African Rhino; Quick Facts, Poaching – Rhino Horn Trade and Myths

African Rhino belongs to the big five wildlife of Africa including Lion, Elephant, Buffalo and Leopard. The word rhinoceros comes from two Greek words; rhino which means nose and ceros which means horn. Therefore, the name rhinoceros can be translated as “nose horn” and that’s the rhinoceros’s key feature – a towering strong horn that grows on its nose. There are 2 types of African rhinoceros; the black rhino and white rhino. The white rhino is the larger of the two species and it is the second largest land mammal – after the Elephant.

African Rhinoceros Quick facts and Information

Where do rhinos live?

Rhinos live in grassland and open Savannah with woody and dense vegetation. The majority of the black rhino population, about 98%, is found in four countries: South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya. South Africa alone is home to 40% of the total black rhino population. The white rhinos live in savannas which have the grasses they graze on, water holes, mud wallows and shade trees where they rest.

What do rhinos eat?

Black rhinos are browsers that get most of their sustenance from eating trees and bushes. They use their lips to pluck leaves and fruits from the branches. White rhinos graze on grasses, walking with their enormous heads and squared lips lowered to the ground.

Are Rhinos Omnivores, Carnivores or Herbivores?

Rhinos are herbivores, meaning they eat only plants. White rhinos, with their square-shaped lips, are ideally suited to graze on grass.

Why are the Rhinos being poached?

“Poaching” is when people (“poachers”) illegally kill a wild animal. This year so far 341 rhinos have been poached in South Africa. That's the most, ever, for one year. Rhino horns are believed by some people, particularly in Asia, to be able to cure ailments like nosebleeds and fevers.

Rhino Poaching, Horn trade and Myths

African rhinos face an increasing threat of extinction due to an increased deadly act of poaching. Poaching is done by both the indigenous subsistence poachers who are usually driven by hunger and used very cruel and rude methods in extracting the horn. There are also professional poachers who are strongly motivated by financial gains considering the fact that a rhino’s horn costs anywhere between 50,000 USD and 65,000 USD per kilogram on the black market – thus making it the most valued item on the black market, more than cocaine and heroin!

Rhino Poaching

Rhino poaching is becoming so rampant that in South Africa alone, it accounts for 1.6 animals per day! If the vice continues at its current rate, more than 550 rhinos will die. Rhino poaching has increased with 4000% in South Africa between 2007 and 2012. The statistics from 2012 to 2015 are more alarming which requires that something be done and done soon to save the African rhino from extinction as it is now a critically endangered specie.

Brutal Methods

Brutal rhino poaching methods have escalated in Africa. Professional poachers are now using modern equipment such as GPS, night vision goggle, AK-47 rifles and sometimes even helicopters. In the past 10 to 15 years, rhinos were simply shot and killed by poachers and their horns removed. In recent years, poachers use darting guns and veterinary drugs to immobilize the rhinos. Darting guns are silent and prevent detection by anti-poaching patrols. The poachers hack off the horns very roughly using an axe, panga or chainsaw, often removing half of the rhino’s face, and leave them to die a horrible death.

Rhino Horn Trade and Dangerous myths

Because of the many myths and perceived medicinal value of the rhino’s horn, its demand has continued to grow making very expensive and a luring venture for those looking for quick gains! In Vietnam, rhino horn is a recreational (party) drug and used by affluent people as a detoxifying beverage and body-rejuvenating tonic.

 In China, rhino horn is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to treat fever, pain, rheumatism, convulsions and other disorders (but is not, as commonly believed, prescribed as an aphrodisiac). The value of horns on the black market has escalated dramatically to US$65,000/kg. Scientific studies however, proved that rhino horn has no medicinal value. It is comprised of keratin, the same material responsible for the growth of human hair and fingernails – and the hoofs and horns of many animals.

Rhino Horn supply and demand

The major consumer countries for the rhino horn include Vietnam, China and Thailand. A growing body of evidence indicates that Vietnam currently is the world’s leading destination and consumer of rhino horn. This situation is unlikely to change soon unless Vietnam demonstrates a strong political will to make rhino horn crime a national priority. 

South Africa has been strongest hit by poachers due to its sizeable rhino population; however poaching is increasing and causing alarm in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, and Tanzania. The only people benefiting from the current rhino poaching crisis are those running the criminal networks!!!

Many solutions to curb this barbaric act have been suggested including;

• ·         Injecting the rhino horn with poison
• ·         Creating rhino sanctuaries
• ·         Engaging and educating the public
• ·         Dehorning the rhinos
• ·         Working with the legal system.

Among others but whatever the solution is to be effected, these African rhinos need your help to survive and you can do so through visiting Africa for a safari or donating to a reputable organization like the African Wildlife Fund.