Legal rhino horn trade: A thorny proposition | Science

Between 2019 and 2023, 26 of the remaining 70 Javan rhinos were poached by two organized groups that have evaded authorities for years (1). In the first half of 2024, 229 South African rhinos were poached for their horns (2), destined for illegal markets as traditional medicine or status symbols. These incidents, driven by the illegal horn trade’s entanglement with organized global crime syndicates (3), put rhino species at risk of extinction. Maintaining and enforcing the international ban on the rhino horn trade remain crucial for wild rhino preservation.