How long will it take for this rhino's horn to grow back?
Apparently they grow back. This one had both chainsawed off by poachers who deal in horns.
![]()
2 Answers
"The horns of dehorned rhinos have been observed to grow back rapidly and without deformity, reaching slightly less than full size after three years" - Gulland, Williams and Beddington 1994 "Is Dehorning African Rhinos Worthwhile?" Pachyderm no. 18
However the backstory to this photo notes that the poachers may have actually sawed into the skull of this animal which could complicate or compromise horn regrowth.
Incidentally this is the first time I have heard of poachers sawing off a horn but leaving the individual animal alive. It seems unusual that poachers would have access to and knowledge of the appropriate tranquilizer dosage for a full grown White Rhino, and also pretty risky. Anyone know more?
However the backstory to this photo notes that the poachers may have actually sawed into the skull of this animal which could complicate or compromise horn regrowth.
Incidentally this is the first time I have heard of poachers sawing off a horn but leaving the individual animal alive. It seems unusual that poachers would have access to and knowledge of the appropriate tranquilizer dosage for a full grown White Rhino, and also pretty risky. Anyone know more?
A very unusual and controversial conservation action was taken in Namibia [Lindeque 1990] and Zimbawbe [Kock 1989] by removing the horns of both black and white rhinos [Ceratotherium simum] so that the poachers would be less likely to kill them. In order to determine the efficacy of the "dehorning" method, a study [1] was conducted to determine:
[1] http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.c...
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whi...
- rate of horn regrowth and the subsequent monetary worth of the horns
- whether the vulnerability of dehorned rhinos or their neonates is altered with respect to poachers and predators.
- horn regrowth is rapid, averaging nearly 9 cm of total horn per animal per year, a finding that suggests new horns on an average animal were worth $1775-7750 one year after dehorning.
- since poachers fail to discriminate between large- and small-horned rhinos, recently-dehorned rhinos may not be immune from poaching. However, neither horned nor hornless rhinos differed in their vulnerability to poachers more than four years after the initial dehorning.
[1] http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.c...
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whi...