4 ms·

I don't know if fake rhino horns will help. 90% of all horns on the market are already fake (either bison horns or wood carving), and demand hasn't stopped. Add

by jordigh 10y ago

I don't know if fake rhino horns will help. 90% of all horns on the market are already fake (either bison horns or wood carving), and demand hasn't stopped. Adding fake horns into the market just seems to legitimise it and increases the deman for the real thing. Just like diamonds, where synthetic but identical diamonds haven't stopped for real diamonds, I don't see how fake rhino horns can help. I think what needs to be done is a massive and widespread campaign in Vietnam of education about rhino superstition and shaming of those who contribute to the extinction of the rhino.

astrodust 10y ago
Synthetic diamonds has eaten into the real diamond market, don't kid yourself. They're having to work a lot harder for much smaller profits. There's also a lot of effort from the diamond mining conglomerates to fight against synthetic diamonds. The poachers have no such capability, they're just doing it for money and will move on to whatever else pays better the moment poaching isn't profitable. It's a two part thing: Increase supply, cut demand. You can't expect miracles without working both angles aggressively, and we've only just started with truly "fake" horns that test as the real thing.