Does cutting off rhinos’ horns protect them from poachers? New study supports controversial approach

By&nbspGerald Imray&nbspwith&nbspAP

Published on 06/06/2025 - 17:03 GMT+2

Cutting disconnected nan horns of sedated rhinos pinch a chainsaw has been viewed by wildlife conservationists successful Africa for much than 30 years arsenic a basal evil to prevention nan iconic endangered type from poaching.

They hoped nan drastic action was working, but grounds was scarce.

Now, a study published Thursday successful nan world diary Science has recovered that dehorning rhinos has led to a ample simplification successful poaching successful crippled reserves successful and astir nan Kruger National Park successful bluish South Africa. The area is location to 25 per cent of nan world's rhinos and is particularly susceptible to poaching.

The results of nan seven-year study that ended successful 2023 are seen arsenic long-awaited grounds that removing rhinos' horns - which needs to beryllium done each 1 to 2 years because they turn backmost - helps them survive, moreover if nan animals suffer portion of their makeup.

Rhino dehorning ‘consistently’ reduced poaching

The conclusions look obvious. Lucrative forbidden markets successful parts of southeast Asia and China crave rhino horns for usage successful traditional medicines, and removing nan rhinos' horns takes distant what poachers are after.

But Tim Kuiper, a biodiversity intelligence astatine South Africa's Nelson Mandela University and nan lead writer of nan study, said it was caller to person semipermanent information from aggregate sites connected dehorning rhinos. 

He said nan study, conducted betwixt January 2017 and December 2023, focused connected 11 reserves successful nan Kruger area and compared information from 8 that dehorned their rhinos against nan 3 that didn't.

It besides analysed information from nan reserves earlier and aft they dehorned their rhinos.

The study showed that dehorning consistently reduced poaching, Kuiper said. It recovered that nan dehorning of much than 2,000 rhinos resulted successful a 78 per cent simplification successful poaching successful those 8 reserves, providing immoderate confirmation that specified an invasive involution was worthy it.

“It is simply a large portion of what a rhino is, having a horn,” Kuiper said. “So having to region it is benignant of a basal evil, if I tin put it that way. But it’s very effective. There’s nary uncertainty it saved hundreds of rhinos' lives.”

South Africa has nan largest numbers of achromatic and white rhinos. Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya besides person important populations. 

There are astir 17,500 achromatic rhinos and 6,500 achromatic rhinos near successful nan world, pinch achromatic rhino numbers reduced from 70,000 successful 1970 to little than 2,500 by nan clip poaching reached a situation constituent successful nan mid-1990s, according to nan Save nan Rhino organisation.

Dehorning rhinos was not ever accepted

Dehorning rhinos started successful confederate Africa arsenic early arsenic 1989. It has not been accepted without question.

There has been guidance from animal authorities activists but besides questions from conservationists complete what effect it has connected a rhino's wellbeing, and what a early mightiness look for illustration pinch much hornless rhinos.

Vanessa Duthe, a rhino interrogator successful South Africa not progressive successful nan study, said rhinos usage their horns to take sides themselves against predators, to compete for territory and, successful nan lawsuit of achromatic rhinos, to look for food. There is besides grounds that dehorned rhinos set their movements to unrecorded successful smaller ranges, she said.

She said conservationists don't cognize nan afloat impacts of dehorning, but investigation had recovered it had nary adverse effect connected rhinos' breeding rates aliases mortality rates.

“What we do cognize is that nan benefits of dehorning by acold outweigh immoderate ecological costs that we’re alert of today,” Duthe said. 

She said dehorning a rhino now takes astir 10 minutes and nan process causes minimum distress. Blindfolds and earmuffs are put connected sedated rhinos during dehorning, which besides provides an opportunity to microchip rhinos and cod samples that assistance research.

Only 1 portion of nan conflict to prevention rhinos

Conservationists work together that dehorning unsocial will not extremity rhino poaching and Kuiper said he saw it arsenic a short-to-mid-term solution. Other efforts for illustration much effective rule enforcement and amended support for crippled rangers connected nan frontline are key.

While South Africa has helped propulsion rhinos backmost from nan threat of extinction, much than 400 rhinos a twelvemonth are still killed by poachers successful nan country.

The dehorning study was a collaboration betwixt scientists from 3 South African universities, Oxford University successful England and crippled reserve managers and rangers. It besides progressive nan South African National Parks department, nan World Wildlife Fund and nan Rhino Recovery Fund.