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 life-threatening eye infection.

Published on Feb. 23, 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. The team developed an unconventional plan to coax Thuza into a tight space, desensitize him to humans touching his face, and administer eye drops, ultimately 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 significant threats, so saving individual rhinos like Thuza is crucial for the species' conservation. The successful treatment of Thuza's eye infection helps ensure the future of a pilot program to reintroduce southern white rhinos to communal lands in Zimbabwe.

The details

The plan, developed by animal behaviorists Thad and Angi Lacinak of Precision Behavior, involved coaxing Thuza into a tight space with his favorite foods and then desensitizing him to humans touching and squirting water on his face. Within about a week, the team was able to administer eye drops directly to Thuza's eyes, and they later trained the local anti-poacher scouts to continue the treatment.

  • In August, the animal behaviorists traveled to Africa to help Thuza.
  • Within about a week, the team was able to start administering eye drops to Thuza.
  • By the end of two weeks, the team had trained the local anti-poacher scouts to continue Thuza's eye treatment.

The players

Angi Lacinak

One of the founders of Precision Behavior, an animal behaviorist who partnered with the Palm Beach Zoo to travel to Africa and develop the plan to save Thuza's eyesight.

Daniel Terblanche

A security manager with Imvelo Safari Lodges, the company that manages the Community Rhino Conservation Initiative program in Zimbabwe.

Margo McKnight

The CEO and President of the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society, who visited the area and was informed about Thuza's eye health scare.

Mark Butcher

The managing director of Imvelo Safari Lodges, who told Margo McKnight about Thuza's eye issues that could jeopardize the rhino reintroduction program.

Thuza

The endangered male white rhino in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park whose life-threatening eye infection was successfully treated thanks to the efforts of the Palm Beach Zoo team.

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What they’re saying

“Believe me, we didn't think of it; it was a completely ridiculous idea to us. But without trying all of the things that we could to rectify that situation, we would have been in trouble, I think.”

— 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 administering eye drops to Thuza and the other rhinos in the conservation program to ensure their eye health and survival.

The takeaway

This successful collaboration between a Florida zoo and a conservation initiative in Zimbabwe demonstrates the power of innovative, unconventional approaches to save endangered species. The 'ridiculous' plan developed by the animal behaviorists ultimately saved a critical rhino's eyesight and helps secure the future of the rhino reintroduction program in Africa.