Rhinoceros - Threats
Demand for rhino horn is of greatest concern
The greatest threat to rhinos is the demand for rhino horn, used in traditional Asian medicine to treat a variety of ailments.
Although international trade in rhino horn is banned under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora) and although some traditional medical practitioners are using alternatives to rhino horn, the demand for horn remains high.Habitat loss is a concern too, especially in south-east Asia and India, as human populations rise and forests are degraded or destroyed.
Poaching and trade in horns
Although all rhino species were placed on Appendix I (prohibiting international trade in rhinos and their products) of CITES in 1977, it did little to stop a wave of poaching in Africa.
Demand in Yemen for rhino horn dagger handles, worn as status symbols, grew in the 1970s and a 20-fold rise in the price of rhino horn had a devastating effect on rhino (mostly black) populations.
Medicinal use and horn trade
Another significant threat is posed by the demand for rhino horn for use in traditional Asian medicine, the major markets being China, Taiwan and South Korea.
A TRAFFIC survey of medical practitioners showed that 60% stocked rhino horn and 27% maintained that it was essential to their work.
Find out more about wildlife trade
Habitat loss and degradation
Important core conservation areas are increasingly isolated by logging, agricultural expansion, human settlements, road projects, and dam construction.
