Link 4. Horn arrives in Vietnam to be sold at a medicine shop

Rhino horn is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat a variety of ailments. However, there is no scientific proof of any medicinal value. The horn is shaved or ground into a powder, which is dissolved in boiling water for the consumer or patient to drink. In Vietnam, where demand has increased significantly as disposable income has increased, rhino horn is used as a hangover cure. Rhino horn is also seen as a status symbol, and is purchased as gifts to impress business colleagues or family members (savetherhino.org 2015). A photographer from the Guardian News, Brent Stirton, pretended to be a buyer in order to get this picture of a wealthy Vietnamese woman grinding rhino horn in her shop with her dealer sitting in the background. The woman was happy to allow Stirton to take her picture.

 The consumer

Political Impact:

Although the Vietnamese government claims to prohibit the trade in illegal rhino horn, it is clear from the story above that their efforts are not effective. Claims by the Vietnam CITES Management Authority reporting a decrease in rhino horn demand are questionable, according to National Geographic writer Scott Roberton. Roberton notes that since the Prime Minister’s orders in late 2014 to crack down on rhino horn trafficking, there has been “no noticeable increase in arrests, prosecutions, or effective punishments directed toward either buyers or dealers” (Roberton).

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *