Rhino Capture
Horn removal (de-horning) of white rhinoceros
A white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) undergoing de-horning following immobilisation. The rhino is tranquilised during the operation and the horn removal is painless. Rhino horn, being made of keratin, is the same material as your hair and fingernails. Horn removal is not pleasant for the rhino or the team but it is a short-term measure to reduce risk of poaching to the rhino. Used in the article Spy-cam Rhinos to Take on Poachers with Devices Hidden in their Horns; published for World Rhino Day 2015 in The Conversation. To learn more about de-horning rhino, see my article Chopping Off the Rhino's Horn and the War on Wildlife Crime.
Location: South Africa
Photographer: Jason Gilchrist
