Shot by poachers, who took only her horn, the rhino left behind a 15-day-old calf, a declared conservation miracle at the time. There has been no report regarding the future of the calf.
This event highlights, yet again, the direct link between wildlife trade and the demise of world rhino populations.
This is not the first bad news of the year, however. South Africa reports almost 200 rhino killings in this year alone, a far cry of the total 13 lost only years ago. The Sumatran rhino has seen steep declines, now numbering less than 100 individuals in the wild. And for icing on a terrifying cake, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has officially declared the Western Black Rhino extinct.
Rhino horn has no scientifically-proven medicinal value, but is considered "necessary" by the China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine. (This is not to devalue traditional medicines, as some are truly effective; it is simply understood to be a major factor in the illegal wildlife trade.)
To learn more, be sure to drop by www.savingrhinos.org
Image courtesy of WWF Global.
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