Q: What's pink and horny?

[Waldo]

A: Mr Rhino, after ingesting pink (not harmful to Rhino's) poison...

 

Check it out: http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/04/10/pink-poison-rhino-horn-stop-ivory-trade

 

Now they just need to invent a poison, exactly the same, only it doesn't discolour the Rhino horn. I'd vote for that! Soon as the people who are taking Rhino horn 'medicine' start dropping dead, and word gets around; maybe they'd be less demand for it?

[muddywolf]

I nearly well up when I see some news reports about hunters. I hear a lot is used in medicines mainly in China where people believe it has certain healing powers, so I'm not sure colouring it will help there.

 

 

Something I still don't understand is why the poachers kill the poor things while taking the tusks / horns, surely they could simply be tranquillized?

Edited May 23, 2015 by muddywolf

[Bonzo77]

Amazing!!!

[Waldo]

I nearly well up when I see some news reports about hunters. I hear a lot is used in medicines mainly in China where people believe it has certain healing powers, so I'm not sure colouring it will help there.

 

As I understand it, it makes the horn midly poisonous to humans, which hopefully will disuade people from using it as medicine, and so reduce demand for it...

 

The indelible pink dye is mixed with parasiticides, usually used to control ticks. Though it's not meant to kill unscrupulous poachers and consumers who ingest the powder, it does have some pretty nasty side effects, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Ironically, these are some of the symptoms which rhino horn is incorrectly believed to alleviate. (Rhino horns contain nothing more than the same keratin found in fingernails.)