Saving The Survivors

10/04/2026

Hope on Patrol 🐾💚

Thanks to your incredible support, our anti-poaching K9 Hope continues to go from strength to strength on the frontlines.

We’ve just received a detailed update from the Insimbi reserve where she is deployed, and we’re proud to share what you have made possible.

Hope is an integral part of anti-poaching operations — actively involved in tracking, patrols, and suspect apprehension in challenging bushveld terrain.

In a recent training exercise, she successfully tracked a human scent over 1 kilometre! Maintaining focus and direction despite thick vegetation and environmental challenges. This level of performance is not just impressive — it is critical in real-world poaching scenarios where every second counts.

Her continued development includes:�• Advanced tracking in natural environments�• Controlled apprehension (bite work)�• High-discipline obedience under pressure
And the impact is clear:�• Increased tracking success rates�• A powerful deterrent to poachers�• Stronger, more proactive patrol capabilities

Hope is not just a dog — she is a protector of wildlife, a partner to rangers, and a direct result of your generosity.

💚 Her purchase, training, and handler training were all funded by you — our supporters.�💚 And together, we continue to support her ongoing care, welfare, and operational needs.

To continue to support Hope please donate via the link or the button!

www.savingthesurvivors.org/donate

This is what your donations do. This is conservation in action.
From all of us — and from Hope on patrol — thank you for standing with us.

STS – Creating Hope from Hurt.

27/03/2026

Brutal Encounter, A Fight for Survival

A call came in from field rangers on a reserve—an adult female hippopotamus had been critically injured after a violent encounter with a dominant bull in the dam.

She had suffered extensive wounds across her flanks and hindquarters, with particularly severe injuries to her mouth and left front foot. By the time we reached her, the wounds were around five days old and heavily infected. She was in significant pain and, most concerningly, unable to eat.

Our veterinary team, working alongside the local veterinarian, immediately began emergency treatment. Radiographs of her upper and lower jaw showed no fractures—a small but vital piece of good news. We proceeded with intensive wound cleaning, administered pain relief, and initiated supportive therapy to stabilise her condition.

Over the coming days, she will be closely monitored as we continue targeted treatment to fight infection and promote healing. Cases like this are a stark reminder of the harsh realities of life in the wild—but also of what’s possible when intervention comes in time.

Every life matters.

Saving the Survivors – Creating Hope from Hurt.

💛 All of our work is 100% funded by your donations. If you’d like to help us continue responding to emergencies like this, please consider supporting us through this post or via our website.

www.savingthesurvivors.org

18/03/2026

🌿 A Legacy of Survival, Strength… and New Life 🦏💚

In March 2012, three rhinos were brutally attacked by poachers in the Eastern Cape. One bull was tragically lost. Two survivors remained — Thandi and Themba.

Despite every effort, Themba sadly passed away just three weeks later. But Thandi… refused to give up.

With the tireless dedication of our founder Dr. Johan Marais, alongside Dr William Fowlds, and months of intensive veterinary care Thandi became the first rhino ever to survive such a brutal poaching attack.

Her story captured hearts around the world. But survival was only the beginning…

🦏 A Living Legacy

In 2015, Thandi gave birth to her first calf, Thembi — a symbol of hope and a tribute to Themba.

She went on to welcome:
* Colin (2017)
* Mthetho (2019)
* Siya (2021)
* Zolani (2023)

And now… thanks to the awesome ongoing care of the team at Kariega Game Reserve we are beyond proud to celebrate the arrival of her 6th calf 💚

🌱 More Than Survival

Thandi is not just a survivor — she is a matriarch.

* 6 calves of her own
* 3 grandchildren through her lineage

Every single one of these rhinos exists because she was saved.

At the same time, another of our survivors, Seha, who endured a devastating poaching attack in 2016, has now become a father for the second time.

💚 Why This Matters

This is the heart of our mission. It’s not just about saving an individual life —�it’s about restoring bloodlines, rebuilding populations, and securing a future for a species on the brink.

Thandi and Seha are living proof that saving the survivors works.

Without your support, this one story alone would have meant the loss of an entire family line — now standing at 9+ rhinos and growing.

🙏 Thank You

Every treatment, every rescue, every new calf…�is only possible because of you.

Together, we are not just saving rhinos — we are giving them a future.

💚 Please continue to stand with us.

Photos from Kariega Game Reserve

13/03/2026

🐘 Big News from the Field!

In a collaborative effort between Saving the Survivors and the Veterinary Conservation Coalition, several adult bull elephants were safely immobilised and translocated to another reserve in Limpopo, South Africa.

This vital conservation move helps reduce pressure on overpopulated areas where the bulls were originally located, while boosting genetic diversity and restoring natural balance in the reserve where they have now been relocated.

Translocating adult bull elephants is a complex and carefully managed conservation intervention. Each animal must be expertly immobilised, continuously monitored by veterinary teams, and safely transported using specialised equipment and logistics. Every step requires precision, experience, and teamwork to ensure the safety and wellbeing of these magnificent giants.

Thanks to the partnership between Saving the Survivors and the Veterinary Conservation Coalition, these bulls now have the opportunity to play an important role in strengthening the health and genetics of their new population.

This is a powerful example of how collaborative conservation can deliver real impact for wildlife and ecosystems.

💚 None of this work is possible without the support of our incredible community. Saving the Survivors receives no government funding — every rescue, treatment, and conservation intervention is made possible through your donations.

Thank you for standing with us to protect Africa’s wildlife.

11/03/2026

A Second Chance for the World’s Most Trafficked Animal 🛡️🦔

Today we celebrate a small but powerful victory against the illegal wildlife trade.

This male Temminck’s ground pangolin – the most trafficked animal on Earth – was rescued from the clutches of poachers thanks to the swift action of dedicated wildlife authorities. Pangolins are relentlessly targeted for their scales and meat, and are now classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, facing constant threats from poaching, electric fences, and habitat destruction.

After his rescue, the pangolin received expert veterinary care to help him recover from his ordeal. Once strong enough to return to the wild, he was carefully fitted with a Rouxcel pangolin monitoring tag, allowing our team to follow his movements and ensure he safely readjusts to life back where he belongs. Over the coming months we will keep a close watch on his progress.

Moments like this remind us why the fight to protect wildlife matters so much. Every pangolin saved is a victory against the illegal wildlife trade.

But none of this would be possible without you.

Saving the Survivors receives 100% of its operational funding from supporters and donors, and it is your generosity that enables rescues, veterinary care, monitoring, and releases like this one.
Thank you for helping us give these shy, gentle, scaly survivors a second chance at life in the wild.

💛 Together, we can keep fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves.

02/03/2026

🦏 Rhino collaring at the Reserve

One of our longest-standing conservation partners, Insimbi Reserve, recently worked alongside our veterinary team for a vital collaring operation — an essential tool in protecting and monitoring rhinos on the ground.

Private reserves like Insimbi receive no government funding, which is why collaboration is so important. By providing specialised veterinary support, we help reduce the financial burden of these critical conservation efforts.

In this video, you’ll see a powerful moment during the cow’s recovery from anaesthesia — a reminder of the precision, experience and courage required in hands-on wildlife conservation.

We are 100% funded by donations, and none of this would be possible without you. 💚

To read the full story behind this operation, visit our website via the link in our bio.

02/03/2026

Collaring Rhinos at Insimbi Reserve 🦏

Recently, our veterinary team carried out a vital rhino collaring operation at the Insimbi Reserve — one of Saving The Survivors’ longest-standing and closest partners in rhino conservation.

A core part of our mission is to support reserves like Insimbi by providing specialised veterinary services for operations such as this. These procedures are essential for monitoring and protecting rhinos, yet they are costly — and reserves like Insimbi receive no governmental funding or support. It truly takes collective effort to ensure these animals remain safe.

At the end of this video, you’ll see a moment that highlights both the dedication and the risk involved in conservation work.

After administration of the drug reversal, a rhino will typically regain consciousness within 1–2 minutes. In this case, however, the cow was slow to fully recover. While her respiration and muscle tone improved, she required verbal and tactile encouragement to help her regain sternal positioning and eventually stand.

As Dr. Johan explains:

“Following administration of the drug reversal, a rhino normally wakes up after 1 to 2 minutes. However, this particular rhino cow needed some encouragement. Although respiration and muscle tone improved, she was initially slow to regain full postural strength, requiring verbal and tactile stimulation to encourage sternal positioning and standing. Assisting at this stage carries inherent risk, as a partially disoriented rhino can rise abruptly and unpredictably, with limited spatial awareness. However, close support during reversal is often critical to reduce the risk of ataxia, trauma, or prolonged recumbency, and to ensure a controlled, stable return to mobility.”

In those moments, Dr. Johan had to position himself close to a powerful, partially disoriented wild animal — a potentially dangerous situation. But with years of experience, he knows exactly where to stand, when to encourage, and when to step away to ensure both human and animal safety.

This is what hands-on conservation looks like.

A massive thank you to our supporters — we are 100% funded by donations, and without you, operations like this would not be possible. By standing with us, you are standing with reserves like Insimbi and helping secure a future for rhinos.

Together, we do what we can. 🦏💚

12/02/2026

What an emotional 24 hours it has been here at STS! 💚🦏

Back in 2016, our brave bull Seha survived the most brutal poaching attack we have ever seen a rhino endure — and survive. His strength, resilience and fighting spirit have inspired thousands around the world.

Since then, Seha has been living safely on a protected reserve alongside several cows, and we have always hoped that one day he would pass on his incredible genes.

Yesterday, we received concerning news from the reserve: one of the cows had not been seen for some time. As many of you know, when a rhino cow disappears it can mean one of two things — she may be in trouble… or she may be doing something very natural and very special. Rhino cows often isolate themselves when giving birth.

This morning, Dr. Johan picked up her tracks… and alongside them he found something extraordinary — the tiny tracks of a calf walking beside her! 🐾✨

Our rangers and Dr. Johan have returned to the bush to relocate the tracks and, hopefully, to confirm what we are all daring to believe.

If this is what we hope it is, it will mark an incredible new chapter — not only for Seha, but for conservation and for everyone who has supported his journey since 2016.

Please keep your fingers crossed for us. We will update you as soon as we know more.

Stay tuned… this could be amazing news! 💚🦏✨

26/01/2026