She has reared 15 orphaned Black Rhinos and more than 150 Elephants, and is the first person in the world to perfect a suitable milk formula and the husbandry necessary to hand rear the orphaned Black Rhino calves, her expertise in this field has saved many others elsewhere in Africa.
Has trained several Veterinarians and animal people across the world and Indian organisations as too many of whom are presently engaged on the ground for the conservation and treatment of Assam's wildlife which includes the wild population of Great Indian Rhinoceros and Elephants in Assam.
A living legend having worked intimately with Rhinos and Elephants in the wild for 56 years, Dr.Dame Daphne Sheldrick DBE, has come out to voice strongly for the helpless Rhinos of Assam whose fate is hanging in the hands of the state Government's intention to launch a pilot project of dehorning (trimming) rhinos.
Despite being hectically busy due to the current escalation in the poaching of both Elephants and Rhinos in Kenya, (with some 76 orphaned elephants still Keeper Dependent) and still recovering from a pinched nerve in the neck which has rendered her dysfunctional, Daphne who has always been a keen observer of wildlife conservation & crimes in Assam and has time and again been advising the authorities concerned on the various issues, has now come out on a vehement defense against the proposed dehorning of Rhinos in the state. She says:
"Regarding the proposal to dehorn the Rhinos in Assam, in my opinion this would be disastrous. If evolution has not removed the horn from rhinos over millennia, it surely means that the horns are essential to their existence and survival. Dehorning a rhino is emasculating it, depriving it of its means of defense and part of their anatomy upon which they devote an enormous amount of time, shaping, sharpening etc. It is their identity. Removing it will dent their confidence to such an extent that a dehorned Bull rhino will never be confident and fertile to breed.
A Rhino deprived of its horn is no longer a Rhino.
I personally am dead against such a move and having hand-reared some 15 orphaned rhinos, I do know them intimately."
(Unaware of a dark future that may rob her of its horn as an adult, a baby rhino calf grazes at the Kaziranga National Park, Assam. Pic: Azam)
The desperate call to dehorn Assam's rhinos has also seen several other experts voicing their concern.
Belinda Wright OBE, Executive Director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India, India's leading wildlife crusader who has been battling wildlife crime on the ground for several years does feel that the expert committee which the Government of Assam has set up to study the pros and cons of de-horning rhinos as a measure to curb poaching, will do a thorough job. However her personal opinion about dehorning is:
"Personally, I am against the de-horning of wild rhinos.
Apart from the risks involved to the animal, this is not an effective way to curb poaching, whereas intelligence-led enforcment is. Rhino poachers are specialised hunters, as are the specialised traders of rhino horns, and it is not an insurmountable problem for dedicated, well-trained enforcement teams to track down the worst offenders that operate in the four rhino habitats of Assam - Kaziranga, Pobitora, Manas, and Orang. This is what is needed, rather than a temporary band-aid effort of "trimming" rhino horns, which will only grow back again in a few months. We should also remember that tranquilising a rhino, in order to cut its horn, is not without risks to the animal. If excellent protection measures are put into place and sustained, including intelligence-led enforcement and a network of informers, this will be the best long-term investment that Assam could make to preserve it's magnificent natural heritage. The State must send out a clear message that rhino poaching will not be tolerated, under any circumstances. The motivation for poachers is huge, and this must be matched by the motivation of the people of Assam to protect their rhinos for future generations. This is an animal that came back from the brink of disaster a hundred years ago, and there is no reason why this level of protection cannot be achieved again.
An essential tool of good enforcement and intelligence-gathering is the thorough investigation of past rhino poaching cases. Every lead, every detail and in particular every person known to have been involved in rhino poaching should be exhaustively investigated and monitored. And it goes without saying that no amount of enforcement will be an effective deterrent against rhino poaching unless this is complimented by swift action against offenders in the courts. We need solid case documentation and appropriate convictions to stem these crimes."
Merritt Clifton, senior investigative reporter and editor of 'Animal People' has been closely following up issues involving Rhino conservation across the globe. He has also spent years observing the fate of dehorned Rhinos in the African continent. In his personal opinion:
"Historically this (dehorning) has just been a pretext for corrupt officials to get control of rhino horn & sell it, before poachers can.
As dehorning apparently reduces rhino breeding activity, it can be counter-productive when the goal is to rebuild a depleted population.
I can tell you that I think dehorning is just another way to not solve the poaching problem."
Merritt also pointed out the fact that allowing private rhino ranchers to dehorn their rhinos in South Africa in 2010 immediately preceded a major escalation of poaching ('Fears of Canned Rhino Hunting'), and why Rhino dehorning project in Zimbabwe had to stop (Zimbabwe: Rhino Dehorning Stopped).
Johnny Rodriguez, who heads the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, which has done more to keep wildlife alive during the past 15 years than every other NGO in the nation favors poisoning rhino horn to discourage use although he does not favour dehorning.
In his message, Johnny writes:
"I don't believe trimming or dehorning the rhinos is the best way forward. In Zimbabwe, we have dehorned rhinos and they are still killed by poachers. They shoot the dehorned rhinos and dig out the small stump of horn left after the dehorning. If they are poaching at night, they can't tell if the rhino has been dehorned or not until they have shot it dead so what is the point? Besides that, rhinos need their horns for feeding, protection and for lifting their young.
I believe the best thing to do is to inject pesticide into the horn. This has been tried in South Africa. The pesticide doesn't harm the rhino but if a human consumes it, it can make them very ill or even kill them. Sign boards can be erected warning poachers that the horns are poisoned and I believe this will detract them."
The Born Free Foundation, a dynamic international wildlife charity, devoted to compassionate conservation and animal welfare has also come out in defense of the Assam Rhino Rhinos.
Gabriel Fava, Programmes Officer of Born Free has forwarded the following message which was sent to the Government of Assam:
"In the wake of the recent upsurge in rhino poaching in both Asia and Africa, dehorning has been presented as a potential poaching deterrent. The Born Free Foundation urges the government of Assam to exercise extreme caution in its consideration of dehorning as a solution to rhino poaching, as serious concerns continue to dominate the debate over the validity of this management technique.
These include the extent to which dehorning actually deters poachers, given the stub and re-growth value; and the concern that poaching would simply be displaced rather than eliminated, with additional pressure being placed on areas which do not institute dehorning programmes. Born Free is also aware of the high financial and animal welfare costs of regularly locating, and tranquilizing rhinos for horn removal; and the poor understanding and dearth of data on the impacts of dehorning on the individual animal.
At Born Free we think that a more effective approach to curb rhino poaching should focus efforts on improving field protection, strengthening law enforcement through closer local and interstate collaboration between relevant government agencies; supporting existing initiatives and commitments (eg. CITES Decisions http://www.cites.org/eng/dec/valid16/217 ); and bringing to bear all possible diplomatic pressure so that rhino horn consumer countries institute comprehensive demand reduction strategies and target illegal trade networks."
The rhino dehorning issue is a highly complex and controversial one about which not enough is known or understood by the State of Assam or those experts who have coined this idea.
More research and a better understanding of the various components and interrelated nature of this issue was needed.
This was an initiative in the interest of the Rhino to gather opinions from people who have spent a lifetime with Rhinos and have dealt with the issue of Rhino dehorning.
I firmly believe in what the experts above have said, indeed "A Rhino deprived of its horn is no longer a Rhino".
So let the Rhino stay a Rhino forever. Gear up your best resources Government of Assam and if the heart of your political will does actually bleed for the Rhinos, I am sure you can protect it without robbing its horn.
Please do write to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Assam (pccf.wl.assam@gmail.com) endorsing the views of the dignified experts above and be a voice for the beleaguered Rhino of Assam.
Has trained several Veterinarians and animal people across the world and Indian organisations as too many of whom are presently engaged on the ground for the conservation and treatment of Assam's wildlife which includes the wild population of Great Indian Rhinoceros and Elephants in Assam.
A living legend having worked intimately with Rhinos and Elephants in the wild for 56 years, Dr.Dame Daphne Sheldrick DBE, has come out to voice strongly for the helpless Rhinos of Assam whose fate is hanging in the hands of the state Government's intention to launch a pilot project of dehorning (trimming) rhinos.
Despite being hectically busy due to the current escalation in the poaching of both Elephants and Rhinos in Kenya, (with some 76 orphaned elephants still Keeper Dependent) and still recovering from a pinched nerve in the neck which has rendered her dysfunctional, Daphne who has always been a keen observer of wildlife conservation & crimes in Assam and has time and again been advising the authorities concerned on the various issues, has now come out on a vehement defense against the proposed dehorning of Rhinos in the state. She says:
"Regarding the proposal to dehorn the Rhinos in Assam, in my opinion this would be disastrous. If evolution has not removed the horn from rhinos over millennia, it surely means that the horns are essential to their existence and survival. Dehorning a rhino is emasculating it, depriving it of its means of defense and part of their anatomy upon which they devote an enormous amount of time, shaping, sharpening etc. It is their identity. Removing it will dent their confidence to such an extent that a dehorned Bull rhino will never be confident and fertile to breed.
A Rhino deprived of its horn is no longer a Rhino.
I personally am dead against such a move and having hand-reared some 15 orphaned rhinos, I do know them intimately."
The desperate call to dehorn Assam's rhinos has also seen several other experts voicing their concern.
Belinda Wright OBE, Executive Director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India, India's leading wildlife crusader who has been battling wildlife crime on the ground for several years does feel that the expert committee which the Government of Assam has set up to study the pros and cons of de-horning rhinos as a measure to curb poaching, will do a thorough job. However her personal opinion about dehorning is:
"Personally, I am against the de-horning of wild rhinos.
Apart from the risks involved to the animal, this is not an effective way to curb poaching, whereas intelligence-led enforcment is. Rhino poachers are specialised hunters, as are the specialised traders of rhino horns, and it is not an insurmountable problem for dedicated, well-trained enforcement teams to track down the worst offenders that operate in the four rhino habitats of Assam - Kaziranga, Pobitora, Manas, and Orang. This is what is needed, rather than a temporary band-aid effort of "trimming" rhino horns, which will only grow back again in a few months. We should also remember that tranquilising a rhino, in order to cut its horn, is not without risks to the animal. If excellent protection measures are put into place and sustained, including intelligence-led enforcement and a network of informers, this will be the best long-term investment that Assam could make to preserve it's magnificent natural heritage. The State must send out a clear message that rhino poaching will not be tolerated, under any circumstances. The motivation for poachers is huge, and this must be matched by the motivation of the people of Assam to protect their rhinos for future generations. This is an animal that came back from the brink of disaster a hundred years ago, and there is no reason why this level of protection cannot be achieved again.
An essential tool of good enforcement and intelligence-gathering is the thorough investigation of past rhino poaching cases. Every lead, every detail and in particular every person known to have been involved in rhino poaching should be exhaustively investigated and monitored. And it goes without saying that no amount of enforcement will be an effective deterrent against rhino poaching unless this is complimented by swift action against offenders in the courts. We need solid case documentation and appropriate convictions to stem these crimes."
Merritt Clifton, senior investigative reporter and editor of 'Animal People' has been closely following up issues involving Rhino conservation across the globe. He has also spent years observing the fate of dehorned Rhinos in the African continent. In his personal opinion:
"Historically this (dehorning) has just been a pretext for corrupt officials to get control of rhino horn & sell it, before poachers can.
As dehorning apparently reduces rhino breeding activity, it can be counter-productive when the goal is to rebuild a depleted population.
I can tell you that I think dehorning is just another way to not solve the poaching problem."
Merritt also pointed out the fact that allowing private rhino ranchers to dehorn their rhinos in South Africa in 2010 immediately preceded a major escalation of poaching ('Fears of Canned Rhino Hunting'), and why Rhino dehorning project in Zimbabwe had to stop (Zimbabwe: Rhino Dehorning Stopped).
Johnny Rodriguez, who heads the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, which has done more to keep wildlife alive during the past 15 years than every other NGO in the nation favors poisoning rhino horn to discourage use although he does not favour dehorning.
In his message, Johnny writes:
"I don't believe trimming or dehorning the rhinos is the best way forward. In Zimbabwe, we have dehorned rhinos and they are still killed by poachers. They shoot the dehorned rhinos and dig out the small stump of horn left after the dehorning. If they are poaching at night, they can't tell if the rhino has been dehorned or not until they have shot it dead so what is the point? Besides that, rhinos need their horns for feeding, protection and for lifting their young.
I believe the best thing to do is to inject pesticide into the horn. This has been tried in South Africa. The pesticide doesn't harm the rhino but if a human consumes it, it can make them very ill or even kill them. Sign boards can be erected warning poachers that the horns are poisoned and I believe this will detract them."
The Born Free Foundation, a dynamic international wildlife charity, devoted to compassionate conservation and animal welfare has also come out in defense of the Assam Rhino Rhinos.
Gabriel Fava, Programmes Officer of Born Free has forwarded the following message which was sent to the Government of Assam:
"In the wake of the recent upsurge in rhino poaching in both Asia and Africa, dehorning has been presented as a potential poaching deterrent. The Born Free Foundation urges the government of Assam to exercise extreme caution in its consideration of dehorning as a solution to rhino poaching, as serious concerns continue to dominate the debate over the validity of this management technique.
These include the extent to which dehorning actually deters poachers, given the stub and re-growth value; and the concern that poaching would simply be displaced rather than eliminated, with additional pressure being placed on areas which do not institute dehorning programmes. Born Free is also aware of the high financial and animal welfare costs of regularly locating, and tranquilizing rhinos for horn removal; and the poor understanding and dearth of data on the impacts of dehorning on the individual animal.
At Born Free we think that a more effective approach to curb rhino poaching should focus efforts on improving field protection, strengthening law enforcement through closer local and interstate collaboration between relevant government agencies; supporting existing initiatives and commitments (eg. CITES Decisions http://www.cites.org/eng/dec/valid16/217 ); and bringing to bear all possible diplomatic pressure so that rhino horn consumer countries institute comprehensive demand reduction strategies and target illegal trade networks."
The rhino dehorning issue is a highly complex and controversial one about which not enough is known or understood by the State of Assam or those experts who have coined this idea.
More research and a better understanding of the various components and interrelated nature of this issue was needed.
This was an initiative in the interest of the Rhino to gather opinions from people who have spent a lifetime with Rhinos and have dealt with the issue of Rhino dehorning.
I firmly believe in what the experts above have said, indeed "A Rhino deprived of its horn is no longer a Rhino".
So let the Rhino stay a Rhino forever. Gear up your best resources Government of Assam and if the heart of your political will does actually bleed for the Rhinos, I am sure you can protect it without robbing its horn.
Please do write to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Assam (pccf.wl.assam@gmail.com) endorsing the views of the dignified experts above and be a voice for the beleaguered Rhino of Assam.
