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Sep 24, 2016

The Age of Biotech: Can Bioengineered Rhino Horns Bring An End to Poaching?

Posted by in categories: bioengineering, biotech/medical

Awesome; how about Elephant tusks, etc.


In Brief.

California biotech company Pembient has announced its production of synthetic rhino horns, in the hopes of providing an ethical alternative to purchasing from poachers. Conservationist groups express worries over any unintended impact.

Although everyone was thrilled at the birth of a white rhinoceros calf, the fact still remains that the rhino is one of the world’s most endangered animals in the world (3 out of 5 species are critically endangered). This is largely due to intense poaching, which targets the rhino for its distinctive horns.

These rhino horns sell for an incredibly high price in black markets, particularly in Asia, as they are prized for their believed medicinal effects. These effects, however, have no scientific basis in reality. Also rhino horns are being bought solely as a status symbol for the rich.

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