Reconstructive surgery for rhino left for dead by poachers who hacked off her horns
Sedated, blindfolded, her ears plugged with cotton-wool, “Hope” the rhino breathes heavily as veterinarians work to repair a gaping wound left by poachers who hacked off her horns.
A year after being left for dead on a game reserve outside South Africa’s southern city of Port Elizabeth, Hope has undergone about 15 operations to reconstruct her ravaged face.
We don’t know which antibiotics to give, at which dosage, which painkillers to give, we don’t even know the basic anatomy
Veterinary surgeon Johan Marais sounded optimistic after examining the wound, originally one metre in length after the attack.
“It has healed 60 per cent,” he said with satisfaction, stressing that the pioneering medical procedure continues to be a risky experiment.
“We don’t know which antibiotics to give, at which dosage, which painkillers to give, we don’t even know the basic anatomy,” he admitted.
Hope, aged six, has been treated by South African veterinarians organised by Saving the Survivors, a charity that focuses on rhinos and other wild animals subject to brutal attack or injuries.