Rhinos in South Africa
used with permission from potter park zoo
In east and southern Africa, black rhino numbers have dropped
to fewer than 2,500--more than a 95 % decline since 1970. Rhinos
are killed for valuable horns, which are ground into powder for
use as a medicine. The horns are carved into knife handles in the
Middle East. International rhino horn trade has been banned for
over 20 years under the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES), but illegal trade continues to pose a
major threat.