Proactive dehorning of black rhinos is used in some southern African countries to deter poaching, but the practice raises significant welfare questions that must be weighed against conservation benefits.
Dehorning presents a genuine welfare dilemma: each procedure requires general anaesthesia with associated risks, potential complications, and the stress of capture and handling. Black rhinos are notably stress-sensitive; capture myopathy — a potentially fatal condition triggered by extreme stress — is a documented risk during immobilisation. Repeat dehorning every 18-24 months means cumulative anaesthetic exposure over a lifetime. Yet the alternative — death by poaching — is far worse. The welfare calculus depends on local poaching pressure, anti-poaching capacity, and the effectiveness of dehorning as a deterrent. Conservation authorities must evaluate these factors for each individual and population, balancing procedural welfare harms against existential threat.