80 Of Africa's Black Rhino Population example essay topic

283 words
"Brazen Killing of Rhinos Reignites Fears of Poaching" An act of cowardice and pure malice was displayed when four black rhino's were recently slaughtered at a national park in Nairobi, Kenya. A thirteen-year-old calf and its mother were among two of the fifty-one black rhinos at T savo East National Park to have been murdered. The slaying of black rhino's by poachers has been an epidemic that has increased within the recent years. The population of the black rhino's had been decreasing in the early 70's and late 80's. In 1970 the once heavily populated species in Kenya began an unprecedented deterioration of rhino's, from 20,000 to an almost insignificant 350 in 1987.

The slaughtering of these creatures has been the result of fiendish poacher's who callously murder these animals to retrieve their ivory horns, in order to profit off them. 80% of Africa's black rhino population has been wiped out because of poaching. Poachers sell the horns to Yemen. There they are carved and decorated into daggers. While others are sold to parts of Southeast Asia, the horns are ground into powder, and used as a fever-reducing medicine.

Experts have estimated that only about 2,900 black rhino's remain on the continent of Africa. By breeding these animals in small, but high-protected areas, they have increased the black rhino population by about 420. What kind of beast will slay another innocent animal to remove a horn, only to later be etched into decorative daggers and potions? Only humans will do such a selfish act. Poachers slice these black rhinos up by the heard in efforts of making a profit.