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> tranquilize & dehorn them why don't anti-poachers use that approach? thought rhinos have to die before extracting their horns...
by devdoomari 9y ago
> tranquilize & dehorn them
why don't anti-poachers use that approach?
thought rhinos have to die before extracting their horns...
- vezycash 9y agoAnd how will a hornless rhino protect itself against predators?
- davidhyde 9y agoHealthy adult rhinos have no predators (except humans). They are massive. They use their horns to defend their young and their territories.
- animal531 9y agoYou'd think so, but here's a video of for example a hippo vs a rhino without (much of) a horn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW-GX7o7hBc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW-GX7o7hBc Also when a pride of lions get hungry enough they'll go after anything, at which point having a horn makes all the difference.
- davidhyde 9y agoThey do, it is common practice to safely dehorn Rhino in game parks (alternatively some parks will keep all the Rhino in a smaller more easily protected area). However, horns grow and poachers will cut off the part that cannot be safely removed and still get a good yield. I'm assuming that poachers would use tranquilizers if they could because they are less noisy and would therefore be less likely to be caught. However, they are often not very well funded and simply opportunists. Some are though.