Demand for rhinoceros horn in Vietnam decreased by 38% in one year

Efforts to stem the illegal trade of animals appear to be bearing fruit in some African and Asian countries. Vietnam is one of them. The demand for rhino horn in this country decreased about 38% in the last year.

After a long public awareness campaign in Vietnam, only 2.6% of the inhabitants continue to buy and use the rhino horn, which has enough medicinal value according to the local customs.  And also the number of people who still believe in the medicinal value of the Horn, which is of the same biological material that the nails and hair, decreased by about 25%.

However, around 38% of Vietnamese continue to believe that the animal Horn achieves treating diseases such as rheumatism or cancer.

The findings are from a survey carried out by Nielsen for the Humane Society International and the Cites Vietnamese, referred to in the Guardian.

Vietnam is one of the key markets for trade in rhino horn, a factor that triggered the awareness campaign to deter people from buying and consuming the product. The campaign has focused on debunking the myth that the rhino horn has medicinal value. The action took place mainly in commercial spaces, schools, universities and women's organizations in the country's capital, Hanoi.

Demand for rhinoceros horns in the markets of China and other countries of Southeast Asia are putting the African rhinos in danger. In the last year about 1,004 animals were slaughtered by poachers in South Africa, which has more rhinos than any other African country. This year have already been slaughtered 821 animals.

The increase in poaching the rhinoceros is relatively recent â€" in 2007, only 13 rhinos were slaughtered in South Africa. One of the main reasons for the slaughter are the high prices that the rhinoceros horns can reach on the black market, about € 78,700/kg, which puts this product at the same level in the price of gold or cocaine.

Foto: Stephen Kelly Photography/Creative Commons

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