Not so many horny animals

Because of their horns, these rhinos are in real danger of becoming extinct, due to poaching. Asian countries have long believed that ground up rhino horn has medicinal properties that can cure anything from fever to hangovers to blood disorders to cancer. Contrary to popular western opinion, it was never traditionally viewed as an aphrodisiac. Today Vietnam is the biggest user in spite of international laws. Rhino horn sells for the price of gold, in spite of the fact that it’s been illegal for 8 years. Rhino horn’s main ingredient is keratin, the same thing finger nails are made of, so why don’t they just chew their fingernails?

The rhinos in my photos in the book I made from a trip to Zambia and Botswana in 2012 are black rhinos , which is the most nearly extinct. This was taken on a private game preserve near Lake Victoria where there is an attempt to increase the population, sending them eventually to the parks. I think there were 7! The one on the left is getting too old (a year) to nurse because of his horn. The other baby is about 3 months.
And yes, their horns have been half cut off to discourage poachers from coming here, in spite of guards, to obtain these. (!!) The little souvenir figure in front I’ll call a white rhino because we saw another sanctuary in 2013 in Uganda that now has all of 13 rhinos, all with entire horns, which do just keep on growing, like fingernails. In 1982 their population was totally decimated in this country so this is an attempt to repopulate it. I am reminded also how much money Africa can make from hunting licenses... it’s such a complicated issue - I better stop.

But it’s all I could think of for the weekly blip challenge of “horny”. :-)