Another Deadly Year for Rhinos

Transcript:

Poachers slaughtered 1,028 rhinos in South Africa in 2017.

That’s nearly 3 dead rhinos… every day.

Rhino horns sell for prices higher than gold — all because of their perceived (but mythological) medicinal values.

Even baby rhinos are killed for the sake of their tiny horns.

South Africa is home to 90 percent of the world’s rhinos.

Other rhino species live in Asia, where they’re also threatened by poachers.

At this rate, how long do rhinos have left in the wild?

John R. Platt

is the editor of The Revelator. An award-winning environmental journalist, his work has appeared in Scientific American, Audubon, Motherboard, and numerous other magazines and publications. His “Extinction Countdown” column has run continuously since 2004 and has covered news and science related to more than 1,000 endangered species. He is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and the National Association of Science Writers. John lives on the outskirts of Portland, Ore., where he finds himself surrounded by animals and cartoonists.

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Dipika Kadaba  

is an ecologist who uses data visualization and design to communicate environmental issues in her role as The Revelator's visual storyteller. Her interdisciplinary work originates in her background in environmental health research as a veterinarian, a graduate degree in conservation science, and a lifetime spent creating webcomics and animations for fun.