Two rhino were dehorned in the Nambiti private game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal to protect them against poachers.
"Today is bittersweet. We do not want to interfere with the nature of the rhinos by dehorning them, but we have no choice, we have to cut off their horns to keep them alive," chairman Clarke Smith was quoted as saying.
Managers at the reserve, near Ladysmith, declined to disclose the total number of rhino for security reasons.
The operation was led by a team from the reserve and veterinarians on Thursday morning. A helicopter was used to find the rhino and dart them. The DNA of the dehorned animals would be stored so the origin of the horns could be traced should they ever be stolen.
Reserve dehorns rhino
Two rhino were dehorned in the Nambiti private game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal to protect them against poachers.
"Today is bittersweet. We do not want to interfere with the nature of the rhinos by dehorning them, but we have no choice, we have to cut off their horns to keep them alive," chairman Clarke Smith was quoted as saying.
Managers at the reserve, near Ladysmith, declined to disclose the total number of rhino for security reasons.
The operation was led by a team from the reserve and veterinarians on Thursday morning. A helicopter was used to find the rhino and dart them. The DNA of the dehorned animals would be stored so the origin of the horns could be traced should they ever be stolen.
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