Buitron, D., 1991. Namibia: leading the way in wildlife conservation. Swara 14 (2): 29-31, figs. 1-6
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| Location: |
Africa - Southern Africa - Namibia |
| Subject: |
Management |
| Species: |
Black Rhino |
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Unfortunately, just as the Kaokoveld rhino population was beginning to make real gains in numbers, severe poaching pressure on the rhinos began anew. Being thinly scattered over a huge area they were very difficult to protect in any direct way, and when several were killed in Damaraland over a brief period early in 1989, some kind of urgent action was called for. This resulted in the decision by Nature Conservation officials to launch Operation Bicornis, a programme involving both the de-horning and translocation of a certain number of rhinos (the exact figures are not being disclosed).
According to Peter Tarr, an official of the Directorate of Nature Conservation based in Swakopmund, the de-horning side of the programme was a last ditch measure, undertaken only after it was agreed there was nothing to lose. It was done by darting the rhinos from helicopters, sawing the horns off with hand saws, trimming the stumps carefully with hoof-clippers and files, and then sealing them with Stockholm Tar to prevent infection.
As the Kaokoveld rhinos had been closely monitored for a decade, it was easy to select certain areas for the experiment where the resident rhinos could be dehorned, and then continue to monitor them to determine any possible effects of the dehorning on their behaviour. At the time of this writing, no ill effects have been observed, three calves that have since been born to de-horned rhinos are doing well, and the poaching. of rhinos in Damaraland has stopped.
The notion of de-horning rhinos in order to protect them from poacher had only been a topic of debate prior to Operation Bicornis, but Namibia's decisive action has now given conservationists a case study to look at. From this, decisions might be made as to the applicability of de-horning to small and threatened rhino population elsewhere in Africa.
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Namibia: leading the way in wildlife conservation
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