Conservation Project
Due to its horns, the rhino is one of the most endangered species in the world. However, these horns may not be sold or traded. On the contrary, rhinos are listed as Category 1 on the CITES list, meaning that a special permit is required to own a rhino or rhino products. Nevertheless, or perhaps because of this, there is a large black market in Asia. There, the horns of these gray giants fetch up to US$160,000 per kilogram – thanks to their supposed medicinal properties or because they are considered a status symbol. This is a huge incentive for poachers to invade private or state-owned nature reserves and kill rhinos for their valuable horns. In the absence of deterrent penalties, those responsible in Africa often have no choice but to take the initiative themselves to protect the rhinos from persecution.
The night tours are very dangerous. “That's another reason why the best way to protect rhinos is to dehorn them,” says Conway Volek, manager of Sney Rivier Lodge. The last dehorning operation took place in August 2025. The rhinos are located by helicopter and then flown over so that the veterinarian can shoot a tranquilizer dart. Once the rhino has been hit, the rest of the team is called in. In the 15 minutes it takes for the drug to take effect, the assistants make sure that the rhino does not put itself in danger. But even when it is lying safely on the ground, it must continue to be cared for and its breathing monitored. To keep its body temperature low during the anesthesia period, for example, it is repeatedly doused with water. The dehorning operation is also used to implant microchips in the rhinos so that they can be more easily identified in the future.
Once the horn has been cut off and the edges smoothed, the team waits for the anesthetic to wear off. “The procedure is not painful for the rhino and is similar to cutting our nails,” explains the professional hunter, “afterwards, the horn slowly grows back.” The efforts are paying off. White rhinos have been present at Sney Rivier Lodge since 2008, and the population has developed so well that white rhinos have already been transferred to other nature reserves. However, despite all the protective measures, Sney Rivier Lodge has also lost some rhinos to poachers. “When we find the rhinos that have been killed with their horns cut off, it's always heartbreaking,” says Conway Volek. “Despite the enormous effort involved, we want to and must focus all our efforts on protecting them in order to preserve them for future generations.” For Blaser Safaris, putting animal and nature conservation at the center of everything we do is part of our mission.
Text and photos: Conway Volek.
Read how Blaser Safaris protects white rhinos from poachers.
Successful hunting with minimal disruption? Professionals manage this even under challenging conditions.
