Story highlights The rhino's face was mutilated by poachers this month

The elephant skin came from a taxidermist, wildlife surgeon says

Rhino's calf did not survive the attack

(CNN) A rhino whose face was mutilated by poachers in South Africa is getting an unusual cover for her wounds: elephant skin.

Poachers recently shot the 12-year-old rhino, called Hope, at a wildlife park in KwaZulu-Natal province

After the bullet took her down, the poachers hacked Hope's face to pull out her horns, but only managed to get away with one, said Dr. Johan Marais, a wildlife surgeon at the University of Pretoria.

"The front horn was hacked off, and they started with the back horn as well, but then either got disturbed or the rhino got up," he said.

Marais is part of Saving the Survivors, which focuses on helping wounded rhinos and is providing Hope with care.

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