A este bebé rinoceronte negro le encanta envolverse en su mantita… ¡Hasta que llega la hora de comer!

Kitui es un bebé rinoceronte negro que adora envolverse en su mantita naranja. Así que cada noche, después de pasar el día jugando con otros bebés rinoceronte en el Centro de conservación de vida salvaje Lewa, en Kenia, Kitui vuelve a su cama y se mete debajo de ella. Kitui llegó a Lewa porque su madre ciega fue incapaz de proteger a sus anteriores bebés de los depredadores. Por este motivo, se quedará aquí hasta que tenga tres o cuatro años, una vez esté listo para regresar a la vida salvaje. Por el momento, tiene el amor y cuidados del personal de Lewa… ¡Y también su manta favorita!

Conoce a Kitui, un raro ejemplar de bebé rinoceronte negro que vive en Kenia.

 

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 Jan 28, 2016 at 8:48pm PST

La madre ciega de Kitui no pudo proteger a sus bebés de los depredadores, así que Kitui está siendo criado en el Centro de conservación de vida salvaje Lewa. Su mamá adoptive es Elías.

 

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 Oct 4, 2015 at 7:31am PDT

Kitui pasa los días jugando con amigos como Nicky, quien también aparece en la fotografía de abajo.

 

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 Mar 3, 2016 at 7:57am PST

 

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 Dec 27, 2015 at 11:04am PST

Pero al final del día, Kitui regresa a la comodidad de su corral y su manta naranja.

 

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 Aug 12, 2015 at 7:52am PDT

Kitui duerme junto a la puerta de sus cuidadores, quien le vigilan por la noche y le traen algo para comer.

Wanjiku Kinuthia, de Lewa, dijo a The Dodo: “Kitui es uno de los 640 rinocerontes negros amenazados que quedan en Kenia. Cada individuo cuenta a la hora de asegurar la supervivencia de la especie.

 

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 Nov 12, 2015 at 3:11am PST

Cuando Kitui tenga 3 o 4 años de edad será liberado de nuevo en un entorno salvaje. Hasta entonces se le da todo lo que necesita para que crezca sano y fuerte.

 

«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 Feb 20, 2016 at 10:54pm PST

Aprende más sobre los rinocerontes negros y el trabajo que Lewa hace por ellos en su página de internet.

Si estás feliz de ver cómo cuidan tan bien a Kitui, por favor, comparte esta historia con tus amigos de Facebook y genera conciencia de la situación que enfrentan estos animales en p
eligro de extinción.