The Dvůr Králové Zoo has begun sawing off their rhinos’ horns after poachers broke into a French zoo earlier this month and slaughtered a rhino for the prized item. Four southern white rhinos and 17 black rhinos live at the zoo, located about 70 miles outside of Prague. “The decision to remove rhino horns was not made easily at all,” Premysl Rabas, the zoo’s head, said in a statement. Reuters Pamir, a 10-year-old southern white rhino, is seen ahead of his horn's removal at a Czech zoo on Monday. In many parts of the world, rhino horns are used as status symbols and for traditional medicine.

Source: Huffington Post March 23, 2017 21:45 UTC