The rhino population is in decline due to poaching, one way to potentially save the life of a rhino is to professionally remove the horn above the growth layer of the skin to prevent the animal from being killed by poachers.
Rhino horn is like a fingernail: you can cut it or trim it without stopping continued growth. But poachers brutally uproot the entire horn from its base under the skin in the bone. A local South Africa rhino-dehorning campaign, using Husqvarna Group’s outdoor power products, is proving highly successful in the bid to save the rhinos from being killed by poachers.
The campaign is proving highly successful in South Africa. The rhino horn is removed by authorized veterinarians and The Group’s involvement is to support the veterinarian who performs the task to make sure that their chainsaw is functioning correctly as the dehorning operation is a time sensitive process. The faster the horn can be removed, the better. Husqvarna Group is also assisting the vets in coming up with different solutions to get the animal more comfortable during the process, such as cooling it down with the use of batterypowered leaf blowers.
Battery-powered products are fuel free and thus produce no harmful emissions. They are also much quieter than their petrol equivalents and lower noise levels results in less anxiety for the rhino.
"We are extremely committed to this project and thrilled that our diverse range of equipment is being used for a cause as worthwhile as saving the rhino," says Jacqui Cochran, Marketing Manager at Husqvarna Group in South Africa.