The Bachelorette alum Blake Moynes has returned home safely and provided a health update after being hospitalized with a foot infection and undergoing surgery in South Africa.
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The Season 17 The Bachelorette winner, wearing black athletic clothing, was rushed by his three big dogs, who all excitedly greeted him with lap-jumps and kisses.
Blake quickly reposted Emily's video, which was set to "Reunited" by Peaches & Herb, via Instagram Stories.
Blake appeared happy and in good health, and he captioned the repost, "Home, off crutches, my dogs, my bed."
On January 23, Emily revealed on Instagram that Blake had contracted "a really bad infection" several days earlier while doing wildlife-conservation work, such as fighting poachers and saving rhinos and elephants, for his Mowgli Moynes Fund in South Africa.
Blake needed surgery to treat the infection, which left his mother "freaking out" and asking Bachelor Nation, family and friends for prayers.
One day later, Emily shared on social media how her son was in "great spirits" post-op in a private hospital and was expected to make "a full recovery." She didn't know, however, if Blake -- who was initially scheduled to fly home from his wildlife efforts in March -- was going to come home early.
And then last week, Blake gave fans an update of his own, once he was able to find cell phone service.
"Sorry I've been without my phone for some time!" Blake shared on Instagram Stories.
"It's been a heck of a month in South Africa. New experiences, new friends & new challenges. One of which is an injury that has unfortunately caused me to end my 7 week wildlife adventure in SA a little early."
Blake went on to explain how he had contracted the infection to begin with.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW"In short, I came out here to first join a group of men in a 4-5 week course to train as a wildlife ranger. To fully understand what it takes to be on the front line protecting wildlife & endangered species," Blake explained.
"I can assure you, it is not easy. Along the way I somehow got an infection in my foot that got bad quickly and sidelined me."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
Blake, however, still planned to continue as much of his training as possible.
"Through the healing process, I'll be taking part in what I can of the remaining (non physical) training before I am well enough to fly home in ideally a week!" Blake wrote.
"Appreciate the kind words and support! I'm now honestly mostly just frustrated that all my other awesome wildlife projects I had planned in South Africa after my grueling ranger training will now have to wait!"
It appears Blake is still single and looking for love after his two stints on The Bachelorette's sixteenth season starring Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams followed by the show's seventeenth season starring Katie Thurston.
It's been well over a year since Blake and Katie announced their breakup in October 2022 after getting engaged on The Bachelorette's Season 17 finale, which aired just two months earlier in August 2021.
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Less than one month after the world was informed about Katie and Blake's split, Katie went Instagram official with a new boyfriend, John Hersey, a San Diego bartender who was one of her Week 2 The Bachelorette eliminees.
Katie's quick relationship turnaround led Blake to believe she had emotionally cheated on him, and he told the press at the time how he was "speechless" and felt "flabbergasted" by her romance with John. (Katie and John previously denied any type of cheating, and they announced their breakup in June 2022).
"In some way, it kind of still feels like yesterday," Blake admitted to Us Weekly late last year of his whirlwind relationship with Katie, an aspiring standup comedian and former bank marketing manager.
Blake shared, "It's one that I'd like to now forget -- just in the way that it all kind of played out. But, yeah, it has been a year and it does not feel like that at all."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
Although Blake mentioned it's difficult for people to earn his trust now, he assured fans that he has no unfinished business with Katie and has totally moved on from that relationship.
"I took a break [from dating] for a long time," Blake recalled.
"I was focusing on all these other things. I think naturally... you want to find that person and that love, and so, I started diving back into it again, trying [to meet someone]."
Blake noted how he went on a couple of dates in Fall 2022 but they "didn't go so hot."
"It didn't go so well. I didn't love how it went. And so, again, projects and things come up where it's starting to take my efforts elsewhere," Blake confessed.
"If I don't think I can fully put the effort into actually trying to make a relationship work, it's going to take someone super special who is patient and very supportive, and I just haven't felt like I've ran into that yet."
Blake therefore said at the time he was "reluctant" to date a woman if he can't "give it [his] all."
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"I never say never, right? Never say ever. But I would say 'unlikely' on the dating-show aspect of things," Blake explained.
"There's some other projects I'm working on [that are] wildlife-related, but for the most part, dating, I think I'll keep that to the real world."
Blake joked how a "dating in the wild" type of show could work for him.
Blake told Ben Higgins and Ashley Iaconetti on their "The Ben & Ashley I: Almost Famous Podcast" in February 2022 that he was ready to put his romance with Katie behind him and put aside any hard feelings.
Blake also suggested last year that he's open to dating both women from Bachelor Nation or someone without fame and a strong social-media following.
Blake sparked dating rumors with Love is Blind alum Natalie Lee in July 2022, but it appears they were just working on a project together in Nevis to save sea turtles. Natalie reportedly took an interest in Blake's wildlife conservation efforts and decided to join one of his trips.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
