Particle.news
Download on the App Store
9 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

Study Finds Dehorning Cuts Rhino Poaching by Nearly 80%

The practice triggers horn regrowth every two years, shifts rhino territorial range, prompts calls for strategies targeting demand.

Image
Image
Two de-horned rhinos graze in South Africa's Pilanesberg National Park, Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
A de-horned rhino grazes in South Africa's Pilanesberg National Park, Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Overview

  • A Science journal analysis of 11 reserves around Kruger National Park recorded a 78% drop in poaching between 2017 and 2023 following horn removal.
  • Dehorning operations use just 1.2% of rhino protection budgets and involve sedating animals with blindfolds and earmuffs before trimming horns, which regrow in about 18 to 24 months.
  • Researchers determined that traditional measures—ranger patrols, detection cameras, dog tracking and helicopter surveillance—did not produce significant long-term declines in poaching.
  • Field observations showed that dehorned rhinos became more timid and occupied smaller territories, indicating potential ecological and behavioral impacts.
  • Conservationists stress that dehorning is a short-term tactic and urge efforts to curb horn demand and bolster law enforcement for lasting rhino protection.