See link for photos.
An albino elephant was left with trapped horrific injuries that resemble The Joker after being caught in a barbaric snare for four days.
Khanyisa, an elephant calf, was found alone and tangled in the snare at a private reserve close to the border of Kruger National Park in South Africa.
The vulnerable elephant, that has unique pink skin rather than the usual grey, had severe lacerations to the back of both her ears and her neck and the snare had wrapped itself around her cheeks cutting into her mouth.
She had horrific gashes from her ears to her mouth on both sides just like Batman’s arch-nemesis, The Joker, who had slash wounds across his face in the 2008 film The Dark Knight, staring Heath Ledger as the infamous villain. Her wounds were so bad maggots had starting eating the open flesh decaying around her cheeks which led to gaping holes in her mouth.
But Khanyisa was rescued by Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development, also known as HERD – a dedicated elephant orphanage in South Africa. The youngster is now on the mend in her new home and has been pictured at the safe haven as she recovers.
Sue Howells, from the organisation, said: ‘She looked so innocent, fragile and pure, and yet so brave – a unique beauty who had been sadly mutilated by the hands of man.
‘We knew we had to help her and protect her and give her a place of safety that she never has to endure such trauma again.
‘Khanyisa is an exceptionally strong and brave little elephant. She is incredibly resilient and has what seems to be an uncrushable spirit.
‘Her sweet, fragile and thoughtful personality shines through her toughness, despite everything that she has endured at such a young age.’ Adine Roode, the founder of HERD, called her Khanyisa, which means ‘light’ in Shona – a Bantu language of the Shona people of Zimbabwe.
HERD is a facility built to rehabilitate and hand rear elephant calves that have been displaced or orphaned. The orphanage allows for the baby elephants to be close to a herd, for emotional wellbeing.