A seemingly outlandish plan to administer eyedrops to a wild rhinoceros has yielded remarkable success in Zimbabwe, proving crucial for the survival of an endangered animal. Animal behaviorists, in partnership with the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society in Florida, traveled to Africa in August to tackle a life-threatening parasitic eye infection in a southern white rhino.
Daniel Terblanche, a security manager with Imvelo Safari Lodges, admitted the idea initially seemed far-fetched to local conservationists. "Believe me, we didn’t think of it; it was a completely ridiculous idea to us," Terblanche said. "But without trying all of the things that we could to rectify that situation, we would have been in trouble, I think."
