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SOCIETY AT LARGE
LIVING
N
guyen Duc Vuong was recent-
ly arrested at Tan Son Nhat
Airport for smuggling rhino
horn. This was a high profile
case, but sadly, it is not a rare oc-
currence. In August 2013, local media
reported that Vietnam had caught 13
rhino horn trafficking rings since 2008,
seizing a total of 121.5 kg.
The new campaign to discourage
people from buying rhino horn is spear-
headed by many famous celebrities,
such as musicians Quoc Trung and Do
Bao, actresses Hong Anh and Minh Trang
and Miss Vietnam, Thu Thuy. They join
an international campaign organised by
WildAid, the African Wildlife Foundation
(AWF), and the Vietnamese non-govern-
mental organisation CHANGE.
Many Vietnamese TV channels,
radio stations, newspapers and other
media agencies have committed to
support the campaign, providing over
$1million in donated media for the
upcoming year to broadcast the cam-
paign’s messages.
According to Truong Minh Tuan,
Vice Minister of the Ministry of Infor-
mation and Communications, Vietnam
has committed to support this mean-
ingful campaign by using its commu-
nication channels to change behaviour
and educate the public on laws related
to endangered species. It will also join
with international communities in sav-
ing these species for an ecologically
balanced earth.
Nguyen Lan Dung, chairman of the
Vietnam Biology Association, said that
many people mistakenly believe that
rhino horn can be used for fighting
cancer and they are not aware of the
damage it can cause.
The new campaign focuses on the
world’s two largest markets for rhino
horn: Vietnam and China. WildAid ex-
ecutive director, Peter Knights, states
that although 90 per cent of rhino horn
sold in Vietnam is actually buffalo horn
or other fakes, even a small amount of
the real thing can threaten rhinos with
extinction: “People need to understand
the horror of the problem they create
due to their superstition.”
Meanwhile, African Wildlife Foun-
dation CEO, Dr. Patrick Bergin said that
in 2011, the Javan rhino in Vietnam
was officially declared extinct after
the country’s last remaining rhino was
killed by poachers and its horn taken.
“We need the people of Vietnam to
ensure Africa’s rhinos don’t suffer the
same fate as Vietnam’s by saying no to
rhino horn before it’s too late,” he said.
It has been found that only about
15 rhinos are shot in true ‘trophy hunts’
in South Africa every year, while about
200 are shot illegally, with the horn
destined for the Asian market.
According to international reports,
in April 2012 South Africa suspended
the issuance of hunting licenses to all
Vietnamese nationals.
It’s believed that more than 4,000
horns (12 tons) were smuggled out of
Africa between 2009 – 2012, but only
about 2.3 per cent were detected and
seized in Asia.
Rhino poaching is on the rise. A
record-setting 1,004 rhinos were killed
for their horns in South Africa in 2013.
South Africa’s Department of Environ-
mental Affairs reports that at least 146
rhinos were killed for their horns from
the beginning of 2014 to February 26,
2014 - a stark contrast to the 13 rhinos
poached in the entirety of 2007.
“Rhino horn is keratin, the protein
in human fingernails and hair. There is
no evidence it cures disease or helps
8
timeout
A new campaign was re-
cently launched to raise
awareness of the cur-
rent rhino horn crisis and
urge people to stop buy-
ing.
Bich Ngoc
examines
what is being done to
hault their decline.
the trade
Curbing