LISTEN: Staff attacked, calves killed at KZN rhino orphanage
The KZN wildlife fraternity has been left devastated by a brutal attack at a rhino rehabilitation centre earlier this week.
A group of at least five poachers stormed the Fundimvelo Thula Thula Rhino Orphanage on Monday night - assaulting staff at the facility and killing two calves.
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The centre's Karen Trendler says poachers disarmed a security guard and held him hostage before targeting caregivers.
Trendler says the second rhino was so badly wounded that they had no option but to euthanize the animal.
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She says the rhinos were days away from entering the next stage of their rehabilitation back into the wild.
Trendler described the incident as the worst possible nightmare for people who're involved in caring for and rehabilitating wildlife.