Baby rhino rescued after being shot by poachers

A baby rhino has been found wandering a South African reserve with a gaping bullet wound in its left leg after poachers slaughtered its mother.

The eight-month old calf was barely standing by the time team members from the Care for Wild Africa Rhino Sanctuary arrived last Friday and sedated it.

The incident was first reported just over eight days ago when officials in the Mpumalanga region caught glimpses of the calf near its mother's remains.

Patrols lost sight of the rhino after its tracks were washed away during heavy rains and the injured animal disappeared into dense bushland hindering rescue efforts.

Veterinarian, Dr Albertus Coetzee, and the reserves anti-poaching unit rushed to the injured animal’s aid and prepped it for transport after a helicopter pilot eventually spotted it.

Its wound was cleaned out and rotting flesh removed and it is expected to make a slow but steady recovery in the coming weeks.

Despite harsh penalties and a series of deterrents including armed patrols, poaching remains a prevalent scourge on the region.