Exploding Rhinos

Rhinos are being hunted to extinction to fuel the demand of idiots who believe their horns impart mythical powers. (another example of the destructive effect of market forces)

Many rhinos in places like Zimbabwe have had their horns removed to protect them on the logic that no horn = not worth poaching, but I have another proposal: make it too dangerous to risk cutting off any rhino horn.

This would be achieved by a systematic implantation of small but powerful explosive devices into the horns of a percentage of tranquillised animals. All Rhinos would also wear a clearly visible coloured ring around their horn to indicate that it was booby trapped and any attempt at cutting into the horn will result in a catastrophic detonation. This detonation would also contaminate those left alive in the vicinity with radioactive material, meaning they can easily be detected in follow up searches. Now no one knows which rhino carries the deadly implant as they all wear the warning ring.

A specialised encrypted signal can disable the charge at any time, but the poachers won't have access to that technology. From now on, rhinos will become an animal to avoid killing as there is no way of cutting off the horn without it being totally destroyed in the resulting detonation, taking the poachers with it. A little bit of media coverage and word of mouth will soon spread the message. Rhino Horn = Poachers Gone.