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When 8-year-old Hunter Mitchell heard the story of Osita, the orphaned baby rhino at Acquila Private Game Reserve in South Africa, he wanted to do something to help. Hunter created a crowdfunding project to pay for Osita’s care. He spread the word far and wide, delivering talks to school children, businesses and even the police! He also launched a rhino sock collection that was sold at the park shops in Kruger National Park, with all the profits going to charity.
Hunter also visited the rhino sanctuary regularly to check where his money was going and how Osita was doing. He fed Osita his bottle of milk, took him for a little walk and bathed him in mud. One visit, Hunter noticed that Osita seemed overly energetic and guessed it was because he had grown but was still living in a small area. Hunter raised more money and asked for it to be used to build Osita a bigger living area. On Hunter’s next visit, Osita was calm again.
After years of hard work, Osita was successfully released back into the wild. Hunter felt a huge sense of pride and reward. And people around the world recognised his efforts too. In fact, in July 2021, Hunter was awarded the Diana Award, given to ‘outstanding young people selflessly creating and sustaining positive social change.’ It was then Hunter knew he needed to continue helping other orphaned and injured rhinos around South Africa.
Hunter wants to make sure rhinos are looked after so future generations can enjoy them too. He says, ‘We as kids are the future of our planet, and we need to stand up now and make a difference before it’s too late. I don’t want to grow up without the privilege of having these amazing animals in my future, or my children to grow up without ever seeing them in the wild.’
