Rhino Horn Worth More than Gold
POACHERS see rhino as their way to get rich quick - for its horn is now worth more than gold for the first time in a decade. Demand in south Asia has doubled the price of horn, used in medicine, in just 18 months. It stands at £36,300 a kilo, while gold is £24,600. An average horn weighs 7kg. That has triggered the largest number of killings in 15 years. In 2007, 13 rhinos were killed in South Africa - but this year that rose to 84. Zimbabwe and Asian countries like India and Nepal have also been hit. Powdered horn has been in high demand since a Vietnamese minister claimed it helped cure his cancer. Expert Mark Cawardine said: "This latest onslaught shows that we'll never be able to declare rhinos safe."
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