Dehorning rhinos reduces poaching by 80%, study finds
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Study: Dehorning Rhinos Cuts Poaching by 78%
Above: Doctor Chris Forging cuts a rhino horn on Oct. 8, 2010, in Chipinge National Park situated at 360 kilometers west of Harare. Image copyright: Desmond Kwande/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Authorities now have an ingenious and powerful tool in the fight against poaching: removing the supply of what they want the most with little effect on the rhino. Dehorning could make rhino conservation much more economical and effective, freeing up resources to address the root causes of poaching, such as poverty and corruption.
Narrative B
Dehorning is an incomplete intervention, and perhaps the legalization of the horn trade could alleviate the suffering of the rhinos. Interventions are hampered by poverty-driven corruption, and possibly giving locals a stake in the value of the horns could protect these creatures while preventing poachers from brutalizing the rhinos by selling the removed horns.