When you think of rhinos, one of the first things you think of is probably their dramatic, scimitar-shaped horns. Growing at a rate of 3-4 inches per year and reaching a maximum length up to five feet, rhino horn is tragically one of the most trafficked products of the illegal wildlife trade. Once, it was mainly used in traditional medicine, but in an age of conspicuous consumption, the mere possession of the expensive illegal horns has become a status symbol.
Over 7.5 tonnes of illegal rhino horn – for which more than 9,000 rhinos would have had to die - has been seized by police and customs authorities around the world over the past decade.
WE WILL NOT ALLOW THIS BUTCHERY TO CONTINUE.
The rhino population of Loskop is now protected and is being closely monitored by the reserve’s dedicated management team. These
vital operations to protect lives are only possible thanks to your support. Thank you for standing with us in the battle against poaching.
One of the simplest and most effective ways to protect rhinos is to remove their horns, rendering the animal completely worthless to poachers. While it is sad to take away what is so unique about rhinos, ‘dehorning’ is a painless and reliable way to keep them safe.
Last July, our incredible South Africa Team, alongside partners from Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MPTA) and African Wildlife Vets, embarked on a mission to find and dehorn the entire rhino population at Loskop Dam Nature Reserve, a huge reserve located roughly 110 miles east of Pretoria.
The first step was to find every individual rhino on the 88-square-mile reserve. To do this, we used a combination of trained rangers
tracking on the ground and helicopter support searching for rhinos from the air. Where the bush is very dense, it is like looking for a needle in a haystack, and providing helicopter coverage for such a large area is expensive. The operation was funded by our generous long-term
supporters, DCM Surfaces.
We located and dehorned 42 rhinos over three days and the operation was declared a resounding success, with these magnificent creatures now safe from poaching. However, a surprise was hiding back at Loskop...
In October, the reserve management team identified 6 rhinos that still had horns: they had been hiding from our helicopters in the bushes! We had to act quickly to protect these individuals from poachers, so we assembled an emergency team, provided a helicopter immediately and the rhinos were safely dehorned just a few hours later.
The Dehorning Process
The dehorning of each rhino is a sensitive procedure, requiring precision and care. After the rhinos are located, they are sedated using a dart gun. This is often done from the air, with experts carefully delivering individually measured dosages of sedative to each animal from a moving helicopter to ensure efficiency and safety.
When it is safe to do so, our team on the ground move in and a wildlife veterinarian carefully removes the horns, performs all necessary check-ups and gathers vital data.
Dehorning costs between £500-£800 per rhino, and with rhino horns growing back at a rate of 3 to 4 inches per year, it must be repeated every 12 to 24 months. But their lives are priceless.