Rhinoceros

:For other uses of the term see Rhinoceros (disambiguation).

Rhinoceros Horn

Rhinoceros horns are used in traditional Asian medicine, and for dagger handles in Yemen and Oman. None of the five rhinoceros species have secure futures: the White Rhino is perhaps the least endangered, the Javanese Rhino survives in only tiny numbers (estimated at 60 animals in 2002) and is one of the two or three most endangered large mammals anywhere in the world.

Related Topics:
Yemen - Oman

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Rhino protection campaigns began in the 1970s, but rhino populations have continued to decline dramatically. Trade in rhinoceros parts is forbidden under the CITES agreements, but poaching is a severe threat to all rhinoceros species.

Related Topics:
1970s - CITES

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The most obvious distinguishing characteric of the rhinos is a large horn on the nose. The word rhinoceros comes from the Greek words rhino (nose) and keros (horn). Rhinoceros horns, unlike those of other horned mammals, consist of keratin, densely compacted hair.

Related Topics:
Greek - Keratin - Hair

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The legs and feet of the rhinoceros are cooked in the following fashion by certain tribes in the south of Africa. First, one would find an ant nest, composed of hard clay and shaped roughly like a baker's oven, ranging from two to four feet in height. Then, one would hollow them out, removing the ants in the process. The space thus obtained is filled with burning wood, until the bottom and sides become red hot within. The embers of the wood are then removed, the leg or foot of the rhinoceros introduced, and a door closed up with heated clay and embers. Fire is then also made on the outside, covering the nest, and the meat is left to cook for several hours. This dish is considered a delicacy by many of the native tribes.

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This information sounds bogus, please provide references, or at least tell which tribes do this-->

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