U.S. Takes Strong Stand Against Rhino Poaching With $1 Million Bonfire

This is the first time the United States has ever burned rhino horn.

In a pit at the San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park, $1 million worth of confiscated rhino horn was set alight on Thursday.

Orange flames consumed the whole carved horns and horn products falsely touted as having medicinal qualities. Reporters, conservationists and members of the public watched as the fire raged.

Landmark rhino horn burn at San Diego Zoo's Safari Park in Escondido, Calif, on September 8, 2016.
Landmark rhino horn burn at San Diego Zoo's Safari Park in Escondido, Calif, on September 8, 2016.
Associated Press

The bonfire, the first of its kind in the United States, was spearheaded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). It was a symbolic moment, the embodiment of America’s commitment to end rhino poaching.

“The poaching of rhinos in Africa is an international tragedy that is pushing these magnificent creatures to the brink of extinction,” USFWS director Dan Ashe said at the event, which was held ahead of World Rhino Day on September 22. “The transience of the smoke we see today from the burning rhino horn reminds us of the fragility of the planet’s most imperiled species.

“Their survival hangs in the balance and will continue to do so as long as people are buying and selling illegal wildlife products,” Ashe continued. “Only a rhino needs a rhino horn, and it’s time we all understood that.”

According to the San Diego Zoo, a rhino is poached every 8 hours in Africa. At this rate, the animals could become extinct in the wild within 15 years.

Some species of rhino are already on the brink of disappearing forever. For the northern white rhino, just three are left on Earth.

Poaching is the number one threat facing wild rhino populations. Rhino horn is extremely valuable, with a retail price of up to $100,000 per kilogram. It’s more valuable by weight than gold, diamonds or cocaine.

Like ivory, rhino horn is often used for decorative purposes, but in some parts of East Asia, where demand for horn continues to grow, it’s valued as a medicine. In traditional Chinese medicine, rhino horn has been used as a cure for cancer and as an aphrodisiac.

This is despite the fact that rhino horn is made almost entirely of keratin, the same material as human fingernails. Scientists have found no evidence that rhino horn has any effective medicinal properties.

In a dramatic statement against the trade in endangered species parts, Kenya set fire to 105 tons of elephant ivory and more than 1 ton of rhino horn in April. It was believed to be the largest stockpile ever destroyed.
In a dramatic statement against the trade in endangered species parts, Kenya set fire to 105 tons of elephant ivory and more than 1 ton of rhino horn in April. It was believed to be the largest stockpile ever destroyed.
Associated Press

To quell the illegal rhino horn trade, conservationists have long urged governments to burn their stockpiles of horn products.

“With the increasing value of rhino horn, stockpiles present a high-value target for theft,” Susie Ellis, executive director of the International Rhino Foundation, said in a press release. “In countries with limited resources to protect stockpiles, or with concerns about corruption, destroying horns can eliminate the risk of confiscated horn from entering the black market.”

Ellis said she hopes that if countries like the U.S. burn stockpiles of ivory, it will help to end the scourge of wildlife trafficking and poaching.

“This rhino horn burn sends the message to criminal networks and to rhino horn buyers that the United States will not tolerate illegal trade in rhino horn,” said Ellis. “The high demand for this commodity results in dire consequences for rhino species. Today’s burn makes clear that confiscated horns should not be stockpiled, let alone traded.”

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