The African rhino is now an endangered species. There is an Asian tradition, a totally misguided one, that ground rhino horn is a cure for cancer. It isn’t. Asia’s economy is booming. Rhino poaching in Africa is booming. Rhino horn is now more valuable on the black market than gold or cocaine. OK, there are bad guys out there with guns, helicopters, who knows what else, killing these rare and beautiful creatures for a completely useless treatment for sick Asian cancer sufferers. Cancer is a terrible condition and it is cynical and unacceptable to capitalise on these superstitions by slaughtering these endangered creatures where they still roam in Africa’s wildest places.
We may be powerless against big-finance criminals and their mercenaries but, please Asia, the seat of so much learning, please get this into your head: Rhino horn does NOT cure cancer. If you buy it you will not get cured but you will be helping in the extinction of one of the natural world’s great wonders. Let’s try to sort this out out before it is too late. Oh yes, while I’m here, none of you need to be buying ivory either and then the African elephant wouldn’t be endangered either. Please don’t look away from the picture beneath just because it is so horrible.
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