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Game park workers restrain a rhinoceros to saw off her horn at the Kragga Kamma Game Park on March 30 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Horns are being removed from rhinos in an attempt to prevent the rhino from being poached and its horn sold on the black market.
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Veterinarian William Fowlds saws off the horn of a rhinocerous while game ranger Mof Swanepoel restrains her at the Kragga Kamma Game Park on March 30 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
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Veterinarian William Fowlds, game park co-owner Mike Cantor and game ranger Mof Swanepoel treat the wounds of a rhinoceros after sawing off its horns at the Kragga Kamma Game Park on March 30 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
Gallo Images via Getty Images
A rhinoceros whose horn has been removed grazes with its young at the Kragga Kamma Game Park on March 30 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
More on the poaching that has killed more 800 rhinos in the last three years.
The last four breeding Northern White Rhinos are moved from Europe to Africa in hopes of keeping the subspecies alive. Learn about the debate over the move and the logistics of transporting such large animals.
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Shoot poachers on sight.
I have to agree, shoot them on sight. I find it disturbing that they would mutilate these creatures in an attempt to make them less of a target to poachers. Penalties should be severe for poachers, such as: if not killed, then life in prison. Possession of a rhino horn should carry severe penalties as well.
Why don't the poachers just do it this way, then they could be PETA-certified?
While I do generally agree, I do find it amusing the number of people on here who propose shooting poachers, but abhor the death penalty...
Rhino horn is the same material as fingernails, so they aren't actually mutilating them.
How are these Rhino's going to protect themselves and their young in the wild with no horns; !
Someone please tell the Chinese about Viagra!
Rhinos have few natural enemies besides man, although young rhinos can be taken by predators. I have a hunch that lack of a horn won't critically impede defense of young rhinos. The bulk and wrath of a mother rhino is sufficiently impressive to deter big cats, who don't eye the situation and say, "Huh, no horn! Let's get 'em!".
Hear, Hear I agree wholeheartedly
You cannot shoot the poachers on sight. There are a huge enterprise criminal behind them: World Wildlife Fund (WWF), local government, China and their strategic ally in a region. I guaranteed you that these exotic items will be serving the Riches, Elites, and Powerful Chinese in China.
Like politicans, WWF is hypocrite and mouthpiece for China for their own interests. Take a closer look at their web site. Under the covers, WWF and its cronies protect and shield China from any bad reputations.
China is Untouchable, Invincible, and going Immortal. We stop complain or whine long time ago. Never trust WWF
Here's a two-part strategy for crashing the market in rhino horns: First, create tons of counterfeit rhino horn and sell it on the worldwide black market. That will bring down the cost dramatically, so salesmen, middlemen, and poachers will make a lot less money per pound. Second, float rumors in key markets that 1.) there are tons of counterfeit rhino horn for sale on the market; and 2.) a new study has revealed that real rhino horn causes erectile dysfunction.
Oh, and yeah, shoot poachers on sight. Totally agree. (If a veterinarian can sedate a rhino and remove the horn safely to prevent a poacher from killing that rhino, then why doesn't a poacher do the same thing? It would still be illegal and cruel, but at least the rhino would be alive and able to breed more endangered rhinos, as well as make more horn for itself. Poaching is unnecessarily vicious.)
God Bless the animals!
shoot poachers and the whole supply chain, including the buyers of rhino, elephant and tiger parts.
Yes these poachers should be shot onsight and left to be eaten by the other animals
Be like BOTSWANA and make it a national priority. A hero for the animals and conservation..Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama, President of Botswana. I bet you will be shot on site for any poaching in his country.
This is so sad, there just isn't any comment. I really wants to make you cry.
A sad sight and commentary on many fronts, yet arguably better than the alternative of extinction. Still seemingly primitive, in this technologically advanced age of enlightenment and education. Gives meaning to irrert's post #3, only use the Rhino horn as the means of execution.
How sad is our world that such a thing has to be done to try and save our animals. Stop the madness of poaching due to greed. I hope that eventually all of God's creatures can live for once in peace.
That's terrible that this animal should have to go through, all the stress, and now being hornless. Saw of the poachers "horn"...
This makes me so sad. It's such a double-edged sword - remove their horns and leave them vulnerable to the wild (they are their natural defense after all), or leave them on and leave them vulnerable to poachers. I imagine it was a decision based on which option cause the least loss of life. It's such a shame.
It's not only greed, which is certainly a large part, but also ignorance and superstition that allow these practices to continue. The United States seems hell bent on restoring these two principles to its education system. If it succeeds, we'll be wondering why we're sawing the antlers off all the elk in a few years.
...Shooting the poachers sometimes needed... because some have murdered park rangers who try to protect the endangered animals... But the poachers tend to be severely impoverished Africans who can often see no other way to feed their families... The real criminals are the trafficers who make the real and obscene profits selling the horns in the Arab world and in Asia...
...In Kenya it got so bad that you had two rangers to each Rhino... That was not economically feasible... Cutting off the horn extremely unfortunate... but since "competition" also so doctored... still an even playing field... As to defense... Sheer size and aggression mean that predators give wide berth to any healthy animal. Cutting off the horn (like fingernails... a type of "hair...") is the only guarantee that poaching will stop... Other animals (leopards, etc) not so fortunate.
...In many of these countries, government officials involved... especially in the Ivory trade. Many of these areas had conflicts in the country... or on the borders... A lot of AK-47s out there... Most game rangers have bolt action rifles...
I say shoot poachers in the feet. Then leave them in lion and hyena country. That way (if they can still walk) they leave a nice trail.
No need to be cruel. A clean kill and LOTS of publicity about what happens when you poach. Include the buyers all down the line...
Sanctions against all countries practising ancient chinese medicine would be a good start. Then let's go on to countries that torture animals and have no respect for them or any living beings. This is not the middle ages any more- people can educate themselves via internet, media, etc. They don't care about the animals or wiping out whole species. Harsher laws against poaching and the exotic animal trade need to put in place.
People like Bob Parsons(CEO GoDaddy) who kill exotic aniamals are sick.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42356709/ link to his elephant kill.
It is sad, and I suppose better than the alternative....
Did anyone notice there is no mention as to what is done with the horn once its "humanely" removed? Are these "heroes" truely saving the rhinos, or are they just getting the horns before the poachers do?
I think the main concern is the safety of the rhino and not making money off of their horns. These are people that love their jobs, and are looking out for the rhinos.
Suspicious much?!
Superstition still abounds in our world, especially in ancient Chinese medicine. I've studied herbal medicine for years and it took me years to find books that weren't filled with superstition. Suppliers cater to the demand and want to have every remedy in their bag of tricks. These horns are also turned into sacred knife handles in Yemen. Superstition still rules much of the world, as does hunger. Helping hunger in these regions might do some good.
This is, indeed, the rotten apple syndrome - a few bad ones and the whole barrel must be discarded. Sanctions are ineffective and, therefore, there needs to be a coming together of minds to resolve the issue of rhinos losing their horns and elephants losing their tusks while both animals are left to rot after the poacher has gotten what they came for. Let us all keep in mind that China is a signatory to CITES, as is Chad and many countries around the world, yet China is illegally importing tusks and horns hidden in false compartments of shipping containers. Anyone ever hear of BOYCOTT? Boycott every product coming out of these countries that do not observe the rules regarding the preservation and conseration of wildlife and then we might get their attention. There is no other way but to hit these countries in the pocket and mean it. As for the poachers themselves, poverty is not the reason, greed is.
..thinking that some sort of prosthesis (recycled plastic) could be used to maintain function/dignity of the animal. Maybe a slower approach, ad one would lose a few animals before poachers weren't willing to gamble shooting an animal just to get a prosthetic horn.
Any such prosthetic would not be readily identifiable by poachers that shoot these animals from a distance, effectively any such device would make the animal a target.
This is so sad, all because of the greed of some humans, this animal is striped of is identity of what makes him/her who they are. This not the animal God created as a rhino (hornless). I agree with Dizzygrl28, how will they protect themselves? But I also understand they are trying to save the rhino from extinction.
They will just shoot the animal for the heck of it now for pissing them off. The ONLY way to stop this nonsense is to kill anyone who kills the animal, or uses ANY part of it. Problem solved. NEXT!!!!
This is so screwed up all around. What is the point of the rhino without the horn...it strips them of their ability to protect themselves and endangers their way of life. And to have to resort to this to save their species from poachers...one wonders what the point is. Are we supposed to saw off their horns forever? Obviously the main problem (the poachers) isn't being dealt with effectively enough. Let's saw off their arms and see if that helps.
Too stupid.......it's like cutting off your penis because someday you may get cancer. How about they leave the rhinos alone and kill the poachers.
Easy to spot a rhino. Hard to spot a poacher. They look like everyone else.
I agree with you Agnes, boycotts are a very effective tool. But as for greed being the only reason for these animals being brought to the brink of extinction. No Agnes Africans are for the most part poor. Some of these folks are forced to starve or to hunt animals that we westerners are so fond of. It is not as though greed isn't a part in this that is true. But imagine if your life or the lives of your children or parents were dependent upon you to provide food or money. That Saint Bernard down the street could feed you, your family and the neighbors.
My knee jerk reaction is to shoot the poachers but if you are going down that road the middlemen would be a better target. But when we go there what do with do with the wives and children of the middlemen? Or the hunters wives and children? Are you big brave badasses going to kill them too? Or just let them starve?
There is no easy, quick answer, is there? But they have to start somewhere.