White rhino horn is highly prized for making ornately carved handles for jambiyas, ceremonial daggers worn in some Middle East countries.
One of the main threats to the white rhino population is illegal hunting, or poaching, for the international rhino horn trade. Vietnam is the top destination for South African rhino horn and fails on compliance and enforcement.
Rhino horn has two main uses: traditional use in Chinese medicine, and ornamental use. A new, non-traditional use of rhino horn is to supposedly treat cancer, although there is no supporting clinical evidence of its effectiveness. For decorational purposes, rhino horn is a highly prized material for making ornately carved handles for ceremonial daggers, called jambiyas, worn in some Middle East countries.
• Image | © Fyre Mael, Some Rights Reserved (CC BY 2.0)
• Sources | (Emslie, 2012; Koopmans, 2012)
