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While nature endowed rhinoceroses with impressive horns, humans have turned these appendages into valuable objects and subject to unjustified trafficking. Sold for up to €51,000 per kilo in Asia for their supposed aphrodisiac, anti-cancer, or anti-aging properties, the horns make the rhinoceros a prime target for poachers. In particular, the black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), a species of which only about 5,200 individuals remained in 2015, is classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and is listed in Appendix I of CITES. To combat poaching pressure, WWF implemented the Black Rhino Extension Project in South Africa: the creation of protected nature reserves and the relocation of individuals to establish new populations, the strengthening of anti-poaching teams, radio telemetry tracking of animals, and dehorning are among the actions undertaken by the project to reduce poaching pressure and save the species. Our study, conducted in 2017 in South Africa, focused on a population of nine wild black rhinos, the males of which had been dehorned, while the females retained their horns for defense against lions and hyenas. The behavior, home ranges, and body condition of each individual were monitored for several months after dehorning. None of these parameters appeared to be altered by the procedure.
If nature gave impressive horns to rhinoceroses, humans made of those appendices a valuable item and an unjustified traffic. A kilo of horn can reach €51,000 in Asia for the so-called aphrodisiac, anti-cancer and anti-aging properties, that makes the rhinos being prey of choice for poachers. Particularly, the Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), a species of about 5,200 remaining individuals in 2015, is classified “critically endangered” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and is in the Annex I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. To fight against poaching pressure, the WWF implemented the Black Rhino Range Expansion Project in South Africa: creation of natural and protected reserves and transfers of individuals to create new populations, reinforcement of anti-poaching units, monitoring of the animals with radio-telemetry, dehorning… are actions staked by the project to slow down poaching and save the species. Our study, carried out in 2017 in South Africa, deals with a population of nine black rhinos living wild, in which males were dehorned but females kept their horns to be able to defend themselves against lions and hyenas. Behavior, home ranges and body scores of each individual were monitored during several months following dehorning. The operation does not seem to have modified any of those parameters.