A rare albino elephant named Khanyisa was discovered with gruesome injuries reminiscent of The Joker after getting stuck in a cruel snare for four days. The young elephant was found stranded and entangled in the snare at a private reserve near Kruger National Park in South Africa. Instead of the typical grey skin, Khanyisa has unique pink skin, and had suffered severe wounds to her ears, neck, and mouth from the snare. The injuries left her with cuts from her ears to her mouth on both sides, resembling the scars of The Joker from the 2008 movie The Dark Knight, where the villain had slash marks on his face.
Herman, a caretaker at the Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development center, is taking care of Khanyisa, an albino elephant calf. Khanyisa was rescued in South Africa after she got caught in a barbed wire snare.
Khanyisa, shown in the image above, was discovered peacefully sleeping. A snare had ensnared her for four long days before she was finally rescued. Tragically, she bore deep cuts spanning from her ears to her mouth on both sides as a result of the ordeal.
The injuries on the animal’s body were reminiscent of The Joker, a character from the 2008 film The Dark Knight. Her wounds were so severe that maggots had begun to consume the decaying flesh around her cheeks, causing large holes to form in her mouth. Fortunately, Khanyisa was rescued by The Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development (HERD), a devoted elephant orphanage in South Africa. She is currently recovering in her new home and has been captured on camera at the sanctuary as she heals. Sue Howells, a member of the organization, described her as appearing innocent, delicate, and courageous despite being tragically harmed by humans. The team knew they needed to assist her, provide protection, and offer her a safe haven where she would never have to endure such trauma again.
Herman is nurturing Khanyisa by bottle-feeding her. The baby elephant is making a remarkable recovery in her new habitat, and she has been spotted at the secured environment of Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development Center as she heals.
Khanyisa and Lammie stood by the stables at their new home, with the wounds on Khanyisa’s cheek so severe that maggots had begun to feed on the exposed flesh. Despite her injuries, Khanyisa displayed remarkable strength and courage, with a spirit that seemed unbreakable.
Her gentle and thoughtful nature shone through her tough exterior, a testament to her resilience despite the hardships she faced at such a young age. Adine Roode, the founder of HERD, named her Khanyisa, which means ‘light’ in Shona, a language of the Shona people in Zimbabwe.
HERD is a sanctuary dedicated to the rehabilitation and care of orphaned elephant calves who have been displaced. By providing a nurturing environment that allows the baby elephants to be near a herd, the orphanage prioritizes their emotional well-being throughout the healing process.
Khanyisa the elephant stands out with her unusual pink skin, a rare sight compared to the typical grey skin of her kind. In the photo above, she is seen alongside her herd after being saved from a difficult situation.
In the movie The Dark Knight from 2008, Heath Ledger portrayed The Joker with distinctive slash marks on his face, showcasing the character’s menacing presence as Batman’s greatest foe.