Credit: Steve & Ann Toon
Reducing illegal horn trade
To stop rhino poaching, we need to tackle its root cause: consumer demand for rhino horn. Without consumer demand, there will be no incentive for poachers or traffickers.
In the key consumer and trafficking countries for rhino horn – Vietnam and China, high demand and low enforcement of wildlife crime are driving the illegal trade and poaching of rhinos. To address this problem, we fund cutting-edge social marketing initiatives to stop consumers from wanting to buy horn in the first place.
Did you know
Rhino horn
is made from keratin and has no proven medicinal properties
Rhino horn is very desirable amongst the wealthy classes of Vietnam, where it is considered a symbol of power and wealth, associated with business success and high social standing. This cultural importance is supported by an underlying belief in health benefits, in the form of traditional and non-traditional medicine. Some users believe that rhino horn can detoxify the body and therefore cure anything, from a hangover to serious illnesses. However, this lacks any scientific backing as rhino horn is made from keratin: the same material as your nails and hair. Though most consumers understand that purchasing rhino horn results in a rhino death, they feel disconnected and do not see themselves as part of the rhino poaching crisis.
We are committed to addressing the source of the demand for rhino horn, and reduce consumer behaviour across South East Asia. We are engaged with two demand reduction initiatives with Education for Nature Vietnam and TRAFFIC, working tirelessly in Vietnam with communities to reduce consumer behaviours that are driving rhinos towards extinction.
“Stopping rhino poaching doesn’t just mean stopping poachers, it also means stopping the illegal markets for rhino horn that drive this horrible trade. Challenging these markets, as with all our work, needs a team effort.”
Jon Taylor, Managing Director, Save the Rhino International
Where we work
Find our projects that help reduce the illegal trade by clicking on the brown icons.
Select a marker on the map below or choose from this list:
Protecting Rhinos
Reducing Illegal Horn Trade
Involving Communities
Bringing Experts Together
