Centuries-old superstitions originating in China about rhino horn have made rhinos one of the world’s most endangered species. Yet the evidence is clear: Rhino horn contains no medical properties.
In the lab at Zoological Society of London, Dr. Raj Amin concludes via scientific analysis that rhino horn contains no medical properties. He also finds that rhino horn contains identifying elements – similar to fingerprints – which provide information about where the horns originated.
The video describes how Dr. Raj Amin and his team at ZSL use this unique “fingerprint” data to assist law enforcement agencies in determining which rhino populations are being targeted by poachers.
Chinese demand for rhino horn funds poaching syndicates
Despite scientific evidence proving that rhino horn has no medicinal effect on humans, demand for illegal rhino horn in China and increasingly, Vietnam, is undermining decades of rhino conservation. The insatiable Asian demand for rhino horn is responsible for funding international rhino poaching syndicates, which in turn, are decimating rhino populations in Africa and Asia.
Sadly, rhinos are struggling against thousands of years of superstition, folklore – and a highly profitable pharmaceutical industry in China. The Chinese pharmaceutical industry capitalizes on rhino horn myths and continues to manufacture and market “remedies” derived from rhino horn, operating under a stockpile loophole.
Help us help rhinos
You can help us help rhinos by sharing Saving Rhinos’ public awareness information and educational materials.
- Download rhino poaching awareness materials
Thank you for helping us share this urgent message: Rhino horn is not medicine.
See Rhino Horn is Not Medicine for more information.