Rhino Horn is NOT Medicine » Sumatran Rhino

Asian Rhino Project Launches Cool New Website!

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 21:52:11 +0000

Exciting news from Australia!

The Asian Rhino Project website has a fabulous new look!

Earlier this month, the Asian Rhino Project (ARP) rolled out a newly re-designed website and logo.

The design is quite pleasing: The new colors are earthy, yet modern – and there are several photos of all three of these lesser-know rhino species. Large, beautiful photos in the home page banner roll from one species to the next, so each one receives a turn at front and center.

Most importantly, there is plenty of information about getting involved: No matter where you are in the world, you can help Asian rhinos!

Please take a tour of the ARP website at asianrhinos.org.au and learn more about how you can help the three Asian rhino species:

Greater one-horned (Indian) rhino population: 2,949
Sumatran rhino population: About 200
Javan rhino population: Fewer than 50

About the Asian Rhino Project

The Asian Rhino Project (ARP) is an Australian non-profit, volunteer organization raising awareness and support for the three Asian rhino species: Greater one-horned (Indian), Javan, and Sumatran rhinos.

The Asian Rhino Project raises funds from donors, corporate sponsors and memberships, merchandise sales, events, and educational programs. Contributions to in-situ programs are made through partnerships formed with conservation organizations in the field.

Donations to the Asian Rhino Project over $2 are tax deductible and 100% of these funds are directly committed to the conservation of this flagship species.

Learn more:

Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Saving Rhinos LLC, which publishes news and information about the global rhino crisis. I am the Editor of Rhino Horn is Not Medicine and Project Pangolin, author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, and a writer for the environmental news blog Planetsave. When I'm not blogging about the illegal wildlife trade, I like to rock out to live music.

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By Popular Demand: ‘Horny’ Rhino T-Shirts (and More)

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:26:51 +0000

More rhino t-shirt designs!

Since 2007, we’ve been offering a wide selection of rhino t-shirts and other merchandise, and one of the most popular t-shirt designs has consistently been our “horny is good” t-shirt. People seem to have fun with this message.

This year – just in time for the holidays – those who enjoy the “horny” double entendre are in for a treat: We’ve just added a new online store called Horny Forever.

Horny Forever features designs that are geared towards adults. (Those of you with an eye for detail might have noticed a slightly different version of the Saving Rhinos logo – more on that later.)

Six ‘horny rhino’ designs

As of this writing, there are six designs (including the original “horny is good“), with more in this week’s pipeline.

In addition to the Horny Forever logo, there is “Big & Horny” (a white rhino) and another called “Making Baby Rhinos” that is simply an illustration of two rhinos (making a baby rhino). “Have a horny day!” is a simple twist on a classic design.

And then there’s just “HORNY” which sports a golden rhino with plum lettering.

Visit both stores:

Horny Forever – let’s keep rhinos horny forever!
Main store – home of the “Rhino horn is NOT medicine” t-shirts

Please note: Merchandise is available for online ordering only; international shipping is available.

Rhinos in Nepal

We contribute a portion of our t-shirt proceeds to Partnership for Rhino Conservation (PARC/Nepal) and have been doing so since 2009.

The funds help pay for printing educational materials and sponsoring public awareness events that directly impact the people living side-by-side with the greater one-horned rhino in the Chitwan National Park buffer zone. In addition, we promote PARC’s efforts on our social media platforms.

Find out more about the public awareness activities we have helped support at Update from Nepal: A Successful Year of Raising Public Awareness About Rhino Conservation.

About Saving Rhinos

Saving Rhinos LLC is mostly a self-funded endeavor, and is not a charity or nonprofit, and does not accept donations. I also work behind the scenes to provide subject matter expertise to select NGOs and verifiable media sources.

Image: © Saving Rhinos LLC

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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Updated Rhino Species Fact Sheets

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 02:21:36 +0000

The latest fact sheets are ready!

Our popular Rhino Species Fact Sheets are now updated and ready to download! Each rhino species has its own fact sheet.

The Rhino Species Fact Sheets were first published in 2009, updated in 2010, and have since been downloaded by people all over the world. The 2011 population figures are based on information provided at the International Rhino Keeper Association Workshop, which was held in May 2011.

Enjoy!

Download the Rhino Species Fact Sheets

For additional free public awareness and learning tools, please visit the Saving Rhinos downloads page.

Image: © Saving Rhinos LLC

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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Javan and Sumatran Rhino Posters

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:58:58 +0000

New posters!

Posters featuring critically endangered Javan and Sumatran rhinos are now available!

Just in time for World Rhino Day!

These A4 size posters are part of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia‘s “Twelve in Trouble” awareness campaign, which was launched in January 2011. Find out more about the “Twelve in Trouble” campaign by connecting with TRAFFIC Southeast Asia on Facebook®

To download a poster, simply click the URL located beneath each poster image.

Javan Rhino Poster

Download the Javan rhino poster by clicking here.

Sumatran Rhino Poster

Download the Sumatran rhino poster by clicking here.

Check out the downloads page of our website for more rhino posters!

Posters & images: © Saving Rhinos LLC & TRAFFIC Southeast Asia. Javan rhino photo © WWF; Sumatran rhino photo © Yayasan Badak Indonesia, courtesy of International Rhino Foundation.

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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World Rhino Day: Southeast Asian NGO Focusing on Rhino Awareness for September

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 01:07:08 +0000

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia joins the celebration!

The World Rhino Day excitement continues to grow: Critically endangered Javan and Sumatran rhinos are being featured for the month of September as part of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia’s “Twelve in Trouble” online awareness campaign.

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia will be celebrating World Rhino Day and raising awareness by providing informational articles about rhinos and rhino horn trade, along with a fact sheet/poster, on their Facebook® page at facebook.com/Trafficsea.

The articles are also translated into Vietnamese and Chinese (Mandarin).

Southeast Asia is major hub for wildlife trade, acting as a consumer, supplier, and transit point. However, thanks to TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, awareness and support for wildlife conservation is growing.

The region is home to Javan and Sumatran rhinos; both species are Critically Endangered.

Approximately 48 Javan rhinos inhabit Ujung Kulon National Park in Indonesia. This is the last viable population of Javan rhinos on Earth.

Sumatran rhinos can only be found in a few fragmented areas of Indonesia and Malaysia. The population of this species is estimated to be less than 200, and it is in decline.

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia monitors wildlife trade in Cambodia, Brunei, Timor Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Learn more about TRAFFIC Southeast Asia here and connect with them on the TRAFFIC Southeast Asia page on Facebook®.
Help support TRAFFIC Southeast Asia’s awareness campaigns by shopping at their online store, Jungle Boutique.
Got questions about World Rhino Day? Check out the FAQs and connect with us on the World Rhino Day 2011 page on Facebook®.

Photo credit: Yayasan Badak Indonesia, photographer Dedi Candra (courtesy of Dr. Susie Ellis, International Rhino Foundation)

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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‘Rhino Month’ Kicks Off With Successful Fundraiser for Asian Rhinos

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 20:14:52 +0000

Fantastic news for Asian rhinos!

With World Rhino Day being celebrated on September 22^nd, it seemed appropriate to dedicate the entire month to rhinos. And thanks to Australia-based Asian Rhino Project, the month is off to a terrific start!

Last Friday, an enthusiastic group of Asian Rhino Project volunteers descended upon Perth’s central business district and raised an impressive $1,000 at the Tin Shake fundraiser.

Event organizer Sophie Dentrinos is quite pleased with the results.

It was a great success despite some miserable weather, and we managed to raise $1000 for the rhinos!

The Asian Rhino Project has organized another event for World Rhino Day, Rock Climbing for Rhinos. Get the details here.

About the Asian Rhino Project

Learn more:

For more information about World Rhino Day, check out the World Rhino Day FAQs and the World Rhino Day page on Facebook®.

Photo courtesy & © Sophie Dentrinos, Asian Rhino Project

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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World Rhino Day: Rock Climbing for Asian Rhinos!

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:08:05 +0000

A second World Rhino Day celebration from Down Under!

The Asian Rhino Project has added another fantastic event to the World Rhino Day calendar: Rock Climbing for Rhinos!

The Rock Climbing for Rhinos event will take place on September 22^nd – World Rhino Day! – at Rockface.

Rockface is indoors, air-conditioned and features a bouldering area, a lead climbing wall, and a wide range of vertical walls, slabs, and overhangs.

Tickets to Rock Climbing for Rhinos are $20 and include all your equipment. Barbeque and drinks will be available for purchase at the event.

To RSVP, go to the Rock Climbing for Rhinos event page on Facebook® or contact sophie.dentrinos (at) asianrhinos.org.au for more information.

About the Asian Rhino Project

Donations to the Asian Rhino Project over $2 are tax deductible and 100% of these funds are directly committed to the conservation of this flagship species.

Learn more:

For more information about World Rhino Day, check out the World Rhino Day FAQs and the World Rhino Day page on Facebook®.

Photo by Willem v Strien via Wikimedia Commons; Asian Rhino Project logo courtesy of Kerry Crosbie (ARP)

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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Leading Environmental Organization Opposes Bail for Rhino Crimes, Speaks Out on Rhino Horn Medicine Myth

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 19:20:30 +0000

WWF speaks out for rhinos.

One of the word’s largest environmental organizations, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), made a most welcome statement in yesterday’s media release by opposing bail for rhino crimes – and acknowledging the fact that rhino horn has no medicinal properties.

In an announcement bearing the tragic news that South Africa has already lost nearly 200 rhinos to the illegal rhino horn trade this year, WWF made its position clear regarding how rhino crimes are handled by the country’s judicial system.

According to WWF, criminals who are out on bail continue to put rhinos at risk and can interfere with the legal process.

WWF opposes the granting of bail to poaching suspects due to the gravity of their crimes and their high flight risk. Suspects at large continue to pose a threat to rhinos and can cause delays to judicial proceedings.

It was noted that out of 123 arrests made so far in 2011, there have been six convictions. Last year, 165 arrests resulted in four successful prosecutions.

In addition, the organization stated that there is no scientific basis for the belief that rhino horn is a remedy.

Rhino poaching is being fueled by demand for horns in Asia, where they are highly valued for traditional medicine, although rhino horn has no scientifically proven healing properties.

Read the entire media release at Rhino poaching surge continues in 2011.

(Interesting: The China Post omitted “although rhino horn has no scientifically proven healing properties” in its version. Read it here.)

Learn more

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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‘Bust the Myth – Save the Species’ Rhino Crisis Awareness Campaign Launched

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 07:25:50 +0000

Bust the Myth – Save the Species!

We are excited to announce the launch the of Bust the Myth – Save the Species, a global public awareness campaign calling for a coalition approach to debunking the rhino horn medicine myth.

A coalition approach

It’s time for NGOs, zoos, educational institutions, traditional media, social media, and the public to stand together and bust the rhino horn myth: Rhino horn has no medicinal properties, no curative benefits, and no magical powers!

In addition to English, our Bust the Myth – Save the Species posters and t-shirts have been translated into Chinese (Mandarin) and Vietnamese, so that wildlife supporters and friends of the rhino in China and Vietnam can share the message in their own language.

Until we acknowledge the root of the problem, we cannot take real steps to solve it. – Rhishja Larson, founder of Saving Rhinos. Read more from the Mongabay interview Belief and butchery: how lies and organized crime are pushing rhinos to extinction

Global campaign to protect rhinos

In response to email queries and geographic data collected from website traffic, it is clear that wildlife advocates in the two countries identified as rhino horn destinations – China and Vietnam – are eager to join the global campaign to protect rhinos from the illegal trade in rhino horn.

Based on requests for translated materials, we have made the Bust the Myth – Save the Species campaign message available to everyone.

Links to the t-shirts and posters are at the end of this article, or visit the new campaign page on our website now.

Support is growing for wildlife conservation

Wildlife conservation and animal advocacy is supported by a growing number of citizens in Southeast Asia and China, especially among the younger demographic.

Many celebrities are speaking out against illegal wildlife trafficking.

We like this quote from Jackie Chan, in the book Black Market: Inside the Endangered Species Trade in Asia.

If our descendants have to ask us why they can only see animals like rhinoceroses in paintings and photographs, how can we tell them that it’s because some people among our ancestors felt that rhinoceros horns had medicinal value and killed them?

Three different studies, three separate teams, and three unrelated institutions conclude that rhino horn has no medicinal value. Read the article Busting the Rhino Horn Myth with Science.

A doctor speaks up for rhinos

In September 2010, Dr. Albert Lim Kok Hooi, a consulting oncologist based in Kuala Lumpur, published a most welcome article in Malaysia’s popular online news portal, The Star Online in which he dismissed the notion of rhino horn’s effectiveness as a medicine.

A lingering cultural belief in traditional medicines (most are based on TCM) in Southeast Asia, and the impact on rhino conservation efforts prompted Dr. Hooi speak up on behalf of the embattled pachyderms.

To all this, I say that something that works for everything usually works for nothing. I also say that something that has been used for hundreds or thousands of years does not make it right.

The oncologist sums it up in a compassionate statement underscoring the fact that rhino horn contains no curative properties.

The whole sad story of killing the rhino for its horn is not only criminal, it is cruel, immoral and unforgivably, without any scientific basis.

Although Dr. Hooi comes from a generation whose medical knowledge was shaped by myths about the alleged magical powers of animal parts, he realizes that these notions have no place in modern medicine.

CITES Secretariat

The following is from the 2010 CITES Report of the Secretariat, CoP15 Doc. 45.1 Interpretation and implementation of the Convention – Species trade and conservation: Rhinoceroses:

The Secretariat is also very conscious, however, of the need to respond to the belief that rhinoceros horn is efficacious in the treatment or prevention of cancer. It is despicable that criminals are financially exploiting sufferers, and their relatives, at a time when they will be struggling to cope with distressing and sometimes terminal medical conditions.

About the t-shirts and posters

The translated t-shirt message is Bust the Myth, Save the Species. International shipping to China, Vietnam, and most other countries!

Bust the Myth – Save the Species t-shirts in English
Bust the Myth – Save the Species t-shirts in Chinese (Mandarin)
Bust the Myth – Save the Species t-shirts in Vietnamese

Please note all merchandise is available online only.

Download posters:

Bust the Myth – Save the Species poster in English
Bust the Myth – Save the Species poster in Chinese (Mandarin)
Bust the Myth – Save the Species poster in Vietnamese

Get a Bust the Myth – Save the Species profile pic from the Saving Rhinos Facebook® page.

Visit the Bust the Myth – Save the Species campaign page on our website.

Read the article Busting the Rhino Horn Myth with Science.
Buy the book Murder, Myths & Medicine – formidable forces behind the illegal trade in rhino horn! Murder, Myths & Medicine features exclusive photographs and is the world’s first book to highlight the rhino crisis events of 2010. (Please note this book contains graphic images.)

Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Saving Rhinos LLC, which publishes news and information about the global rhino crisis. Besides writing Rhino Horn is Not Medicine, I am the author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, the Editor of Project Pangolin, and a writer for the environmental news blog Planetsave. When I'm not blogging about the illegal wildlife trade, I like to rock out to live music.

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See Rhino Horn is Not Medicine for more information.

Beloved Sumatran Rhino ‘Torgamba’ Passes Away

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:42:43 +0000

The world has lost one of its few remaining Sumatran rhinos.

The International Rhino Foundation has sadly announced today that “Torgamba”, an elderly Sumatran rhino, died on Saturday at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in Indonesia, following a lengthy illness.

Torgamba was estimated to be 32 years old.

Torgamba had been chronically ill for several years. During the last months of his life, the veterinarians and team at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary worked tirelessly to make Torgamba as comfortable as possible.

In 1985, Torgamba was rescued from a precarious existence in the wild to become part of an international program to study and breed Sumatran rhinos in captivity, in hopes of reinforcing the dwindling wild population.

Torgamba lived at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in England until 1998, when he was returned to Indonesia to live at the newly-opened Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in Way Kambas National Park.

The Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary, constructed by the International Rhino Foundation in partnership with the Indonesian government, allows the rhinos to reside in a 250-acre forest area where they can experience a natural habitat while still receiving state-of-the-art veterinary care and good nutrition.

Currently, four Sumatran rhinos reside at the Sanctuary: Captive-born Andalas, and three females – Bina, Rosa, and Ratu.

There are only around 200 Sumatran rhinos left on Earth. To learn more about how you can help Sumatran rhinos, check out the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary page on the International Rhino Foundation website.

Source & image: International Rhino Foundation

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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See Rhino Horn is Not Medicine for more information.