A rare, 20 year old rhinoceros died yesterday in South Africa after it was shot with a tranquilizer gun. The Rhino Rescue Project (RRC) members were trying to show reporters the process they use to identify rhinos that are protected. The process involves shooting the animals, which in this case happened to be a rhino named Spencer, painting the animal’s horn with a special dye, implanting a tracking device. Unfortunately, Spencer the rhino had a negative reaction to the anesthesia that was used in the tranquilizer gun.
Lorinda Hern, who is a spokesman for the RRC said that there is a risk when darting a rhino that they won’t wake up. That is what happened when Spencer was darted. She also said that there are some groups that will dart a rhino and then remove the horn in order to prevent poachers from killing the animals. However, the horns grow back in just a few months, which means that the rhinos are simply continuous targets.
Last year in South Africa, there were 448 rhinos that were killed by poachers. This is a huge increase from the previous year. The demand for rhino horns is growing, especially in Thailand and Vietnam. Many people believe that the horns have medicinal and even magical properties. Hern said that it was a sad day for the RRC. She still attributes this death to poachers, as the group was trying to educate the media in ways of protecting the rhinos.
The rhinos are usually under sedation for about an hour. For most of the operation, the rhino appeared to be doing very well. The veterinarians drilled holes in the horn and injected it with the dye. In addition, there was a toxic pesticide put on the horn to keep poachers away. However, when the vets tried to bring the rhino around, there was simply no response.
