All five rhinoceros species face poaching threats driven by demand for horn in traditional medicine and as status symbols, with devastating welfare and conservation consequences.
Rhinoceros poaching inflicts extreme welfare harms on individual animals. Shooting wounds that do not immediately kill leave rhinos in severe pain before they are finished off. Dehorning while conscious causes acute suffering. Calves that witness their mothers' deaths and are left orphaned experience profound trauma requiring years of specialist rehabilitation. Anti-poaching rangers themselves face life-threatening risks. The welfare calculus of conservation strategies - including dehorning to remove poaching value and discussions of legal horn trade - remains contested and depends heavily on implementation.