Rhinoceros: Time for a Different Conversation About Rhino Conservation?
At Paul K Safaris, we’re privileged to show our guests the wild beauty of Southern Africa — and that includes one of the continent’s most iconic animals: the rhino. But behind every rhino sighting is a silent, urgent crisis. Despite decades of protection efforts, rhinos are still being killed for their horns. In fact, the illegal trade in rhino horn continues to fuel a brutal black market economy driven by high demand and high prices. So here’s the uncomfortable question: What if legalizing the trade in rhino horn could actually help save rhinos? The Reality on the Ground In South Africa, most game reserves — including private reserves and national parks — are already taking drastic action: they’re dehorning their rhinos. This is not a cruel practice. It’s a veterinary-supervised, painless procedure done to protect the animal from poachers. Rhino horn grows back naturally, just like human fingernails, and must be trimmed again every 18 to 24 mon...