Dehorning reduces rhino poaching
成果类型：
Article
署名作者：
Kuiper, Timothy; Haussmann, Sharon; Whitfield, Steven; Polakow, Daniel; Dreyer, Cathy; Ferreira, Sam; Hofmeyr, Markus; Shaw, Jo; Bird, Jed; Bourn, Mark; Boyd, Wayne; Greeff, Zianca; Hartman, Zala; Lester, Kim; Nowak, Ian; Olivier, Iain; Pierce, Edwin; Rowles, Colin; Snelling, Sandra; van Tonder, Martin; Worth, Ellery; Zowitsky, Hannes; Milner-Gulland, E. J.; Altwegg, Res
署名单位：
Nelson Mandela University; University of Cape Town; Stellenbosch University; University of Cape Town; University of Oxford
刊物名称：
SCIENCE
ISSN/ISSBN：
0036-10107
DOI：
10.1126/science.ado7490
发表日期：
2025-06-05
页码：
1075-1081
关键词：
摘要：
Across 11 southern African reserves protecting the world's largest rhino population, we documented the poaching of 1985 rhinos (2017-2023, similar to 6.5% of the population annually) despite approximately USD 74 million spent on antipoaching. Most investment focused on reactive law enforcement-rangers, tracking dogs, access controls, and detection cameras-which helped achieve >700 poacher arrests. Yet we found no statistical evidence that these interventions reduced poaching (horn demand, wealth inequality, embedded criminal syndicates, and corruption likely combine to drive even high-risk poaching). By contrast, reducing poacher reward through dehorning (2284 rhinos across eight reserves) achieved large (similar to 78%) and abrupt reductions in poaching using 1.2% of the budget. Some poaching of dehorned rhinos continued because poachers targeted horn stumps and regrowth, signaling the need for regular dehorning alongside judicious use of law enforcement.