Florida Zoo's 'Ridiculous' Plan Saves Wild Rhino's Eyesight in Africa

Animal behaviorists partner with Palm Beach Zoo to treat endangered white rhino with parasitic eye infection

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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Animal behaviorists from the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society in Florida traveled to Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park to help an endangered white rhino named Thuza who was suffering from a life-threatening, parasitic eye infection. Using techniques developed at the zoo, the team was able to coax Thuza into a tight space, desensitize him to humans touching his face, and successfully administer eye drops to treat the infection, saving his eyesight.

Why it matters

The southern white rhino is listed as near threatened, with only around 16,000 animals living in the wild. Poaching and habitat loss remain major threats, so saving individual rhinos like Thuza is crucial to the conservation of the species. The successful treatment of Thuza's eye infection also helps ensure the future of a rhino reintroduction program in Zimbabwe that aims to establish new populations on communal lands.

The details

The plan to treat Thuza's eye infection was developed by animal behaviorists Thad and Angi Lacinak of Precision Behavior, who partnered with the Palm Beach Zoo. They traveled to Zimbabwe and worked with local anti-poacher scouts to coax Thuza into a tight space using his favorite foods, then desensitize him to humans touching and spraying water on his face. Within about a week, they were able to administer the necessary eye drops, and by the end of two weeks, they had trained the local scouts to continue the treatment.

  • In August, animal behaviorists from the Palm Beach Zoo traveled to Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park.
  • Within about a week, the team was able to start administering eye drops to the rhino named Thuza.
  • By the end of two weeks, the team had trained local anti-poacher scouts to continue the daily eye drop treatment.

The players

Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society

A zoo and conservation organization in Florida that partnered with animal behaviorists to develop a plan to treat an endangered white rhino in Zimbabwe.

Thad and Angi Lacinak

Founders of Precision Behavior, an animal behavior consulting firm, who traveled to Zimbabwe and worked with the Palm Beach Zoo to develop the plan to treat the rhino's eye infection.

Thuza

An endangered white rhino living in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park who was suffering from a life-threatening, parasitic eye infection.

Community Rhino Conservation Initiative

A program that engages local communities in Zimbabwe to reintroduce southern white rhinos to communal lands.

Imvelo Safari Lodges

A safari company in Zimbabwe that supports the Community Rhino Conservation Initiative and alerted the Palm Beach Zoo about Thuza's eye infection.

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What they’re saying

“Believe me, we didn't think of it; it was a completely ridiculous idea to us.”

— Daniel Terblanche, Security Manager, Imvelo Safari Lodges

“This rhino had bleeding eyes. He was rubbing his eyes. And I was looking at a potential where this guy was gonna lose his eyesight. And this is in a pilot project that's got fantastic vision for a future for conservation throughout Africa.”

— Mark Butcher, Managing Director, Imvelo Safari Lodges

“With this few animals in this location in Africa, it was essential that we save all of them. So when they called and said, Thuza is going to lose his eye, a blind rhino is a dead rhino. So no matter what it took, we were going to go over there and try.”

— Angi Lacinak, Co-Founder, Precision Behavior

What’s next

The local anti-poacher scouts will continue to administer the necessary eye drops to Thuza on a daily basis to ensure his full recovery and protect his eyesight.

The takeaway

This successful collaboration between a Florida zoo and conservation partners in Africa demonstrates the power of innovative, cross-border solutions to save endangered species like the southern white rhino, which face multiple threats to their survival in the wild.