It won’t be long before the media declares the black rhino extinct. Due to a high price of the animal’s horn, (a whopping Rs. 43 lakhs per kilogram) it is being driven to extinction by poachers. So much so that there are only 5,000 of them left. The rhino horn is a lucrative business opportunity for the poachers who sell the horn in China, Vietnam and South Korea, where its powder is used for its supposed medicinal properties.
In fact, a team of researchers found that more than 50 per cent of its genetic diversity is lost. But the black rhinos can be saved from extinction if we put serious effort in conserving them.