text: Born Free Blog » Blog Archive » Ignore the Past; Doom the Rhino
  One Response to "Ignore the Past; Doom the Rhino"
  I believe that 'legalising' rhino horn will create a massive disaster. Possibly even worse than the poaching now as then the lines will be blurred. Hell we only have to look at the UK governments hunting ban with dogs, excuses the huntsmen and women use are 'scientific research' and the like, and the courts seem to accept that excuse again and again despite the blatant law breaking. This practise though isn't threatening the existence of a species
  But yet again though it is those at the end of the chain, those who work for pittance, that will risk their lives to gain rhino horn for the rich masters who will sell it to high bidders. Am I right in thinking that in some areas the poachers have become the security, once they understand the impact of what they are doing.
  In Namibia where they trialled dehorning, not a single rhino was poached? Is that right? But the dehorning needs doing every year to 18 months, so a cost thing. But surely better than the loss of a species. At the moment I am answering my own questions and the answer every time seems to be money.
  My question[s] is though, and I may be well off here (and very naive):
  dehorning, a cruel practise but can it be used to save a species? Or will the rhino still be killed to get the 'root' of the horn. I know rhinos rely on horns for numerous things but if it means we can save a species would it be worth it?
  Colouring or dying the horn to make it worthless, but can something like this be done on a live animal? Is there any supplement that can be used that will discolour horn? Could we dehorn and then dye the 'stump' of the horn rendering it useless?