Heart-Breaking News! Poachers Kill 3 Rhinos At SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary In South Africa

Photos from SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary

It is with a heavy heart that WAN shares the news that three more rhinos have lost their lives at the hands of poachers.

Making the situation even more tragic is the fact that the deceased animals were a mother and her two young calves.

South Africa-based non-profit SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary shared the devastating news in a grief-ridden post on its Facebook Page.

“The tragic incident this past weekend with the loss of three rhinos, Audrey, Azi and little Louise has left all of us reeling,” noted the post. “The devastation and trauma for those on the ground who were looking after these animals are immense. They work day and night, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to look after the rhinos, and when something like this happens, it’s personal and affects everyone. “

The carcasses of Audrey, the mother, and her calf Azi were made on Saturday. The heartless poachers even removed Azi’s little horn. 

The body of Audrey’s other calf, one-month-old Louise, was found on Sunday morning.

The tragic loss comes less than a month after the passing of SanWild’s Founder, Louise Joubert.

“For more than two years the security upgrades and counter poaching operations on the ground were able to successfully fend of weekly attacks from poachers,” the organization continued on its post.

“Keeping boots on the ground is a huge monthly expense and we have to keep these costs in mind when looking at ways to deal with the current situation. In the meantime, we have hired the services of other counter poaching companies to increase our manpower until we have a new security system in place. We are working around the clock to secure the safety of all our other rhinos and to implement new measures to keep them safe.”

Donations to the SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary can be made HERE!