Rhinos are becoming increasingly rare in the wild. Historically, rhinos once roamed in large numbers across much of Asia and Africa but today only a fraction remain on the planet. It is estimated that African rhinos are killed at an average of three every day.

There are five species of rhino: three Asian, the Javan, Sumatran and Indian; and two African, the Southern White and Northern White. One of the “Big 5” game species, rhinos are easily recognizable by their large bodies, short legs and one or two dermal horns.

Because of demand for these horns as a status symbol, aphrodisiac and a cure for cancer in pseudo-traditional Chinese medicine, coupled with a dramatic loss of habitat, all five species of rhinos are now threatened, and three of the five are critically endangered (Black, Javan and Sumatran species). In fact, fewer than 50 Javan rhinos and fewer than 200 Sumatran rhinos remain alive in the wild. White Rhinos are the most heavily poached for the illegal horn trade with more than 1,200 killed in South Africa in 2014.

Recent conservation efforts have made a difference in bringing some of these species back from the brink of extinction, but even the numbers of these species are a mere fraction of what they were just 50 years ago.

Although international trade in rhino horn has been banned – rhino horn is made of keratin, the same substance as your fingernails, and has no medicinal value – the demand for horn has remained high and poaching has not slowed. It’s up to us to step up and do something to protect these majestic animals.