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Conservationists in Kenya are on a 24-hour watch to save a baby black rhino who was born blind.

The rhino, nicknamed Max, was rejected by its mother for its blindness, and volunteers are now spending hours, and thousands of pounds, attempting to ensure the rare creature’s survival.

Volunteer Victor Matumah said: ‘It’s very rare for a black rhino to be completely blind. In fact, we’ve never had one before. The keepers were out on the reserve one day and heard these cries. When they found him at first they hoped his mother would come back.

Max, 19 months old, is fed 30 pints a day of Lactogen milk, an extremely expensive formula which is paid for by the British Airways community program. He is being cared for by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya, famous for their role in BBC’s The Elephant Diaries.

The Trust plans to help Max live a full life by building him a special pen. The one square mile area will be fenced in to allow him to run around and play safely.

Black rhinos are a highly endangered species, with an estimated wild population of around 2,700. They’ve lost 96% of their population since 1970, mostly due to poaching.

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