Africa is home to the world’s most iconic wildlife, but illegal poaching is destroying it each and every day.
Endangered animals are slaughtered by poachers just so they can sell their body parts – such as tusks and pelt – for massive amounts of money.
Due to poaching, the Black rhino population is down 97.6% since 1960, and as many as 35,000 African elephants are killed each year, according to the African Wildlife Foundation.
The demand for rhino horn is extremely high, as they can sell for as much as $60,000 per pound.
While the majority of adult rhinos are killed for their horns, baby rhinos are often killed by poachers as well.
Sadly, field rangers in South Africa’s Kruger National Park discovered a mother rhino that had been killed by poachers, after hearing shots during the night.
But the scene became even more devastating when they saw her baby.
The calf, later named Arthur, had been attacked by poachers as well, but was thankfully still alive. He was lying next to his horn-less mom, trying to protect her as he cried out in pain.
“It was instinctive for him to try and stay close to his mother to protect her, and the poachers with no sympathy or hesitation whatsoever lashed out at him so that they could finish their heinous crime of taking his mother’s horn as quickly as possible,” Care for Wild staff told Sky News.
Arthur had a deep gash on his back from a machete that the poachers threw at him. They also slashed one of his feet, causing another deep wound.
Arthur was quickly airlifted to the Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary, the world’s biggest rhino sanctuary and orphanage.
Thankfully Arthur was in good hands and was quickly helped onto the road to recovery, but his pain from losing his mother was still fresh and unbearable.
“He still calls for his mother, it is a heart-wrenching sound and one that he should never have to make,” Care for Wild staff said. “Her death will affect him emotionally long after his physical wounds have healed.
Rhino calves stay with their mothers for up to three years while she teaches them how to be a rhino. Sadly, Arthur doesn’t have his mom anymore, but staff at Care for Wild will continue to do everything they can to make sure Arthur grows up big, strong, and in a healthy environment.
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