DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY FOR VETERINARIANS Article #84: Rhinoceros Poaching, Part 1 Carl Palazzolo, DVM, MBA n spite of the prevalence of the myth that rhino horns are poached for aphrodisiacs, the reality is more traditional and mundane. Rhino horns were used as a traditional handle on a curved dagger (called a jambiya) for men in the country of Yemen. This diminished in 1982 when molded plastic and other animals were used for the handle. The other demand for rhino horn is mostly from China and Vietnam where it is used as a medicinal that supposedly cures many ailments, including cancer. This tradition goes back thousands of years. Whether it works or not is immaterial to these people; tradition trumps everything. The demand for rhino horns at the moment exceeds the supply of rhino horns in the world due to the increased buying power of the middle class in these Asian countries. When you add the blatant corruption that occurs at the governmental level in many African countries that facilitates the transport of these horns to Asia the outlook for this species is bleak. Much more information will be given on the details of all of this in future articles. My first exposure to the rhinos of Africa came in a trip in 1995 where I assisted a group of researchers. We were led by Dr. Sky Alibha in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe to census the black rhino numbers in their park. Rampant poaching was occurring even back then, so it was rare to see one, although see one we did. These are the stats from a brochure on that trip. The pertinent numbers are circled. I PULSE AUGUST 2022 19