Did you know, Rhino, the entire gigantic mass of the wild beast, is killed just for the small tiny bit at the top of its head. Yes, poachers kill the graceful beast, not for its meat or bones, but only for its horns.
But why? It is perceived that the horn has medicinal value. How come? The horn is made up of keratin. The exact substance all humans (all 7 billion of us) have at the tip of our fingers and toes, and we frequently cut off every two-weeks some even more often. Both the horn of the rhino and the human nails on our fingers and toes have keratin.
If the people buying the horns from the poachers really want the medicinal properties of keratin, why not take all the human (7 billion of us) nail cutting. Hell, it will be a lot cheaper and less of a hassle for them.
See also: How synthetic horns could save Rhino from poachers
Zebras could save the Rhinos from poachers
IBM in partnership with MTN South Africa has fitted an inconspicuous collar on Zebras that monitor their behavior around the clock. The collar has powerful data gathering capability. Why zebras? It has been observed Zebras are more alert to human presence in their vicinity and do behave in a particular pattern when they perceive danger. The zebra’s senses are heightened compared to rhino, and will detect the presence of predators, vehicles, or people on foot armed with rifles way before the rhinos do.
A unit can then be dispatched to the location and hopefully will get there before the poacher shoots down another rhino. If they don’t make it in time, the trail will still be hot reducing the chances of the poachers making it away with their ‘prize’.