Whenever one takes on an orphaned rhino, one can expect a roller-coaster of highs and lows, for the life of such ancient, territorial creatures is complex and filled with possible pitfalls. Our orphaned rhino “Shida”, who up until now has led a healthy and charmed existence, integrating peacefully into the resident wild community of Nairobi National Park, now proves to be no exception. Just after the New Year he appeared with part of his bowel protruding from the rectum – in Veterinary terms “a prolapsed mucosa of the rectum”, and this put an enormous dampener on everyone’s spirits this New Year, since it was so unexpected. Having been the epitome of health, and, if anything, over-weight just a few days previously, suddenly he looked very different and almost skeletal.On Shida's belly was a long cut, suggesting that he had been involved in a fight with an opponent rhino, and possibly suffered a severe blow that could possibly have been the cause of this problem,and the very rapid subsequent loss of weight.