The last remaining horned rhino at Kragga Kamma Game Reserve outside Port Elizabeth - a female white rhino - was dehorned on Tuesday morning in an operation designed to safe-guard it from poachers.
A bull rhino and two other females at the reserve are having their horns trimmed during the self-same operation after being dehorned two years ago.
An emotional Ayesha Cantor, who owns the Kragga Kamma Game Reserve along with her husband Michael, said if they did not go this route - their rhino would very likely be killed by poachers. "Our Province is experiencing escalated rhino poaching activities and finding it very difficult to come to terms with the fact that "when and not if" they are coming for our rhino.
We will dehorn them all, take off as much as possible, to lessen the reward.Cantor said trimming the horns of the bull rhino and the other two females was also very necessary. "We have just taken off about 8cm, which is an incredible re-growth in two years.
I guess being a bull he has a much bigger base. We will be doing the two females who have young calves" she said.Cantor said since Dr Fowlds last dehorned the Rhino he has bettered his technique immensely.
Meanwhile the Supreme Court of Appeal has dismissed a government bid to keep a seven-year ban in place on the domestic trade in rhino horn.The decision has no bearing on a ban on international trade in rhino horn.Thousands of South African rhinos have been slain in recent years to meet demand for the commodity in Asian countries.In a case bought by two game breeders last year, a High Court judge yesterday lifted a seven-year domestic ban on trade in rhino horn.News 24 reports that the legal decision may have little immediate impact because a ban on international trade is unaffected, but the breeders believe open trade is the only way to stop poachers slaughtering rhino.Rhino breeders want the booming Asian demand for rhino horn to be met by horns sewn off anesthetized live animals, arguing that a legal source of horn could end poaching deaths.Government says its studying the judgement.
