Another Rhino Population Goes Extinct

There are no more wild black rhinos in Western Africa according to an update of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. This publication is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of threatened biological species.

It also documented the northern white rhino in central Africa as being on the brink of extinction. If you have been following rhino developments, you are already aware the Javan rhino in Vietnam was recently declared extinct.

Demand for rhino horn coming from Asia has fueled more poaching by criminals, sometimes with technology on their side such as helicopters AK-47s and even night-vision goggles.

“You’ve got to imagine an animal walking around with a gold horn; that’s what you’re looking at, that’s the value and that’s why you need incredibly high security,” said an IUCN official. (Source: BBC)

In the last three years in South Africa about 800 rhinos have been killed illegally. Their horns can sell for $35,000 per kilogram, yet they have no medical benefit whatsoever. Traditional Chinese medicine has held the false belief rhino horn does have such benefits for a long time, but that view is merely superstition. The main material in rhino horn is just keratin, which is also found in human fingernails and toenails. So purchasers of rhino horn are not only contributing to the devastation of completely innocent wild rhinos, they are wasting their own money at the same time.

The rhino poaching situation in Africa is so dire in some places, legalization of rhino horn trade has been considered. Rhino horn stockpiles could be sold to raise money for rhino conservation, and poachers would no longer be the ones controlling the rhino horn trade. The World Wildlife Fund is against legalization saying it could lead to the extinction of all rhinos.

Image Credit: Yoky

Read more: Conscious Consumer, Wildlife

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Teresa C.

9:28PM PDT on Apr 21, 2012

They need to put more protections in place for the rare creatures--and kill those who would try to slaughter them. Even if these people truly believe that these poor creatures are "medicine", why do they think their health is more important than the life of this animal? If I was someone's "medicine" I would still have a right to my life, and the same goes for the animals!

send a green star

Deirdre B.

1:29PM PDT on Apr 21, 2012

Devastating.

John B.

6:44PM PDT on Apr 20, 2012

Very sad to hear of this. Thanks for the posting Jake.

Charles Y.

12:32AM PST on Feb 29, 2012

Very sad .

Ann B.

2:40PM PST on Feb 25, 2012

I can't understand the mentality of these people. Keratin, huh? time to take their fingernails.

Waltraud U.

11:04AM PST on Feb 25, 2012

Sad, but there are too greed monsters than humanbeings everywhere !
thank you !

Sue H.

6:29AM PST on Feb 25, 2012

Educate and humiliate the likely consumers of these wonderful animals horns, is it not the real answer? American doctors and patients do not demand these crazy superstitions - chew your own finger nails - they contain the same keratin.

Muriel S.

12:12PM PST on Feb 24, 2012

Bastards! Do these morons understand the harm they do??? Maybe they do, but they obviously don't care: the only thing that matters is money.

Bee S.

10:28AM PST on Feb 24, 2012

These BASTARD Killers do ABSOLUTELY NOT UNDERSTAND ANYTHING BUT FILTHY MONEY.
SHOULD BE SHOOT, ALL OF "THEM".

Jacqueline B.

8:27AM PST on Feb 24, 2012

Once again people put money over life. What species is going to go next? We can not eat money.