Durban — It was a win for rhino conservation when a community-owned Big Five reserve undertook a large rhino dehorning operation to protect the species from poaching.

Somkhanda Game Reserve, situated in Zululand, northern KwaZulu-Natal, was the first community game reserve to welcome back a black rhino population as part of environmental group WWF’s Black Rhino Range Expansion Project (BRREP) in 2007.

The recent dehorning operation marked a significant success not only for the reserve, but also for overall rhino conservation in the province, which lost 325 rhinos to poaching in 2023.

African Wildlife Vets veterinarian Dr Jen Lawrence assists a darted rhino before dehorning. Picture: Megan Whittington/ Wildlife ACT

Rhino Recovery and others funded the three-day dehorning operation at Somkhanda Game Reserve in July. It is a series of operations supported by various donors, aimed at protecting the rhino population following a substantial increase in poaching numbers in the province last year.

Dehorning is the process where the majority of a rhino’s horns are carefully removed by an experienced vet safely and humanely while the animal is sedated. This procedure is painless for the rhino to reduce the weight and, as a result, the value of the rhino’s horns, thus reducing the incentive for a poacher.

The decision to dehorn is not made lightly and is implemented as a lifesaving relief response to the onslaught of poaching the province has suffered, with the ultimate well-being of the individuals and the conservation of their species as the driving force.

Poaching has had a significant impact on rhino numbers, with some of the smaller populations having been wiped out entirely, and larger populations now facing strain on a disastrous level. This has resulted in dehorning becoming a vital preventive conservation measure for these iconic species.

Somkhanda Game Reserve manager Meiring Prinsloo assists a darted rhino before dehorning. Picture: Megan Whittington/ Wildlife ACT

Several key partners were involved in making the operation a success, including Wildlife ACT, PAMCo, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife vet Dr Rowan Leeming, African Wildlife Vets veterinarian Dr Jen Lawrence, Heligistix, Zululand Air Patrol (ZAP Wing), Rhino Recovery Fund, CHEP, Protank, WWF Black Rhino Range Expansion Project, Ford Wildlife Foundation, and Somkhanda Big 5 Tourism.

“Due to the increased rhino poaching pressure experienced in KZN during the past few months, we had to drastically intensify our overall counter-poaching measures. This obviously comes at increased, and mostly unplanned, additional costs. Thanks to the Rhino Recovery Fund and Wildlife ACT, additional support was made available to Somkhanda Game Reserve that will definitely aid us in our mission to safeguard our rhino and other wildlife,” said Somkhanda managing director Meiring Prinsloo.

African Wildlife Vets veterinarian Dr Jen Lawrence assists a darted rhino before dehorning. Picture: Megan Whittington/ Wildlife ACT

Monitoring rhino populations is essential as it allows for their health, behaviour, and population dynamics to be tracked, which promotes effective management and protection strategies. Additionally, monitoring assists in detecting and preventing poaching activities.

A twofold approach has been adopted to maximise the effectiveness of wildlife monitoring at Somkhanda Game Reserve.

Firstly, daily on-the-ground tracking by Somkhanda’s experienced rhino monitors who go out on foot to find and report on the reserve’s rhino population, gathering information on the condition of individuals, population demographics, feeding, and breeding behaviour.

The second approach uses modern remote tracking technology implemented in collaboration with Wildlife ACT. These tracking devices assist in tracking a rhino’s movement patterns, allowing teams to respond quickly if there are irregularities.

Somkhanda Game Reserve manager Meiring Prinsloo observes a rhino post-dehorning. Picture: Megan Whittington/ Wildlife ACT

“In order to protect a species like rhino effectively, reserve management needs to know as much information about them as possible, be it population size, population demographics, movement patterns, territories, the condition of individuals, and more,” Wildlife ACT conservation co-ordinator Chris du Toit explained.

“Intensive, on-the-ground monitoring along with the use of technology such as tracking devices helps to gather this vital information more effectively, which is then used to make informed management decisions to better protect these vulnerable animals.”

Wildlife ACT director of conservation, Anel Olivier, applies a LoRa tracking pod post-dehorning. Picture: Megan Whittington/ Wildlife ACT

Somkhanda Game Reserve has taken additional measures.

With the support of the Rhino Recovery Fund, a solar-powered LoRaWAN system has been installed on the reserve, which provides coverage to the majority of the reserve. This coverage is primarily focused on areas with high rhino densities and has hugely improved the reserve’s rhino monitoring capacity.

Wildlife ACT fitted key individuals with LoRa tracking pods during the dehorning process. These devices connect and send GPS points through the LoRaWAN system, allowing the team to check their locations remotely.

The rhino dehorning at the reserve shows how much collaboration is needed to protect and preserve this iconic African species. All remain positive that the spirit of conservation’s hard workers will prevail as KZN’s rhino population continues to face the severe threat of poaching.

Wildlife ACT director of conservation, Anel Olivier, notes identifying features before dehorning. Picture: Megan Whittington/ Wildlife ACT

Earlier this month, Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) Minister Dr Dion George revealed that during the first six months of 2024, 229 rhinos were poached in South Africa (compared with 231 for the same reporting period in 2023). Of those rhinos poached, 191 were killed on state properties and 38 on private parks/reserves/farms.

“A significant drop was noted during May and June this year with national losses reported at 21 and 22 respectively (May and June of 2023 were recorded at 42 and 34). This reduced loss is thought to be attributable to the dehorning of rhino populations in KwaZulu-Natal and specifically in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, where over 1 000 rhinos have been dehorned since April 2024,” George said.

On rhino population numbers, George said that at the end of 2023, South Africa reported 16 056 rhinos comprising 2 065 black and 13 991 white rhinos.

George also said the DFFE was finalising the consultative process for the publication of the revised Biodiversity Management Plan for Black and White Rhinos (BMP) for implementation. This is consistent with the provision of the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act. All comments from the consultative process, which included over 700 individuals, will be processed and synthesised to revise the draft plan before the end of 2024.

Dehorned rhinos, one with a LoRa tracking pod observed on Somkhanda Game Reserve. Picture: Megan Whittington/ Wildlife ACT

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