November 20, 2006: Rupert the Pet Rhino

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Growing up as a little boy in Rhodesia, Mike Condy had an unusual pet: a rhino named Rupert! The Daily Mail tracked him down:

Rupert was just a few weeks old when the Zambezi valley was flooded to make the Kariba Dam in Rhodesia. Along with many other beasts who would have drowned, he was rescued by a team of animal lovers including Mike’s father Dr John Condy, a local vet.

They made a ‘Noah’s Ark’ raft from oil drums and tree trunks to float stranded animals to safety, but Rupert’s mother - rhinos cannot swim - was too heavy, slipped off and drowned.

"Rupey" became an orphan - and so Dr Condy took him home for adoption.

Yesterday Mike Condy said: "It was amazing. Dad brought home a pet rhino. I was only about eight years old at the time. I’ll never forget it."

Daily Mail has the story and photo gallery - via Arbroath.

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