Animal lover dedicates her life to rhinos after becoming a mum to orphaned calf

AN animal lover has dedicated her life to rhinos after becoming a mum to an orphaned calf in Africa.

Erin Prigmore said her life changed when she was asked to care for tiny rhino Dela at the Moholoholo Rehab Centre, in South Africa.

Erin, 25, hand-reared the heavyweight baby and even slept in the pen with her every night.

Like many other families, she has hours of home videos of her and Dela playing together as she was growing up.

However, tragically Erin’s world was ripped apart when Dela died last year.

Now, she has vowed to dedicate her life to caring for the massive animals and said she will never forget the calf she thought of as a daughter.

Erin said: “We had a proper bond. It was like she was my child.

“I spent 24 hours a day with her when she first arrived to get that bond with her. I became her mother.”

Erin has always been passionate about animals and was accepted on to a volunteer programme at the centre in 2008 when she was 18.

She eventually was taken on as a permanent member of staff, although her passion for rhinos was truly cemented in 2010 when Dela arrived.

The orphan, who was still just a calf, had been stuck in thick mud for three days at Kruger National Park one of the largest safaris in South Africa.

She was alone, dehydrated and hurt.

Over the next two and a half years, Erin spent almost every minute of the day with the wide-eyed calf, feeding, teaching and caring for her.

She has hours of footage of Dela at the centre.

In one touching clip, Erin jumps and prances around, with little Dela jumping around after her.

She also has videos of the pair of them tucked up for the night on a bed of straw with blankets covering them.

Homesick Erin, who’s from North Berwick, came back to Britain in 2012.

When she returned to the centre in 2013, she was worried her adopted daughter might not recognise her.

However, footage shows the heartwarming moment Dela spotted Erin in the distance and galloped over to be reunited with her.

Sadly, the happy memories became bittersweet when Dela died last year.

Erin, who now works as a keeper at Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire, said she will never forget Dela.

In her memory, she raised almost £2,500 for The Rhino Orphanage in South Africa, which is currently caring for around 12 babies.

To raise the money Erin shaved off her hair on World Rhino Day on September 22.

She said: “Hair is a good symbol because it’s made out of the same material as rhino horn.”

Maggie Robin who, with her husband Andy, raised famous Scottish bear Hercules in their home as a member of their family said she could understand how Erin felt about Dela.

She said: “It must be so devastating for Erin.

“My heart goes out to her.”