SPECIAL RECOGNITION
BLANKETS FOR BABY RHINOS
Craft conservation group supports wildlife orphanages and anti-poaching units by supplying them with knitted blankets.
Tiny baby rhinos and other wildlife orphans are being helped to recover and stay warm thanks to a remarkable initiative launched in Britain.
Vet Elisa Best heard from friends in South Africa how baby rhinos arriving at animal orphanages were terrified, traumatised and often hypothermic due to the cold.
Together with a friend she launched an appeal on Facebook in 2016 for knitted squares in order to make blankets, but instead they found themselves inundated with a number of beautiful colourful blankets from all over the world.
Elisa, from Monmouth, says: “I was overwhelmed by the talent and good will. We soon had more than we needed for rhinos so branched out to other species.
“We have donated over 2,000 handmade blankets since we started. We also make beanies, scarves and gloves for those out on patrol.
“The rangers in particular are touched to receive handmade goods often from very far away, many of them may never have left their local area, let alone the country and it means a great deal that someone on the other side of the world is thinking of them and grateful for what they do.”