Rhinoceros Poaching

1,338 of these iconic animals were killed for their horns in Africa last year. Since 2008, as many as 5,940 rhinos have been killed for people’s desire for their horns. The illegal trade of their horns are the main reason why there are around 29,000 rhinos left in the wild, according to statistics provided by Save The Rhino.This number has changed from 70,000 rhinos in 1970. So, as you can see rhino poaching has escalated over the years. One reason for this is the belief by many that grinding down the rhinoceros horns and mixing it with water or alcohol will make a medication, called powdered horn. Powdered horn is used in traditional Asian medicine as a supposed cure for a range of illnesses from hangovers to fevers and even cancer.But the current rage has been driven by demand for rhino horns in Vietnam. As well as its use in medicine, rhino horns are bought and consumed purely as a symbol of wealth. Rhinos horns are worth 60,000 per kilo with some even being worth 100,000 per kilo. Higher priced horns are often engraved with precise designs and sometimes have gold jewelry implanted within the horn.

With only 3 northern white rhinos left, I feel the poaching needs to stop. Rhinos once roamed many places throughout Eurasia and Africa. They were widespread across Africa’s savannas and Asia’s tropical forests. Today very few rhinos survive outside national parks and reserves. Two species of rhino are Critically Endangered. Rhinos are going against extinction. Only with our help, to stop the killings of  the rhinos will they have a chance of survival.

~Kaitlyn