Rhino’s in danger as horns reap more than gold

Home to the greatest number of Rhino’s South Africa had a loss of 443 Rhino’s in 2011 according to the National Geographic News Watch .  In addition, MSNBC news reported a record number of rhinos were poached this year in South Africa, as rising demand in Asia for their horns led to increased killings of the already threatened species.

The street values of the horns are now more than gold or platinum at the cost of $65,000 a kilogram.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the horn, ground into a powder and is used to treat fever, rheumatism, gout, and other disorders. Recent claims by a Vietnamese official that he used rhino horn to cure his cancer have escalated demand.