Sunday 22 September 2013

Killing for Keratin

Today I watched a news story about saving the black rhino in Africa.  A group of vets and volunteers are tagging the rhino and putting a tracer in their horn.  The tracer will not stop poachers from killing the rhino, but if they can trace the horn, they can find the criminals behind the trade. 

There is no evidence to suggest that rhino horn is an effective medicine or aphrodisiac, and yet, gram to gram, rhino horn is worth more than gold.  Maybe if we convince people that rhino horn is not an aphrodisiac and is just keratin - like your hair and nails - people will stop buying rhino horn, and that will make poaching rhino horn a profitless business.