FINALLY INTERNET

Hello everyone! I finally have internet...slow and limited but its internet! I am not the most technological person here on this planet, but I have to say I have never been so excited for simple internet.

Thanks dad for posting and keeping everyone updated as best as you could since our communication hasn't been the best either.

I want to first say I have completely fallen in love.  He is a black rhino, which is a rare species of rhino and are very close to extinction, but to top it off he is a even more rare subspecies Bicornis bicornis. He is a desert black rhino. He is from a herd with an abundant amount of bulls. This caused his mother's milk to dry up, forcing him to fend for himself and eat anything he can...which mostly was sand. This caused a rectal prolapse...someone called an said that there was a baby rhino roaming by himself with something hanging from his bum. When they brought him back he continued to prolapse 2 more times. He now a sutures to hold his rectum in. He has learned  when he defecates (poof,poo in Africaans) to bring it back in. Without the sutures though it wouldn't stay in.

This precious boy takes 24 hour care. Three of us, Arrie's (who actually is my boss) wife, Alana (another girl from America who is amazing) and I rotate 12 hour shifts. Karen, who is actually a famous wildlife expert here in South Africa comes during the day to help out. These people are fantastic. I can not express it enough. Their love for animals, especial this  Swart Rhinosteer (black Rhino in Africaans...which i may be spelling wrong) is truly amazing. We have become great friends, and also have made some others here at the animal hospital. Rita, oh my...she is so hilarious. She seriously cracks me up. She is so sweet but will rag you so hard and I love it. She has taught me so much about this amazing country's culture and some Africaans. She, as well as all the others, get a big hoot at us silly americans trying to say their words. Also, Sunai who is amazing as well, Marsha, Steven, Sharlene, Gustav, Johan, and many more. All these people are either vets or studying to be one.

         Me, Rita, Sunai, and Alana. Rita and Sunai took us to lunch for a nice break! Buy one get one free rib burgers(they LOVE meat here, chips(fries) and onion rings

                                                       Chris and Joanne's Company

                            Roamy, The Rhino Force Rhino that travels the country, the gave me a mini one

                                                Chris, Me, and Joanne (sweetest people)

                                                    One of my legs after only 2 days

The Rhino is a big star here. Everyone is so interested in him, as they should be. He is unbelievable. Black Rhino are known for their aggression...our shins can prove it. One moment he's laying there, with his head on your lap while you stroke him and the next he gets up and starts ramming you with this little, yet hard and extremely valuable, horn. He always seems to find the same spots. My shins are seriously black and blue. He pitches some royal fits. Ha. He has now discovered that even though he is only 3 months that he could easily take us...ANA(ouch). That all I can say to describe it. He has bent the gate trying to escape. People say that rhino are not the most intelligent animals. That may be...but this guy is pretty smart.
Despite the exhaustion, sore body, the retched smell of his poof, he is the most amazing creature. (I'm tearing up typing this...so silly) He has been through so much. Taken from his mother, been through and still suffering with pain, colic, and just utter discomfort. He's a fighter. The little noise he makes, the consistant urge to be near someone as he sleeps and the beautiful and hilarious personality has stolen my heart. I wish I could share the millions of pictures and videos I have of him, but due to the disgusting, scum of the earth poachers I can not right now. It might give away his location, but soon hopefully they said I can have clearance, once we are away from this hospital I will be able to post them.

Now, Its hard to post all of this in one post, but I'll continue to post things regularly now that I can. Its hard to type this past 2 weeks in one sitting. But I must share a story...as you know I was without luggage for a while. Bad luck. In this past week, I have had urine splashed in my face so many times, poof all over me, applied local anesthetic to his poor bum, had internet and calling troubles, having to rewear clothes that have poof and urine all over it again and again, gone into the lions food freezer with dead animals(Zebras,sorry Meghan, Kudu, baby and adult Vlakvark, and much much more), stayed in this hospital with poor crying little puppies and kitties, horses, lambs, and squealing pigs with disturbing injuries...if I had any sort of a queasy stomach its now completely gone. But the past 2 days has really taken the cake. So two days ago, on Tuesday night we came to find the water wasn't working. I have honey, urine and poof all over me...but I can't take a shower. I go to bed anyway and wake up to shower...Alana was able to get a little bit of water, but me...NONE! So wednesday, I'm going along with no shower waiting to hear that the waters back on so I can remove this stinky nasty off me...but nope, no water...a pipe had busted. I had the night shift on Wednesday night so I had to stay with him during the night. So now I have double stank all over me. I  get a text from Arrie's wife saying the water was back on at 9pm...I couldn't leave the Rhino so I said that Ill just take one in the morning after my shift is over at 7am. She arrives at 7 saying that she thinks my shower is on...she heard the water running from my room. I was like oh great, but looked on the bright side and thought, well the shower is just waiting on me...I was sadly wrong. When I get back, I open my door...the shower decided to clean my entire room and all my clothes. The steam from the shower...which I guess was on full blast heat for 12 hours, has soaked the floor, the walls, the ceiling, the counters, my bed and all my clothes. I heard a knock at the door, a cleaning lady was there. WHen I opened the door, the fire alarm in the entire building started going off. She said "what is going on, water is running down the outside of the building." I explained everything to her, removed everything from my room into dear sweet sleepy Alana's room where I am now...still stinky. Don't know if I will have to get another room or what but geez. This kind of stuff only happens to me. I am now waiting on the alarm to stop ringing, a new towel to be brought to me so I can finally take a much needed shower in Alana'a shower. And to think I was going to come back, shower and take a nice nap...nope God had a different plan...I can't help but laugh at it now, smelling myself.

Thank you all for being patient and will post more soon. Im going to try to post other pictures soon. Thank you all and I miss you all very much. Biye Danke! (Many Thanks)  Leke Dag! (have a nice day)

ps. keep in mind I may be  spelling these Afrikaans words wrong, I know how to say them but I have not had a need to type them, so bear with me.

                                                Naughty Monkey stealing food at Arrie's wild animal farm

                                           Joanne took me to get my nails done before going to the bush

                                         Chris and Joanne's Siamese Cat

                                      Sweet Molly, Chris and Joanne's Golden

                                            Buffel-Buffalo

                                             Vlarkvarka-warthogs

                                             Kudu skull-one of the lion's kill

                                        Mommy and baby White rhino

If you have any questions just comment!

Cheers!