The majority of animals that are shot by poachers do not survive. Even if the elephant manages to get away from the poacher, it usually does not have access to medical care.
Wild animals are typically on their own. However, one animal happened to get lucky. An elephant walked into a national park in Zimbabwe after it had been shot by poachers.
The park workers already knew the elephant. They gave him the nickname “Pretty Boy.” They noticed that something was wrong with his forehead, but they could not tell what was wrong.
The veterinarians performed an x-ray and realized that there was a bullet in his head. They had to tranquilize the elephant before they removed the bullet.
After they removed the bullet, they cleaned the area and gave the elephant antibiotics. The elephant is lucky. Not only did he manage to survive getting shot, but he happened to wander in the right place at the right time. The veterinarians wondered whether Pretty Boy would be able to stand after he recovered.
All they could do was wait and see. However, the elephant was eventually able to make a full recovery. He now lives at the Zimbabwe National Park.
