Rhinos that have been stripped of their main armament, their horn, seem to feel more vulnerable, Ms. Duthé said. This vulnerability is exhibited through their diminished appetite for exploring and for engaging in conflict with other rhinos. They blindfold the animal and insert earplugs, then use a chain saw to cut off the top of its horn, but only the section that does not contain nerves. Like fingernails, rhino horns grow back with time and animals are usually dehorned once every 18 months. Despite the prevalence of this practice, researchers did not know until now what effects, if any, dehorning had on rhino behavior and survival.

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Persons: Duthé, Dehorning, dehorning Organizations: Rhinos Locations: dehorning, Southern Africa, Southeast Asia