Pietermaritzburg, July 29: A white rhino mother had to be humanely put down by a veterinarian on Tuesday after game rangers were forced to shoot her in self defence and wounded her at Tembe Elephant Park in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday night.
But the baby calf the rhino had been so desperate to protect was eventually tracked down by rangers late on Tuesday afternoon and by about 18:00 was en route to a boma at Imfolozi-Hluhluwe game reserve which is the only Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife game reserve with the facilities to look after orphaned rhinos.
Meanwhile a field ranger, Tulani Mabika, who was injured in the skirmish with the mother rhino was not in any danger on Tuesday, according to EKZNW media liaison officer, Jeff Gaisford.
Mabika was trampled by the charging animal and suffered severe bruising and shock.
Gaisford said the drama unfolded when an anti-poaching patrol stumbled into the rhino mother and her calf in the dark. She immediately reacted by attacking the rangers to protect her baby.
—Agencies