Vets Help Severely Maimed African Rhinos That Survive Attack by Poachers

The rhino population in Africa is in crisis. Rampant poaching and illegal trade of rhino horns are the major causes.

Hundreds of rhinos are being slaughtered by poachers every year to meet the growing demand of  rhino horns from Asia's Black market as it is believed to have medicinal properties.  In countries like China and Vietnam, rhino horns are unfortunately promoted as a remedy for hangovers, sexual problems and cancer.  With the cost of a rhino horn $25,000 per pound, poaching is inevitable.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, there are nearly 5,055 black rhinoceros and 20,405 white rhinoceros left in Africa. Compared to other African countries, South Africa has the largest population of rhinos as breeding and conservation programs have been quite successful there.  In countries like  Mozambique, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Nigeria there are no rhinos left.

But for South Africa the conservation program has proved to be a dual sword as the increase in the number of rhinos has resulted in a rise in poaching. Maximum slaughtering of rhinos occurs in the nation's premier wildlife reserve, the Kruger National Park, which is spread over 7,500 square miles and borders Mozambique.

The poachers are very brutal in severing the horns and most rhinos barely survive the attacks. But a group of vets are making sincere efforts to rescue the animals and provide treatment and rehabilitation for the injured rhinos. The cost of the rescue operations is prohibitive. They require helicopters, trucks and expensive medicines.

In a bid to help this herculean effort of saving the rhinos, Veterinary pathologist Professor Fred Reyers, from the School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln (UK), analyzed blood sample data and concluded that poachers generally depend on two approaches while targeting a rhinos. One is intentional killing that requires marksmanship and a heavy calibre rifle. When the rhinos are attacked by poachers most of them are just stunned or wounded enough that it makes it possible to saw or slice off their horn.

During this process they have terrible shrapnel injuries that tend to become infected. Since they are left lying on one side for long durations the muscle on the lower side die off as the total mass of the body cuts off blood flow.

The second technique poachers use is an immobilising dart gun. In this method they do not give an antidote to the rhino.

Professor Reyers says , "The septic bullet tracts, septic horn-removal lesions and dying muscles all contribute to sepsis and this can lead to secondary damage to vital organs, like the kidney, lung and liver. These syndromes are well recognised in car crash victims, explosion injuries, battlefield wounded and burn patients. The actual lesions are almost impossible to assess accurately from the outside. So, to get an idea of how serious and/or advanced these injuries are and the resulting problems, we rely on measuring a number of blood parameters that reveal the extent and stage of inflammation and organ failure. Based on the interpretation of these blood tests, the attending veterinarian can adjust the treatment protocol."

Prof. Reyers works with South Africa's rhino vet Dr. William Fowlds, trustee for Chipembere Rhino Foundation in South Africa.