As the African rhino poaching crisis continues to wipe out animal populations across the country, its latest victim – just 18 months old – is fighting for his life.

Credit: Care For Wild

Now named Bavati, the young calf was orphaned when his mother was slaughtered by poachers, effectively leaving him for dead as rhino calves can suckle for up to two years and cannot fend for themselves without their primary caregiver.

Defenseless and surely confused, he was then pursued by a clan of hyenas who sensed his weakness. Without his mother to protect him, Bavati was attacked, his face and tail badly injured by the pack. It is miraculous that the calf survived the attack, but now, he needs more than a miracle to pull through – he needs YOU.

Credit: Care For Wild

The young bull calf was already experiencing unimaginable pain following the traumatic loss of his mother. As if he had not suffered enough, he was then chased and severely injured by hyenas! Please, will you help him?

When a mother rhino is poached, her calf will often die soon afterward due to injuries inflicted by poachers, attacks by lions or hyenas, or starvation. This compounds an already escalating crisis as rhino numbers fall and further hampers the regeneration of this widely hunted species.

As soon as our partner, the Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary (CFW), was alerted to Bavati’s case, they rushed to the scene with a team of wildlife vets. They found that the hyena wounds to his face and tail had become infected, and he was in critical condition. He was given emergency on-site treatment before being carefully loaded into a transportation crate for his journey back to Care for Wild (in an undisclosed location – for his safety).

Credit: Care For Wild

Bavati was found alive with a raging infection from his hyena-inflicted wounds and is currently fighting for his life.

The calf is still extremely vulnerable at this stage and has a long road to recovery ahead of him. With your support right now, we can cover the cost of his urgent veterinary care and long-term rehabilitation. His will be a long road to recovery, and for a species under immense threat from poaching, every life counts.

Bavati is the latest in a long line of poaching victims in South Africa. Official poaching statistics from South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) reveals that 448 rhinos were killed in 2022 alone. Research shows a rhino is killed in South Africa every 20 hours.

Credit: Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve

In 2021, you stood with us and helped rush emergency, life-saving funds to CFW following their rescue of FOUR rhino calves orphaned by poaching within just days of each other, including 12-hour-old Daisy, who, thanks to your support, received the care she needed to pull through.

Right now, Bavati urgently needs the very same support if he is to have a chance of recovery. Can he count on you today?

Credit: Care For Wild

If we can raise $7,000 (£5,650), we can cover Bavati’s costly medical treatment, including wound care, pain relief, antibiotics, and ongoing blood tests to help CFW monitor his health and prolonged recovery.

With your help, we are determined to give this orphaned and suffering calf the same chance that countless other vulnerable young rhinos (like Daisy!) have received at CFW. Please donate to Animal Survival International today.