Rhino Dehorning

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to travel to South Africa to participate in veterinary fieldwork. While there, I learned how to perform pregnancy diagnostics on bushpigs and antelope species such as sable and nyala, administer sedatives to wild animals via darting, and practice intravenous, intramuscular, and subcutaneous injection techniques. However, my most memorable experience was assisting in rhino dehorning as a measure to prevent poaching (Figure 1).

In South Africa, both white and black rhinos are highly sought after by poachers. Each kilogram of horn can sell for $40,000 - $80,000 USD on the black market. Rhino horn is often purchased illegally by some communities in China, where it is believed to hold spiritual powers and cure infertility. Because rhino horn is composed of keratin, dehorning itself is painless, though it must be repeated approximately every two years as the horn regrows.

Poaching in South Africa is worsened by widespread poverty. Criminal networks often exploit this by paying impoverished communities to supply rhino horns, offering them a way to feed their families. Many poachers cannot afford firearms and instead use machete-like weapons, sometimes breaking a rhino’s spine and hacking out the horn while the animal is still alive - a devastating reality.

The dehorning process is relatively straightforward. The target rhino is first located and darted with anesthetic by a veterinarian from a helicopter. My fellow veterinary students and I followed in safari trucks. Once the rhino became sedated and went down, we rushed in to blindfold it, which helps keep the animal calm (Figure 2). Experienced workers then used a saw to remove the horn, continuously pouring water over the site to prevent friction burns (Figure 3). My role was to monitor respiration, as anything below six breaths per minute is cause for concern (Figure 4). After removal, the horn was microchipped by a conservation officer and transported to a secure government facility for storage. Farmers are never permitted to sell the horns of their animals.

This practice, however, remains controversial. Many farmers distrust the South African government, which has a reputation for corruption, and suspect that officials themselves profit from horn sales on the black market.

Despite this complex reality, I feel incredibly fortunate to have contributed to the protection of what I consider South Africa’s most fascinating animal.