The Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic, located northeast of Prague, has decided to cut off all of their rhinos' horns. The zoo currently hosts 4 southern white rhinos and 17 black rhinos, according to Buzzfeed. This difficult decision comes after a rhino was killed by poachers at the Thoiry Zoo in France a few weeks ago. The beloved rhino at Thoiry Zoo, named Vince, was shot in the head three times by the poachers before they used a chain saw to remove his prized horn. The Dvur Kralove Zoo officials hope that their decision to saw off the rhinos horns will stop poachers from killing them.
"The safety of the animals is our first concern," Czech zoo director Premysl Rabas said of the controversial decision. "A dehorned rhino is definitely a better option than a dead rhino."
For those concerned about the rhinos losing their horns, the Zoo is reminding everybody that the procedure is painless. The horns are also able to grow back over time. The zoo officials will store the horns securely off site so poachers won't be able to get a hold of them.
It's unfortunate that these animals aren't even safe in wildlife facilities. Maybe this dehorning procedure will do as the zoo officials hope and prevent poachers from killing these animals.