Rupert

[Botch]

Watched an unfamiliar series on PBS tonight, My Wild Affair. The series is about animal attachment to humans, and vice-versa. Tonight's episode was about an adopted black rhino by a family in old Rhodesia. His name was Rupert, and the story had a lot of great (I'm guessing Super-8) video footage of this small rhino growing up in a family of six hoomans and a dog, and then Dad realizing that a playful head-butt by a 500-lb "puppy" was more serious than from a 50-pounder.
They released him into a compound in Africa, being adopted by an older rhino (4-years, they're fully grown at 7) and released into the wild. The family visited him, once, after two years; Rupert remembered them. He died in the wild soon after, and the show ended without knowing if it was a natural cause, or a loss of his hoomans.
Sad ending but fascinating regardless. Babs you'd love this show.

 

[mcad64]

Watched an unfamiliar series on PBS tonight, My Wild Affair. The series is about animal attachment to humans, and vice-versa. Tonight's episode was about an adopted black rhino by a family in old Rhodesia. His name was Rupert, and the story had a lot of great (I'm guessing Super-8) video footage of this small rhino growing up in a family of six hoomans and a dog, and then Dad realizing that a playful head-butt by a 500-lb "puppy" was more serious than from a 50-pounder.
They released him into a compound in Africa, being adopted by an older rhino (4-years, they're fully grown at 7) and released into the wild. The family visited him, once, after two years; Rupert remembered them. He died in the wild soon after, and the show ended without knowing if it was a natural cause, or a loss of his hoomans.
Sad ending but fascinating regardless. Babs you'd love this show.

I just caught the tail end of that show. They were showing him with the young rhino. Looked adorable. HOWEVER, did you catch the show after that one? It was called wild sex!! About reproductive strategies of various marsupials, such as the Kangaroo and Koala Bear. The one that freaked me out was the Echidna with the 4 headed penis!! :scared-eek: I like PBS, they show some weird shyt on that station.
Mike

 

[Babs]

Watched an unfamiliar series on PBS tonight, My Wild Affair. The series is about animal attachment to humans, and vice-versa. Tonight's episode was about an adopted black rhino by a family in old Rhodesia. His name was Rupert, and the story had a lot of great (I'm guessing Super-8) video footage of this small rhino growing up in a family of six hoomans and a dog, and then Dad realizing that a playful head-butt by a 500-lb "puppy" was more serious than from a 50-pounder.
They released him into a compound in Africa, being adopted by an older rhino (4-years, they're fully grown at 7) and released into the wild. The family visited him, once, after two years; Rupert remembered them. He died in the wild soon after, and the show ended without knowing if it was a natural cause, or a loss of his hoomans.
Sad ending but fascinating regardless. Babs you'd love this show.

YES!!!! Babs will be checking this out quite often. I watch very little on TV, but, when I saw your comment, Botch, I decided to check it out. Viewed the entire Rupert story on my iPad. Awesome, incredible & amazing! I was a puddle by the end. Thanks for the share. :happy-smileygiantred:

I totally agree that he may have died of stress, and maybe even a broken heart. The Condy family went above and beyond to do right by him. I salute them! Also, John's comment at the end. "How could you kill this beautiful creature"? In the late sixties, there were over 70,000 black rhinos, now, there are less than 5,000. Leave them be, learn from them, but let them be free and carry on!