During the last year, 1028 rhino were reported to have been poached in South Africa for their horns. This is a very slight decrease on the previous year where 1054 rhino were killed, but it is still way too many! As one of the mitigation measures against this slaughter, dehorning of the rhino has been found to be successful in deterring poachers as long as the entire population on a protected area is all dehorned.
Well-experienced veterinary and conservation teams undertake the dehorning and the safety of the rhino is paramount. The horns do grow back after 18 – 24 months and it is hoped that while this temporary measure is being used, long-term solutions will be found to end the killing of these iconic African animals.