Felix Patton

DNA is like a genetic fingerprinting system with every rhino having a unique pattern, dNA is the same for an individual rhino whether it is extracted from its horns, hair, blood or skin and, in fact, we collected samples from all these for each of the rhinos we darted.

Whenever a trader is arrested with rhino horn, the DNA can be extracted and matched to a rhino on the database, similar to the way fingerprints are, to provide further evidence of it being obtained illegally, analysis of the DNA of the rhinos will also be used to clarify which of the males is the sire of those rhinos born at Ziwa (Rhino Sanctuary) to ensure that no male is so dominant that there will be genetic problems in the future.