- Neni, huge 330-stone rhino, tries to snuggle up to wildlife park manager
- The footage was captured in the Limpopo Province in South Africa
- The orphanage is the first dedicated centre that cares for rhinos
This is the hilarious moment a huge rhino tried to clamber onto its keeper’s lap.
Jamie Traynor, a manager at the rhino orphanage in South Africa, sat down beside one rhino only for another to try and rest its head on her lap.
Video footage shows the playful rhinoceros trying to sit on Jamie’s lap as she laughs and gives it a cuddle.
Neni a 330-stone rhino, tries to sit on park manager Jamie Traynor’s lap
The Rhino Orphanage is a registered non-profit company based in the Limpopo Province and was founded by Arrie van Deventer in 2012.
The orphanage is the first specialist, dedicated, non-commercial centre that cares for orphaned and injured baby rhinos with the aim of releasing them back into the wild.
Jamie, 23, said: ‘The three rhinos in this video arrived at The Rhino Orphanage last year after their mothers were killed by poachers for their horns.
The 23-year-old and the rhinos have a close bond
‘They have all had very different journeys since their arrival but they now have formed a very close bond with each other which will help them continue with their rehabilitation.
‘ When the orphans at our facility are very young we become their surrogate moms which includes sleeping by their side, milk feeds every few hours and accompanying them out for walks in the bush.
‘In this video I was out for a walk with Neni, Nandi and Thula and they decided to stop for a quick a quick nap or in Neni’s case, a belly rub!
‘The rhinos become very comfortable with us during their rehabilitation but human contact is also very strictly controlled to ensure that the rhinos can be released when they are ready.
‘Thula decided that it was time to take a nap so I sat down next to her. Neni then decided to come over and ask for a belly rub which he loves so much that he often lies down and rolls over like a dog for me to continue with the belly rub.
‘Nandi also came over to join the group and ended up lying down, putting me in the middle of all three.’
Jamie receives sloppy kisses from another young playful rhino at the orphanage
Jamie feeds one of the young rhinos. Their parents were killed by poachers for their horns
Mouthful: Jamie and Neni take a selfie as he eats grass