Video: Vets save rhino with tire stuck holding his muzzle shut

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White Rhino Mark freed from ...wait for it ... a car tyre!

White rhino Mark found himself in a real pickle today when he got this car tyre stuck round his snout. At first rangers thought he'd be able to dislodge it himself but as he continued to thrash around in frustration it became apparent the tyre was firmly stuck behind his front horn stub. The muscles that open your mouth are much weaker than the muscles which close your mouth, since they usually have the help of gravity, so no amount of straining was going to enlarge the tyre's central hole. Mark's mouth was bound firmly shut and he couldn't eat or drink. Rangers then alerted AWARE Trust vets Keith and Lisa. When we took the phone call, we wasted no time in packing up our kit and racing out to the Park - 1,5 hours away. We found Mark, the dominant bull, lying close to his girlfriends, looking decidedly dejected and exhausted from his ordeal on this scorching hot day. A dart was quickly placed, and a few minutes later he was down. Fortunately the tyre came off in a few minutes with man power, and we did not have to resort to cutting through it. Eleven minutes later he was antidoted and grazing again as if nothing had happened. With the drought at its zenith, the Lake has receded a lot and pollutants such as nets and tyres are washing up all the time. Mark obviously fancied some vegetation that was growing right in the center of the tyre, and once he stuck his nose to the ground to grasp it, the tyre came up over his horn stub. Forgive the amateur footage! We can only do this work with assistance from the public. Without funds, we cannot react. Please help our wildlife rescues by donating. https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=MAK77S3Z68K9Q

Posted by Aware Trust Zimbabwe on Saturday, October 15, 2016

Matt Jaworowski, Media General National Desk – App users can watch the video here.

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(MEDIA GENERAL) – A white rhino is breathing easier tonight, both figuratively and literally, after veterinarians stepped in to save him last weekend.

According to Aware Trust Zimbabwe, a veterinary conservation group, park rangers found a white rhino, Mark, with a tire stuck on his front horn. The tire was wedged in place so tightly that he couldn't open his mouth to eat or drink.

Veterinarians with the group immediately dispatched to the area and, after sedating him with tranquilizers, were able to free the tire from his snout.

According to Aware Trust Zimbabwe, a drought has caused watering holes to recede and expose pollutants, such as "nets and tires," to animals.