Dehorning White and Black Rhinos
Part of our African Geography Hub — Explore Africa's landscapes and environment.
Dehorning rhinos means taking off their horns to protect them from poachers. White rhinoceros and black rhinoceros is are heavily poached because of the size of their horns.
Dehorning Saves White and Black Rhinos from Extinction
The official term for taking the horns off rhinoceroses is dehorning. Dehorning is a conservation technique used to protect rhinos from poachers by removing their horns.
Dehorning techniques for rhinoceroses have been used since the late 1980s. Namibia was the first country to implement dehorning as a strategy to protect rhinos from poaching.
Poachers hunt rhinos for their horns, which are made of keratin, the same stuff as our hair and nails. They use the horns for medicine and fancy jewelry. Poachers sneak onto reserves, sometimes laying and wait for days using the skill of Wilderness survivalists.
In many cultures, but especially in Asian Cultures such as China and Vietnam the horn of the rhinoceros is believed to carry healing powers for everything from a cold to cancer.
Dehorning doesn’t hurt the rhinos because it’s like cutting our hair or nails. The rhinos are put to sleep during the process, so they don’t feel anything.
The horn will eventually grow back, so dehorning needs to be repeated periodically to keep the rhinos safe from poachers.
Six Dehorning Methods for Rhinos.
Chemical paste is a method is used on very young rhinos.
A special paste is applied to the horn buds to prevent them from growing.
Hot irons are heated used to cauterize the cells at the base of the horn, preventing further growth. This method is used a lot for older rhinos.
Tube or Scoop Dehorners are tools have sharp edges that gouge out the horn buds.
In older rhinos, Barnes Dehorners are used. These are mechanical tools that remove the horn by cutting it off.
Surgical removal, in some cases, a veterinarian may perform surgery to remove the horn.
Finally horn tipping involves cutting off just the tip of the horn, rather than removing the entire horn.
In South Africa, a dehorning program has helped reduce rhino poaching. In May and June 2024, only 43 rhinos were poached, compared to 76 in the same months last year.
Since April 2024, about 1,000 rhinos have been dehorned. This helps protect them because poachers are less likely to kill rhinos without horns.
Dehorning is a good way to help save rhinos and make sure they have a future on the planet.
