Update: In a remarkable win for animals, Chinese officials have reinstated the country’s ban on rhino horn and tiger bone. … Reversing this ban creates a larger market for animal-part “remedies,” encourages poaching, and pushes these animals closer to extinction.
Is it illegal to own a rhino horn?
Currently, only 5 states—California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York and Washington—have banned the purchase, sale, trade and possession with the intention to sell of ivory and rhino horns.
Why is rhino horn illegal?
Currently, international trade in rhino horn is banned under CITES, in response to growing concerns that increasing demand from Asian nations over the last decade has led to a poaching crisis that has decimated many African rhino populations.
How much does a rhino horn sell for?
Rhino horns, which when ground to a powder are believed by some Vietnamese to have medicinal qualities to cure everything from cancer to a hangover, are particularly lucrative and can fetch up to $60,000 (£48,000) per kilo.
Is rhino horn made out of hair?
These animals face extinction in part because of the world’s longstanding lust for their horn, which has been valued for centuries as a carving material and medicinal. Rhino horn is made up primarily of keratin – a protein found in hair, fingernails, and animal hooves.