Hackers foil rhino poachers
CZECH zookeepers have started the gruesome task of removing the horns of its 21 rhinos to protect them from poachers.
Rhino horns are highly sought after for their medicinal value in treating cancer, colds and fevers, high blood pressure and impotence.
Zookeepers took the drastic action after a rhino was killed at a Parisian zoo earlier this month when attackers stole its horn.
The Dvur Kralove Zoo has four southern white rhinos and 17 black ones, the largest group of its kind in Europe.
“The safety of the animals is our first concern,” zoo director Premsyl Rabas told the Chicago Tribune.
“A dehorned rhino is definitely a better option than a dead rhino.”
The animals experience no pain throughout the procedure because there is no live tissue in their horns.