Like numerous other animals, black rhinos are critically endangered; however, scientists have come up with a new plan to try and prevent poaching. There are currently about 28,000 rhinos left, when we look closer into the number of those left in each species, the situation gets even more vital.
Rhino horns have previously been hunted and cut off in order to be used for medicinal purposes in some traditional medicines; however, they do not have any proven medical qualities in modern science. Nowadays, rhinos are poached for their horns because they are seen as marks of status and wealth. Because of the endangered status of these animals, their horns are becoming increasingly rare and even more valuable due to the protection given to the mammals. The consequences for poaching a rhino vary depending on the state or nation, but they can include large fines and long periods of jail-time.
Because of the increasing risks of poaching, scientists have implemented a new plan based on one single idea: remove the prize. By cutting off the horns of rhinos, poachers will have no reason to kill the animals as they cannot extract anything to sell or any medal to showcase. The new tactic has already proven itself worthwhile as “dehorning resulted in a 78 percent decline in rhino poaching in eight reserves in Southern Africa”. The painless method saved many lives as trained professionals sedate the rhinos and then carefully cut off the horn above the nerves. Their horns are made up of the same material of our nails, and so, in a little more than a year, they will grow back.
A study was done in Kruger National Park in which some areas dehorned their rhinos and others didn’t, effectively allowing the scientists to monitor the resulting poaching activity in the area. They found that “poaching rates…were reduced by more than half in places where dehorning took place.” Furthermore, prior techniques used to prevent poaching were far less advantageous, but far more expensive than this one. On the other hand, this tactic does not completely prevent poaching; later on, scientists found that rhinos who had been dehorned had been killed for the bit of the horn that had remained or for the bit that had regrown.
While this solution may seem dangerous and counterproductive, it could work and save numerous rhinos; hopefully, it will give the animals enough time to rebuild and recover from habitat loss and poaching.