Conservation groups have hailed the mass dehorning of rhinos in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP) in KwaZulu-Natal as being responsible for an 80% drop in poaching in the park in just six months.
The emergency dehorning operation in HiP was a response to the extremely high poaching incident recorded in this iconic park, known as the birthplace of white and black rhinos in South Africa.
In 2023, 307 rhinos were killed in HiP alone, representing more than 10% of the park’s population and some 60% of the national poaching loss in South Africa.
In June, only four animals were lost, in July eight and in August four.
When the operation first started in April, around 30 animals a month were being killed. To date, more than 1 000 rhinos have been dehorned as part of the ongoing operation.
It has spared the lives of an estimated 120 rhinos and enabled the rescue of eight orphaned calves whose mothers had been killed. The calves were found in the early days of the operation and are now being cared for at the Zululand Rhino Orphanage.
“Unfortunately, rhino poachers are indiscriminate and often target female rhinos that have small calves at foot. These calves are usually ignored by the poachers and are left behind to fend for themselves. Fortunately, for these eight calves, due to the extensive aerial surveillance carried out during the dehorning operation, they were discovered in time,” said Jeff Cooke, World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature SA’s rhino conservation programme manager.
The dehorning operation is a strategic partnership between the provincial conservation agency and the (WWF), with additional support from Wildlife ACT, Save the Rhino International and Zululand Wildlife Vets.
Cape Times