Black rhino famed for looking like it was puckering up for a kiss is killed by poachers ‘as it tried to find its pregnant mate’ that was shot dead last month in South African wildlife reserve
- The lovable rhino called Wozani lived near South Africa's Kruger National Park
- Ruthless killers hacked off his horn, tail, ears and feet after shooting him dead
- It is thought Wozani had wandered off in an attempt to find his pregnant mate
- But his mate, Busa, had been shot a month earlier by the same brutal poachers
A rare black rhino who was famed for blowing a kiss to the camera has been slaughtered by poachers.
Ruthless killers hacked off his horn, tail, ears and feet after shooting him dead.
The loveable rhino, called Wozani, lived on a game reserve near the Kruger National Park in South Africa and it is thought he wandered off in an attempt to find his pregnant mate, who had been killed a month earlier by the same brutal poachers.
It is understood the rhino went in search of his mate called Busa, according to The Times.
The female rhino was pregnant, but was shot dead by the same poachers near Hoedspruit in Limpopo province last month.
Two groups of poachers targeted the same area over the weekend, but while one group were successfully deterred, a second group went unnoticed and targeted the rhino.
Images of Wozani pouting went round the world last year.
Photographer Sue Harwood, from Johannesburg, paid tribute to her 'famous friend', saying she was 'sickened' by the brutal killing.
Brutes shot dead Wozani in South Africa
She said: 'I was physically ill and moved to tears when I found out about Wozani this morning.
'He was so friendly and gave us the gift of many really close encounters with him and I am totally heartbroken.
'R.I.P. darling boy.'
It is the latest in a series of high-profile rhino killings after last Tuesday a white rhino was shot dead by poachers who broke into a Parisian zoo.
Four-year-old Vince was shot in the head three times and had his horn hacked off with a chainsaw.
Rhinos are often slaughtered for their ivory horns, which can fetch hundreds of thousands of pounds on the black market.
Sue reckons Wozani's foot and tail were also amputated to 'prove' he was a wild rhino, which makes him more valuable.
She added: 'Not only were his horns hacked off by the poachers, but his tail, ears and one of his feet was also amputated.
'No doubt this was to prove the horns are from a wild rhino who has been killed - a product that will now be perceived to be of superior quality and have more medicinal power.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4312132/Famous-black-rhino-slaughtered-poachers-South-Africa.html#ixzz4bNe2t3nZ
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