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| they want to know why it had to be herbie |
R.I.P. Herbie the black rhino. If you've been to the San Antonio Zoo anytime in the past 11 years, you probably know him. I don't know why God couldn't have taken one of the less-cool creatures (the giant hissing cockroaches come to mind), but life isn't fair is it? Herbie died at 18, although black rhinos are supposed to live past 40 in captivity. His death was sudden and seemingly inexplicable - I smell foul play.
All joking aside, this sucks for number of reasons, but the main one is that the
black rhinoceros is a critically endangered species. Over the years their numbers have declined about 96%, mostly due to poachers and the demand for rhino horn from the Far East (particularly Vietnam). They think it's some kind of miracle aphrodisiac, when really it's just the rhino equivalent of human fingernails...no medicinal benefits at all. Way to go, Asia. There are only about 4,000 black rhinos left. (The white rhinoceros numbers aren't as bad, but they are also endangered.)
And the situation is getting worse, not better.
Some good news is, although poaching is on the rise, so are efforts to stop it. In South Africa game reserve wardens have begun
embedding GPS systems directly into the horns of the rhinos under their watch. This measure will monitor their movements, alert them to suspicious activity, and (hopefully) deter poaching. And, FYI, former supermodel Elle McPherson
has endorsed eating rhino horns for wrinkles or some crap. So be sure to send a little haterade her way if you are so inclined.
