In Vietnam, 90% of rhino horns sold are buffalo horns.

“We hope people will stop using rhino horn because more than 90% of rhino horn sold in Vietnam is actually buffalo horn or other types of horn.”

Mr. Peter Knights, CEO of WildAid Organization said at the announcement ceremony of the campaign to end the use of rhino horn held on the afternoon of March 3.

The latest report from the South African Department of Environment shows that as of February 26, at least 146 rhinos had been killed, a sharp contrast to the 13 individuals killed in all of 2007.

Vietnam and China are the two largest rhino horn consuming markets in the world.

At the ceremony, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Lan Dung - President of the Vietnam Biology Association denied the miraculous medicinal effects of rhino horn up to now.

Mr. Dung said: “Many people still consider using rhino horn to cure hangovers, enhance sexual performance, prevent cancer… without knowing the dangers they can cause. Mild cases can cause loss of natural ability, severe cases can lead to death.”

He personally commented: "Currently, people still use rhino horn to treat diseases, essentially because of their desire to show off and not knowing that these horns can be injected with chemicals that are not harmful to animals but are harmful to humans."

Mr. Peter Knights, Executive Director of WildAid, emphasized: "We hope that people will stop using rhino horn because more than 90% of rhino horn sold in Vietnam is actually buffalo horn or other types of horn."

Also attending the ceremony as the speaker of the launching speech, Mr. Truong Minh Tuan, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, affirmed: “As a state management agency for communications, the Ministry of Information and Communications has the responsibility to strengthen the prevention and handling of acts of taking advantage of forms of providing and using the internet... for the purpose of advertising, propagating, and illegally buying and selling goods and services for wild animals and plants.”

Deputy Minister Truong Minh Tuan also noted that leaders of newspapers and media from central to local levels must increase propaganda to raise awareness of environmental protection and protect wildlife from the risk of extinction.

According to Vietnam.net