As said, there is hardly any reliable information and your statments are also only what is said in the media.
I stick to my point of view that any institution with hands-on method and volounteers is suspicious!
steps must be taken to prevent the specimens from becoming accustomed to human activities or intervention.
This is not debatable and unreasonable, every available research finds that a hands-on approach makes release into the wild impossible or unsuccessful.
Here is a brandnew study. They have studied the Care for Wild centre with hands-on approach and lots of visitors and volonteers and compared to a hands-off facility outside Hoedspruit which is a closed to any visitors.
Read here the full paper: http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/inde ... folder=159Results indicated that although orphan welfare was not compromised under either rehabilitation method, the hands-off cohort showed fewer indicators of poor welfare and more indicators of good welfare. Regarding adaptation potential, hands-off rehabilitated rhino showed the species’ natural response to humans, and alert and defense behaviors were part of their behavioral repertoire. The hands-on cohort displayed fewer social interactions than the hands-off cohort, showed habituation to humans, and seldom expressed alert or defense behaviors, which could potentially compromise their survival and social integration after release. Post-release studies are required to confirm whether fitness is compromised in hands-on rehabilitated rhino.
