* Rhino horn now worth more than gold
* Trade may be worth $234 million a year
* Asian demand turbo-charged by economic growth
By Ed Stoddard
JOHANNESBURG, April 26 (Reuters) – Almost two rhinos a day
are being poached in South Africa for their horns, which are
worth more than their weight in gold.
This surge in rhino killings has coincided with a rise in
elephant poaching for ivory across the continent and reignited
debate about whether or not the trade in the commodities these
animals are being killed for should be opened up.
The questions raised are not just ethical or ecological but
also economic, and we are not talking small change.
Take rhino horn, which now has a street value of $65,000 a
kg, making it more valuable than gold, platinum or cocaine.
Used to treat a range of ailments in China and southeast
Asia, its demand has rocketed in tandem with the region’s
blistering economic growth and appetite for other commodities.
Continued…
