A group of grandmothers from the UK have made a heartwarming gesture to help a baby rhino recover. The grannies from Teesside have sent a knitted handmade blanket to Africa to help a baby rhino get better after it was attacked by hyenas.
The rhinoceros was rescued by an animal sanctuary in South Africa after sustaining fractures, crush injuries, and infected wounds during a hyena attack.
Residents of Hazelgrove Court Care Home, located in the Victorian seaside town of Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire, collaborated to create a colourful quilt for three-week-old Hercules.
These were transported over 5,000 miles to the Care For Wild Rhino Sanctuary located in the Barberton Nature Reserve in Mpumalanga province.
The care home’s “Knitting Nannas” group took many months producing several blankets for the charity Blankets for Baby Rhinos.
Betty Wood, 100, who was born in Durban, South Africa and later moved to Britain after the Second World War said she had “done something for my home country” by taking part in the project.
Liz Conroy, one of the trustees of the charity, said she hoped more people would help “in protecting this critically endangered species”.
She said: “We welcome knitters, crocheters and crafters to produce items that we can use as donations and The Knitting Nannas from Hazelgrove Court Care Home were kind enough to get involved.”
“Their donations are really helping with the care and recovery of orphaned baby rhinos in South Africa, including little Hercules, so we thank them for their support and hope others will be encouraged to join us in protecting this critically endangered species.”
The Knitting Nannas have previously crafted poppies and soldiers to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
They have also made therapy animals for care home residents with dementia and knitted woolly owls to support fundraising efforts for the charity Versus Arthritis.
