Ride 4 Rhinos – a rhino dehorning

Rhino conservation – the key driver behind our charity.

At our Gala Evening, held at Bayala Private Safari Lodges, the main item to be auctioned was the opportunity to take part in and experience the dehorning of a rhino. This is a costly operation, involving a wildlife vet, a helicopter and crew on the ground .

Fortunately, we were able to raise the funds for a dehorning to take place on the Sunday.

The wildlife vet, Dr Mike Toft took to the skies in a helicopter and was able to spot the rhino. With great precision he darts the running rhino. In the meantime, the guests and ground crew drove to the fallen rhino, covered her eyes and ears to minimise trauma and marked the spot where the horn would be removed.

Whilst under anaestheisa, Dr Toft uses a chain saw to cut the horn off. 

The stump is then trimmed to remove excess horn at the base and covered with a tar to prevent cracking and drying. 

Water is continuously poured over the rhino to prevent over heating.

Once the horn is removed, it will be relocated safely and securely to an undisclosed location off the reserve.

There is no time to spare during the whole procedure as the anaesthetic wears off quickly, with the rhino stumbling to her feet before running away.  

It must be noted that this is a deeply moving experience for the guests but not for the rhino.

But dehorning alone cannot protect rhinos – there also needs to be vigorous law enforcement and monitoring efforts, adequate fencing around the reserves, and ongoing education programs in the local communities – we are extremely grateful to each and every person who donates so generously to make these dehornings and other antipoaching measures possible.