Vital role of veterinarians and teams in rhino conservation

WITH World Veterinary Day having been commemorated on April 26, and Save the Rhino Day on Thursday, this is an opportune time to reflect on the efforts of conservation teams, which include veterinarians, to combat the scourge of rhino poaching. There are five rhino species in the world, two of which occur in Africa - the black rhino and the white rhino.

- DR JACQUES O'DELL

South Africa is the stronghold for white rhino. There are said to be between 10000 and 15000 rhinos in the country. Yet, despite this large number, about 10000 rhinos have been lost, all for their horns.

Rhino horn is a sought-after commodity in many parts of Asia, especially China. Having lost about half of our rhino population, it may seem that we are not making headway in our efforts to save these animals.

However, it is worth noting that poaching numbers have been declining: in 2014, more than 1200 rhinos were killed, while last year, 400 were lost to poaching.

Rhinos are generally healthy animals, with relatively few diseases and disorders, and vets are seldom required to attend to them, especially on larger farms or reserves.

However, the threat of poaching has led to many farmers keeping their rhinos in smaller, better protected areas, commonly known as intensive protection zones (IPZs).

Keeping the animals in smaller spaces has resulted in a higher risk of disease, parasites, nutritional problems and fighting among rhinos, causing injuries. Despite this, the benefits of keeping the animals safe in the IPZs far outweigh the negatives.

While poaching mostly leads to the death of rhinos, in some cases, the animals may survive the brutal act of their horns being hacked off, and require urgent veterinary attention.