Volume 65 December 2026-January 2026 : Feature

Article: Calviniah Kgautlhe

Photos: Felicity Male

His charm is irresistible. For him it comes with ease to take center stage and mesmerize millions of his wild safari fanatics who, more often than not, are enveloped in awe.

A glimpse of him is enough to arouse one`s curiosity and lift one`s spirits. An even closer gaze would fill you with outmost contentment; after all he is Noddy the hand raised black rhinoceros.

He struts his massive, heavy body structure about in the striking wilderness of the Khama Rhino Sanctuary which prides itself in affluence of pristine flora and fauna.

The spectacle in the mold of Noddy in a wilderness patch in Serowe areas is a representation of rare and endangered black rhinoceros species worldwide.

His powerful magnetic presence can easily submerge all of your senses and abruptly grab attention stirring an aura of delight.

This wild animal knows the shot of a camera as he stops and seems to relish it when tourists stop and admire his make, as if he knows, poses for photos to the satisfaction of those who pay for him to be preserved - tourists.

Unlike other rhinos, he takes his drink by the pool side. The pool is covered with canvass but a small opening has been left specifically for him, and if the wind closes the opening, Noddy knows how to deftly lift the canvass with his ivory to quench his thirst.

The 18-year old endangered species was originally from Zimbabwe and was brought to Botswana in 2007 at the age of 12. He comes across as a sociable animal ‘who` loves human company. He frequents camping sites a lot, in fact he literally stays there.

This is not surprising, says Moremi Tjibae, a chief Warden at Khama Rhino Sanctuary. “He was hand raised from Zimbabwe and is an easily adjustable animal. At some point black rhinos were almost nonexistent - facing extinction in Botswana and Noddy came as a gift to Botswana to preserve black rhinoceros species which is scarce throughout the world.”

Although Noddy is the most popular in the sanctuary for his likable, sociable attribute, there is Chinga, a female black rhino also from Zimbabwe who joined Khama Rhino Sanctuary in 2001. Tjibae says she was also hand raised to counter the threat of black rhinoceros extinction in Botswana.

Khama Rhino Sanctuary currently has only four black rhinos and 42 white rhinos which is not enough.

“The endangered black rhino by nature is a browser that feeds from trees while the white rhino is a grazer and these are some of the simplest differences,” adds Tjibae as he draws the distinctions between the two species.

“Now due to rarity of the black rhino, their monetary value is high - over P300 000 would get you a black rhino while a white rhino would cost around P120 000,” says the chief warden demonstrating the high premium placed on the animal.

Bogolo Garebatho, a tour guide at Khama Rhino Sanctuary cannot hide her excitement at the mention of Noddy. Her face quickly lights up when she shares her experiences with Noddy. “We live in the wilderness, and Noddy at times shows up at our apartment and moves about, I enjoy his company but I am careful because, although he was raised differently he remains a wild animal with a potential of charging anytime and pose serious danger,” reckons Garebatho.

She hastens to quip that during the initial months when the ‘new kid on the block` was being familiarized with his new home-Khama Rhino Sanctuary from Zim, he used to smash the restaurant glass walls upon seeing his reflection on the walls.

“The angry beast would charge at his image on the glass walls, we would them replace them. Interestingly he gradually got used to his image and stopped breaking them,” Bogolo shares with a wide beam on her face.

She says Noddy and Chinga have sired two black rhinoceros offsprings in the past and are now expecting a third. Given the success of the birth, the development will bring the population of black rhinos to five at the sanctuary.

They will enjoy the recent expansion of the sanctuary from an initially 4 300 to 8 600 hectares of the Kalahari Sandveld to accommodate the growing population of rhinos, according to the sanctuary's webpage.

And away from fast, urban, cosmopolitan life, the place offers a natural atmosphere that never ceases to amaze harbouring other wildlife such as the symbolic zebra, giraffe, Eland, springboks, warthogs, leopards to mention but a few.

Surely Noddy is a marvel to look out for- a friendly black rhinoceros species. ENDS

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