- The problem with humans is two-fold. First of all, the human population is growing so fast that there is little room left for animals. In India and the Far East, the forests and jungles are being cleared to make room for people. The rhinoceroses are being pushed into smaller and more isolated areas, where they do not have room to live. An even bigger problem is that over the centuries, humans hunted the rhinoceros almost to extinction. They killed them for their horns.
- Some people believe that rhinoceros horns can work magic. Others use them to make medicine. Rhinoceros horns are made of keratin, which looks like coarse, matted hair. Scientist have proved that rhinoceros horns have no special powers, but people’s beliefs are hard to change. Rhinoceros horns are also in great demand in the Middle East countries, where they are made into dagger handles.
- People still hunt and kill rhinoceroses even though it is now against the law. But the areas where rhinoceroses live are difficult to police. The hunters, called poachers, go out secretly into the jungle or the savannah and are able to kill the rhinoceroses before the police catch up with them. They hack off the horns and leave the body of the rhinoceros to rot.
Rhinoceros Facts
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