The staff form the tarp into Torgamba’s own personal tub

Notes From The Field: How Do You Make a Rhino Footbath in the Jungle?
by Robin W. Radcliffe, DVM, DACZM

To help treat Torgamba the SRS staff combined traditional veterinary medical techniques with ingenious practical solutions.

Treatment consisted of careful cleaning of his feet, removal of dead tissues, topical application of medicines to the foot, foot bandages, and a unique rhinoceros footbath using nothing more than a blue nylon tarp. Sometimes the most useful things are both inexpensive and readily available! The blue tarp was utilized to provide shade for Trogamba (a critical need for Sumatran rhinos as sunlight can damage their eyes) and also as a make-shift footbath device.

The healing process begins as water and antiseptic are agitated into a frothy soup

To construct the footbath, first the blue tarp is carefully laid flat inside Torgamba’s stall. Next Torgamba is walked into the stall on top of the nylon tarp. Once inside with the gate closed, staff surround the tarp (and rhino) from all sides and form the tarp into a large and flexible bathtub. Yes, Torgamba was given his own tub to help heal his foot disease! Once the tub is formed, hot water and a strong antiseptic are added to the “bath”. Then the staff begin the most important task – splashing and agitating the water and antiseptic into a frothy soup that soaks into all of the defects of Torgamba’s feet. This agitation is carried out for 10 minutes while Torgamba stands quietly munching on watermelon and bananas. Once complete, the staff drain the water from the tarp, open the stall door and let Torgamba walk into his paddock where further treatments occur.