In an effort to save the rhinoceros from poachers, conservationists have been cutting off their horns. Evidence of whether the efforts are effective or not was scant until a new study was released this week.

Dehorning rhinos is working, according to the research published in the journal Science.

The dehorning of 2,000 rhinos resulted in a 78% decline in rhino poaching across eight reserves in southern Africa, per the seven-year study.

“For decades, tackling wildlife crime has involved catching and arresting poachers,” said Timothy Kuiper, the lead author on the paper, per The New York Times . “Our study suggests that we need to strategically rethink whether that’s sustainable and is really making step changes.”

Why are rhinos poached at such high rates?

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