Dublin Zoo “Confident” In Its Security To Protect Rhinos From Poachers

Fears for the safety of rhinos in captivity escalate after last month's attack on a rhino in a Paris zoo, which saw intruders shooting a white rhino dead and cutting off its horns.

A Czech zoo has begun to saw off the horns of its rare rhino herd in an attempt to protect them from poachers. 

“The dehorned rhino is definitely a better option than the dead rhino,” said Premysl Rabas from the Czech zoo.

A spokesperson for Dublin zoo declined to say to The Journal on whether or not they were considering adopting a similar approach to the Czechs, but confirm however that  Dublin zoo was confident it could keep its rhinos safe.

They added: “Dublin Zoo is confident in its top class security facilities.”

Rhino horns are worth more than gold or cocaine, selling on the black market for about €57,000 per kilo.

Almost 25% of the rhino population has been killed in South Africa in the last eight years, and with 160 rhinos in European zoos, they may be seen as an easier target than out in the African bush, where each rhino has its own guard.

Header image: Dublin Zoo

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