Unfortunately, rhino horns are so valuable that even a residual amount of horn would be worth targeting, making dehorning only a mildly effective deterrent. Poachers are so well organized and dangerous that park managers and law enforcement will always be on the defensive.
Barring artificial horns, new supply is impossible, so reducing demand is the only hope for these magnificent animals. JSTOR is a digital library for scholars, researchers, and students. Privacy Policy Contact Us You may unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the provided link on any marketing message. By: James MacDonald. June 2, April 4, Share Tweet Email Print. Have a correction or comment about this article?
Please contact us. Environmental Crimes: Profiting at the Earth's Expense. Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. Rhino horn drug leads to poaching. The people we interviewed said that they used rhino horn to treat various ailments including hangovers, fever, gout and potentially terminal illnesses, like cancer or stroke. Some people also gave it to terminally ill relatives to console them and show that they had done everything in their power to help them. Our findings confirm that the idea that rhino horn has magical healing properties is deeply rooted in Vietnam.
Aside from being used as medicine, rhino horn is considered a status symbol. Consumers said that they shared it within social and professional networks to demonstrate their wealth and strengthen business relationships. Gifting whole rhino horns was also used as a way to get favours from those in power. They were also not concerned about the legal repercussions of buying it. The penal code of Vietnam prohibits illegal trade and use of rhino horn.
However, all interviewed believed that the police would not pay attention to rhino horn use and that law enforcement efforts only focused on illegal trade in large quantities. A former trader of rhino horn said that potential profits from the trade far outweighed any risks. However, there are numerous cases where dehorning has proved insufficient to prevent rhinos from falling victim to poachers.
For example, in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe during the early s, the majority of de-horned rhinos were killed just months after being dehorned. For dehorning to be effective, it must be coupled with extensive anti-poaching security and monitoring efforts.
With an absence of security, rhinos may continue to be poached regardless of whether they have been dehorned. So why do poachers continue to target hornless rhinos? This is often attributed to the stub of horn that is left after removal. If the horn is cut too close to the germinal layer, this could damage the horn base and lead to deformed horn re-growth. So during any dehorning exercise a stub of horn will remain: although poaching is made less profitable, the sad reality is that poachers will still kill for a horn stub due to its high value.
Poachers may also kill dehorned rhinos out of vengeance. In Hwange NP, it was thought that poachers killed dehorned rhinos, to avoid tracking them again. Furthermore, if there is thick bush or hilly terrain poachers may not see if the rhino has an intact horn prior to shooting. Horns grow back over time, with recent studies claiming that the re-growth of dehorned rhino horn appears faster than growth in non-dehorned rhinos.
With the current severe poaching threat, experts recommend that rhinos should ideally be dehorned every months in order to be an effective deterrent. Dehorning is an intrusive procedure and, like any immobilisation, there is a risk to the rhino during the operation. While all efforts are taken to reduce the risk, there are sometimes veterinary complications while the animal is under anaesthetic that may result in death.
The more frequently the rhinos are immobilised, the greater the risk. In addition, dehorning is incredibly costly, due to the effort of finding the animals and the costs associated with the immobilisation process, especially if needed on a recurrent basis.
An important consideration in the dehorning debate is whether rhinos actually need their horns. The evolutionary significance of horns in rhinos is not entirely clear, and may include mate choice or anti-predator defence. It is known that rhinos use their horns for several behavioural functions, including defending territories, defending calves from other rhinos and predators, maternal care including guiding calves and foraging behaviour, such as digging for water and breaking branches.
Male rhinos use their horns during disputes over territory or dominance, so removal of the horn may undermine the ability of a particular bull to retain territory or status.
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