While medical assistance jetted out to him, Ben calmly passed the six-hour wait; he stayed no more than a few metres from the house, drunk his fill and grazed.
When the vet arrived Ben was tranquillised and it was then a large wound in his shoulder was discovered, along with two bullet holes in his ear - injuries thought to be from a poacher's bullet sustained in a separate incident.
The vet and workers were able to clean and disinfect Ben's wound and administer a tracking collar to monitor his recovery.
While Ben's road to recovery will be a long one it wouldn't have been possible without his courageous, quick thinking.
Nick Milne told News24: "Logic would suggest that if an animal has an injury that considerably hampers its mobility, it would not attempt the climb and would rather stay on the level ground near water."
The Bumi Hills Foundation is confident that Ben will make it, however his ongoing treatment will prove costly. The lodge has started a #HELPBEN campaign to raise the funds needed for his care.
