Page 24 - Dark Matter Issue5 Part II
P. 24
The prominent horn for which rhinos are so well known has been their downfall. Many
animals have been killed for this hard, hair-like growth, which is revered for medicinal
use in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The horn is also valued in North
Africa and the Middle East as an ornamental dagger handle.
The white rhino once roamed much of sub-Saharan Africa, but today is on the verge of
extinction due to poaching fueled by these commercial uses. Only about 11,000 white
rhinos survive in the wild, and many organizations are working to protect this much-loved
animal.
