Conservation programs to protect rhinoceroses from poaching sometimes involve dehorning and intensive management with direct welfare implications.
Rhinos subject to dehorning undergo anesthesia which carries procedural risks. The removal causes temporary stress and may affect social signaling. Intensive protection programs require regular handling and translocation which are stressful. Rhinos are solitary animals and captive breeding forces social living. However, these welfare costs must be weighed against the alternative of poaching, which involves violent death after prolonged pursuit and terror.