Big Ben’s Battle Scars:
An Unusual Treatment for an Extraordinary Patient
Life for a dominant bull rhino is rarely peaceful.
For Big Ben, one of the area’s largest and most powerful white rhinos, a recent territorial dispute left him with a significant facial wound. Like many mature bulls, Big Ben regularly encounters rivals competing for territory, breeding rights, and dominance. While these encounters are a natural part of rhino behaviour, they can sometimes result in serious injuries.
When the Saving the Survivors veterinary team located Big Ben, it was immediately apparent that the wound required intervention. Situated on the side of his face, the injury was deep and vulnerable to contamination, infection, and further trauma. Left untreated, wounds of this nature can deteriorate rapidly, particularly in an environment where dust, mud, vegetation, and insects are constant challenges.
After safely immobilising Big Ben, Dr Johan Marais and the team carefully assessed the injury. The wound was thoroughly cleaned, all damaged and contaminated tissue was removed, and a treatment plan was put in place to give the rhino the best possible chance of a successful recovery.
What followed may appear unusual to those unfamiliar with wildlife veterinary medicine.
Rather than applying conventional bandages or dressings, the team used a combination of medical-grade Manuka honey and a specially prepared leather patch. The leather was then secured directly over the wound using screws.
At first glance, this approach may seem extreme, but treating a two-tonne wild rhino presents unique challenges that simply do not exist in domestic animals or humans.
A rhino’s skin is incredibly thick, and the forces exerted on its head and face are immense. Every day, rhinos push through dense vegetation, rub against trees, wallow in mud, and engage in normal social and territorial behaviours. Traditional wound dressings would be removed almost immediately. The screws provide the only reliable method of keeping the protective covering in place long enough for healing to occur.
The choice of materials is equally important.
Manuka honey has long been recognised for its natural antibacterial and antiseptic properties. It helps reduce infection, promotes the growth of healthy tissue, and creates an environment conducive to wound healing.
The leather patch serves multiple functions. It provides durable protection against further injury, shields the wound from environmental contamination, and naturally helps maintain optimal moisture conditions beneath the dressing. This balance is crucial for encouraging healthy tissue regeneration.
Over time, as the wound heals and the underlying tissue strengthens, the screws gradually loosen and eventually fall out on their own. No further intervention is usually required.
The final photographs tell the story better than words ever could. Where there was once a deep, open wound, there is now healthy healed tissue. Big Ben has recovered well and has returned to his normal life in the wild.
Cases such as Big Ben’s highlight the innovative approaches often required in wildlife medicine. Every species presents its own challenges, and every patient requires solutions tailored to its biology, behaviour, and environment.
For the Saving the Survivors team, success is measured not simply by treating an injury, but by ensuring that an animal can return to the wild and continue playing its role in the ecosystem.
Big Ben’s recovery is another reminder that conservation medicine is as much about creativity and adaptability as it is about veterinary expertise.
Another rhino healed. Another life protected.
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