In a desperate attempt to stop the onslaught of rhino poaching that has brought many of these iconic animals to the brink of extinction, skilled professionals are chainsawing off their majestic horns to save their lives.
Rhino de-horning initiatives in private game reserves in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, South Africa, over the last three years seem to have been a successful deterrent to poachers, with a pronounced decrease in the number of rhino deaths due to poaching in these areas.
KZN province has the second largest population of wild rhino left in the world, with 3,200 individuals. It also holds the largest diversity of black and white rhino. This important population is heavily protected by guards, who often go so far as sleeping alongside the animals.
Historically, Kruger National Park suffered the most losses from rhino poaching; however, with increased security and protection programs in the park, poachers started looking for easier targets, moving their focus to the reserves in KZN.
The Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in KZN lost 116 rhino due to poaching in 2016 and 222 in 2017 – the most deaths ever recorded in this area. This is in stark contrast to private reserves that implement dehorning programs, who have seen a massive 98% drop in poaching over the same period.
From 2011 to 2016, 24% of poached rhinos were from private reserves such as KZN. In the last two years since dehorning started, these numbers have drastically decreased to an average 4.5%
Although removing the horns of rhinos may seem extreme, the measures taken by poachers are far less humane.
“So many times I get to a rhino carcass, only to realise that the animal was still alive while the poachers were hacking its horns,” said wildlife vet Dr Dave Cooper, who works for local conservation agency Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. “I actually can’t begin to describe just how brutal the treatment is that many of these wounded rhinos have received at the hands of poachers.”
Over the years, conservationists have tried using several different deterrents to protect rhinos, including dying the horns bright pink or poisoning the horns; both methods didn’t prove successful in protecting the animals.
The dehorning procedure, although necessarily invasive, is not painful for the animal, but it is costly – helicopters must be used so experienced veterinarians can safely dart the rhinos to perform the dehorning procedure. Rhino horns are similar to human fingernails, growing continuously, so the procedure must be repeated every 18 – 24 months.
“I would rather see 200 dehorned rhino than one dead rhino with its horns savagely ripped off by poachers,” declared Mike Toft, one of the vets who removes the horns.
These procedures also offer researchers the chance to take DNA samples and place ear notches in younger rhinos, which helps with individual monitoring.
“This is not something we want to do. It is expensive and invasive but we believe it is a ‘necessary evil’ as a temporary measure,” said Chris Galliers, coordinator of Project Rhino’s dehorning project, in an interview with Times Live.
Although it’s heartbreaking that such drastic measures must be taken to protect rhinos, it is promising to know that these steps are working, and, until there is another way, at least these precious animals will continue to survive.
Os animais n são nossos.
I read stories that even when their horns are cut off, those cruel imbeciles will kill them just to take what’s left of their horns. Hopefully, they’d catch those bastards before this happens.
HEARTLESS SOULLESS BASTARD HUMANS WHO POACH ANY ANIMAL.
HUNT ALL THESE EVIL BASTARDS DOWN & THROW THEM ALL IN A MASSIVE FIRE PIT. NO MERCY FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY & TAKING A PRECIOUS ANIMALS LIFE.
Save the rhinos ! Please ! Catch the poachers! Please !
You have to do what you have to do. If this saves rhinos, it’s worth it.
But I do wonder where the horns are going.
Humans can be very scary.
This is why I love animals <3
whatever we do to protect these beautiful animals and elephants, tigers etc is welcome we need to leave something to the future generations
Save all the precious creatures even elephants xoxo god bless
Sad it has to come to this but if it helps protect them than it is best.
I’m wandering what happens to all those horns? Are they completely destroyed? Or is someone selling them off making a nice profit off of them from poachers? I wouldn’t be all that surprise the world is so damn corrupt. I prefer a live de-horned wild animal then the complete extinction!!
WHY has it taken so long to come to this conclusion!!.If No Horn No Kill not bloody rocket science, same with the Tusks of the Elephants, REMOVE THEM at least they get to live their lives
Its about time. The same should be done for elephants. Since they won’t put these monsters to death they need to protect these creatures somehow.
If this is what needs to be done to save these beautiful animals, then I am all for it. Until these poachers are imprisoned and/or put to death for their crimes against animals, this is the right step to take. Those people who are criticizing this move need to come up with what they perceive as a better solution to these poachers. The Rhino-dehorning initiatives have at least left the animals alive and deterred would-be poaching activities which almost always result in the death of the animal. So I applaud their efforts to save these animals.
Apparently some people didn’t read that the painted horns and poisoned horns did not significantly stem the poaching! And people who think the horns are necessary for survival are wrong. The horn doesn’t fend off predators, the immensity of the rhino does. You must not have seen the pictures of these rhinos with the horns carved out of their heads. I saw a photo of the last female rhino on a reserve lying on her side, having bled out and died because her horns were cut so close to her flesh. We are talking about the survival of a species, people. Until and unless we can slaughter every one of these stinking poachers, we all have to make their quarry as unattractive as possible.
Carol Brandt, agree completely. And it is frustrating when people don’t read the entire article and make comments on things that have already been addressed. Until it’s legal to remove the arms say, from all these murderous poachers, this seems to be a good solution. I commend these people for worming so hard to protect these animals.
Makes you no better! They wouldn’t have the horn if it wasn’t needed!
Cheetah did you not read the part where it says the horns grow like fingernails and the process has to be repeated in 18 to 24 month. I would rather see the Rhino with no horns then to see them dead and extinct.
Cheetah would you rather see the dead and extinct? At least this way they are still alive and the horns grow back and has to be repeated in 18 to 24 months.
WOW,,,,,,,,,,,a,,win win situation to save these majestic animals. Good work keep it up and keep saving these majestic animals,.
What happened to the brilliant idea of dying / painting the horns a bright pink or red? That would have solved the problem as the horns would be worth nothing to the poachers but the rhino could still have his whole body intact.
How would they be in worse nothing? The horn would still be ground down and sold to those filthy Chinese.
Cindi Scholefield did you not read the full article? If you had read the FULL article you would have read where it said: “Over the years, conservationists have tried using several different deterrents to protect rhinos, including dying the horns bright pink or poisoning the horns; both methods didn’t prove successful in protecting the animals.” And besides if you had read it you would have also seen where it says the horns grow back in 18 to 24 months and the process had to be done again. So next time you post be sure to read the WHOLE THING.
Parks should have high security observation towers with armed guards ,powerfull lights at 4 points of the park as the high security jails in USA have ,hiding cameras related to a surveillance security office…..The guard’s gun MUST BE USED!!!??????????????
Why dont we POISON rhinos horn without harming the animal and mark their horn with phosphorous paint so each ambitious poacher will be aware and see that hunting is useless ????and this decision should be widely advertised through papers, tv, radios, internet, and also through SOUTH EAST ASIA where the demand is???And of course to reenforce law penalty for who kills RHINOS or ELEPHANT or any WILD ANIMAL.AFRICA must consider that her WEALTH is her RICH UNIQUE ANIMAL DIVERSITY!! If Africa loses her wild animals, she loses HER OIKONOMY!!!!AFRICA MUST BE VERY CONCERNED about it!!!
They need the horns for survival, so this is as bad as poaching
Cheetah would you rather see the dead and extinct? At least this way they are still alive and the horns grow back and has to be repeated in 18 to 24 months.
I agree! Better having horns removed than having them brutally killed by these savage people!
Are the horns able to be painted making them unusuable, like what is happening to Elephants, to stop their killing. ?
I prefer a live rhino to a dead one, but, I guess if I’m paying lots of money to go to Africa I want to see the intact animal. Maybe tourist should be told what is being done to them and if they remove the horns tell them why also.
There is no other way to protect them.
Do what is necessary to catch these, horrible poachers. It’s a terrible thing there doing to the beautiful animals for a piece of them.
The guards should be armed to the teeth so they can go after the poachers. There’s more money in tourism.
I’m glad that this is working, but how sad that we must resort to these meadures to protect them. Still if it protects them it us worth doing and witth the cost. Emasculate the poachers.
Just catch the perps if possible and cut off their …….
I am sure that will stop future poachers considering the risk they would take losing dixxcks!