention more milk? Rhinos are complex, emotional mammals just like us. They crave social interaction, they need the safety of close bonds and they require love, warmth and attention. If the whole world understood how precious and incredible these animals were, we would not allow them to be slaughtered to extinction in our lifetime. Please support @lewa_wildlife in their quest to save rhinos for many generations to come!

A photo posted by Filmmaker. Photographer. (@martinbuzora) on

Kitui sleeps next door to his keepers, who check on him throughout the night and bring him snacks.

Repost from @martinbuzora Kitui’s evening snack after a day spent roaming Lewa with his keepers and taking delightful mud baths! Please note his blanket; he sleeps with it every night. This little video has gotten so much love around the world in the past couple of days, we just had to share it here as well! Note: Kitui’s little pen is right next to his keepers’ room, and they check on him throughout the night. @instagram #rhinos #nature #wild #wildlife #beautiful #cute #love #animals #Lewa #lewawildlifeconservancy #WhyIlovekenya #Kenya #Africa

A video posted by The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy (@lewa_wildlife) on

Wanjiku Kinuthia, of Lewa, told The Dodo, “Kitui is one of Kenya’s estimated 640 critically endangered black rhino. Every individual counts in ensuring the species survives.”

Eighteen-year-old Sonia and her baby on @lewa_wildlife. Sonia is a daughter of Lewa’s grandmother, 38-year-old Solio. She is a fierce black rhino from a noble bloodline who will leave no stone (or vehicle) unturned when it comes to protecting her offspring! She can easily be identified by her unusually long back horn and is without question one of the most beautiful sights to see on the conservancy. #blackrhino

A photo posted by Filmmaker. Photographer. (@martinbuzora) on

When Kitui is three or four years old, he’ll be released into the wild. Until then, he’s being given everything he needs to grow up strong.

“It takes a village to raise a child.” This is certainly true for the incredible rhino keepers of @lewa_wildlife, who take shifts 24/7 to feed, raise and protect Lewa Conservancy’s orphaned black rhinos. Pictured here is Elias, who is baby Kitui’s surrogate mother. They spend hours together daily, playing, napping and exploring the bush together. #Lewa #babyrhino #africa #love #milk #baby #nikontop #nikon #NikonNoFilter #wildaid #savetherhino #StopPoaching

A photo posted by Filmmaker. Photographer. (@martinbuzora) on

Learn more about black rhinos and the work that Lewa does for them on the conservation society’s website.

If you are happy to see Kitui being so well taken care of, please share his story with your friends on Facebook!

At Newsner, we love animals and believe in treating them with utmost respect. Please like if you do, too.

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