VIDEO: Rhino calf alone for days after poachers kill its mother
A Rhino calf, barely a few months old, was left orphaned after poachers killed its mother for her horn.
The poaching incident took place in the Loskop Nature Reserve recently.
One of the reserve’s game rangers discovered the rhino cow’s carcass. She was killed with a large caliber rifle and her horn was sawed off. Her calf was missing.
Game rangers attempted to search the 26 000 hectare reserve for the orphaned calf. A micro-light aircraft as well as a drone belonging to Deon Cornelius of Ubhetyan, was used in the search.
The help of specialized trackers from Wildlife Investigations and Protection Services (WIPS) were called in.
Read: Revolutionary e-tags fitted to rhinos to fight poaching in real-time
The search team became worried because the calf was left to fend for herself in the wild for days.
Trackers quickly found fresh tracks. The rhino calf was darted from a helicopter who came from Hoedspruit to assist with the search. Saving Private Rhino was also involved in the search.
Read: Police arrested for rhino poaching
The calf has since been relocated to an orphanage and rehabilitation centre near Nelspruit.
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