Research finds rhino dehorning helps poaching - but it's no silver bullet

ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS - A groundbreaking seven-year study has confirmed what rangers on the frontline of South Africa's poaching war already suspected: removing a rhino's horn drastically reduces its risk of being killed.

But while dehorning may buy time, scientists warn it's not the long-term answer.

Led by Nelson Mandela University George Campus' biodiversity scientist, Dr Tim Kuiper, the study, published in the journal Science on 5 June, tracked 2 284 dehorned rhinos across 11 reserves in the Greater Kruger region between 2017 and 2023.

The results were clear-cut: where dehorning was implemented, poaching dropped by an average of 78%.

The study was co-ordinated by the Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation and represents the first comprehensive look at dehorning's impact. Contributors included Nelson Mandela University, UCT, Stellenbosch University, Oxford University, SANParks, WWF SA and the Rhino Recovery Fund.

Despite its effectiveness, Kuiper warned dehorning was merely a stopgap. He said it was not ideal and was certainly not the ultimate solution.

The real war, he reiterated, was against the transnational syndicates who drive the demand for rhino horn. Research shows the syndicates' resolve to keep going.

Kuiper said new data show poachers are now targeting the stumps of regrown horns, even though they fetch far less on the black market than full horns. It appears at an average of $30 000 per kilogram (about R527 000), even scraps are worth killing for.

Reserves involved in the study spent over R1b on high-tech anti-poaching measures between 2017 and 2021, such as helicopters, ranger patrols, tracking dogs, camera traps and vehicle access controls. While more than 700 arrests were made, the poaching persisted. The data revealed no statistically significant drop, unless horns were removed.

Prof Zenixole Loubser, Dr Tim Kuiper, Prof Joshua Louw and Martin Loubser.

Justice system failing our rhinos?

Kuiper explained arrests without proper prosecution simply don't work as they saw multiple repeat offenders back in the bush after being released.

He said grinding poverty and deep inequality lay at the root of the crisis. Kuiper paints a sobering picture of life for many communities living on the Kruger's doorstep, characterised by unemployed youth, failing services and a lack of opportunity. This, he explained, created the perfect breeding ground for organised crime.

Syndicates prey on this desperation. They flash cash at local shebeens, recruit young men, and use illicit loan schemes to lure people in. Those who can't repay their debts are coerced into poaching.

Even the guardians of the parks are not immune. Rangers and police officers have been caught aiding syndicates for payment, feeding them intel, smuggling weapons, and escorting poachers in and out of the park. Alleged poaching kingpin Joseph Nyalungu's (a former policeman) raft of active court cases is just one of many highlighting this internal rot.

Ultimately, Kuiper said, the findings gave reserves a vital tool, but he insisted it was not a silver bullet. He stressed dehorning cannot be the only strategy. He insisted the only way for rhinos and the people who protect them to have a fighting chance was for these criminal networks to be dismantled through proper intelligence-led investigations.

Two white rhinos near Crocodile Bridge in Kruger Park with their highly prized horns intact.

Why not legalise trade in harvested horn?

John Hume, a South African rhino breeder and passionate conservationist, spent decades advocating for the legal trade of harvested rhino horn.

Believing that regulated horn sales could fund conservation and undercut illegal poaching, Hume amassed the world's largest private rhino herd, numbering more than 2 000, and stockpiled tonnes of horn, all trimmed from live animals. He argued that horn, like hair or nails, could be sustainably harvested without harming rhinos. Despite costly legal battles and repeated appeals to international bodies, the global ban on horn trade remained largely intact.

Kuiper points to the uncertain nature of rhino horn demand as a major obstacle to legalising trade.

Experts remain unsure whether increasing the supply of horn, even at prices lower than those on the black market, might unintentionally fuel greater demand. Compounding the issue is the difficulty in distinguishing between legally and illegally sourced horn, which poses a significant challenge for law enforcement trying to regulate any legal trade.

A well-placed anti-poaching insider echoed Kuiper's concerns. "Should we flood the market now, what happens in 10 years or five years when all the stockpiles of horns have been depleted and the price of horns have plummeted and now all of a sudden the demand is much higher? What then? Will we have enough horns to flood the market again? We feel we can't flood the market before the criminal syndicates have been dismantled," he said.

He noted that while dehorning has led to a decline in poaching, the problem has resurged, with 21 rhinos killed in December alone, and the slaughter continuing into the following months. As major syndicate players are taken down, others quickly step in to take their place.

"Our current problem is Mozambique, as some of the bosses have moved across the border because it is easier for them to operate from that side," the source said.

The silhouette of a white rhino with horns intact is a rare sight these days.