Florida Conservationists Save Endangered African Rhino's Vision

Experts use innovative techniques to treat life-threatening eye infection in Zimbabwe

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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Animal behaviorists from the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society traveled to Zimbabwe to help an endangered white rhino named Thuza who was suffering from a severe, parasitic eye infection that threatened his vision and survival. Working with local anti-poaching scouts, they developed a plan to desensitize Thuza to human interaction and successfully administer daily eye drops, ultimately saving his eyesight.

Why it matters

The southern white rhino is listed as near threatened, with only around 16,000 remaining in the wild. Poaching and habitat loss pose major threats to the species, so preserving the health and vision of individual rhinos like Thuza is crucial to the overall conservation effort in Africa.

The details

The team from Palm Beach Zoo, led by Angi and Thad Lacinak of Precision Behavior, traveled to Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park to work with the Community Rhino Conservation Initiative and Imvelo Safari Lodges. They developed a plan to coax Thuza into a confined space using his favorite foods, then gradually desensitize him to having his face touched and eye drops applied. Within about a week, they were able to successfully administer the eye medication, and they later trained the local anti-poaching scouts to continue the treatment.

  • In August 2025, the Palm Beach Zoo team traveled to Zimbabwe to assist Thuza.
  • Within about a week, the team was able to start administering the necessary eye drops to Thuza.

The players

Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society

A zoo and conservation organization based in Palm Beach, Florida that partnered with local groups in Zimbabwe to help save an endangered white rhino.

Angi and Thad Lacinak

Founders of Precision Behavior, an animal behavior consulting firm, who traveled to Zimbabwe to work with the local team on desensitizing the rhino to treatment.

Daniel Terblanche

A security manager with Imvelo Safari Lodges in Zimbabwe who helped implement the eye drop treatment plan for the endangered rhino.

Community Rhino Conservation Initiative

A local conservation group in Zimbabwe that is working to reintroduce southern white rhinos to communal lands.

Imvelo Safari Lodges

A safari company in Zimbabwe that supported the conservation efforts for the endangered white rhino.

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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 (Associated Press)

“With this few animals in this location in Africa, it was essential that we save all of them.”

— Angi Lacinak, Co-founder, Precision Behavior (Associated Press)

What’s next

The local anti-poaching scouts will continue administering the necessary eye drops to Thuza and the other rhinos in the conservation program to ensure their vision and health remains protected.

The takeaway

This collaborative effort between U.S. and Zimbabwean conservation groups demonstrates the importance of innovative, hands-on approaches to saving endangered species like the southern white rhino, which face multiple threats to their survival in the wild.