Horny forever? Not anymore
Rhinos get dehorned at Askari Game Lodge as a desperate measure.
Last year the Big 5 Askari Game Lodge ran a tongue-in-cheek fundraising campaign, having printed ‘Horny Forever’ promotional aprons. Barely a year and four poached rhinos later, they’ve packed the promotional items away.
“Horny is not Forever, anymore.”
Sadly Askari Game Lodge recently dehorned all the rhino on the reserve to preserve their lives and hopefully prevent further poaching. The extreme measure was taken after horn poisoning, collaring and extensive signage in several languages proved ineffective.
“We are aware that dehorning is an intrusive procedure and there are risks involved,” said general manager Graham Shipway.
“It is heartbreaking to have to go to such extreme measures to protect our heritage.
“Horns grow back over time and we may have to go through this whole process again in 12 or 24 months.”
Dehorning the rhinos is not a foolproof method of keeping them safe, said head game ranger Wimpie Pretorius.
“It is certainly a step in the right direction; however, where visibility is low, for instance in bush or hill terrain, poachers may not be able to see if the rhino’s horn is intact and shoot regardless.
“Another real danger is the vengeance factor, as happened in Hwange National Park where it is believed that poachers killed dehorned rhino to avoid tracking them again.”
The Game Lodge and Spa will be hosting a fundraiser event at Barnyard in Rivonia on 23 September, which is open to the public and corporates.
“If you happen to have a catchy slogan for our next batch of T-shirts, let us know,” says Shipway.
How is dehorning carried out?
• Rhinos usually are darted from a helicopter, but occasionally from the ground in smaller reserves.
• A pen is used to mark the point of removal – usually 7cm from the base of the front horn and 5cm from the base of the back horn.
• While under anaesthesia, a chainsaw or hand-saw is used to cut the horn off horizontally.
• Eyes and ears are covered to prevent noise, disturbance and damaging the saw.
• The stump is trimmed to remove excess horn at the base, then smoothed and covered with Stockholm tar to prevent cracking and drying.
