Another rhinoceros subspecies goes extinct.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has declared the West African black rhino extinct because no one has seen them in the past seven years.

Wealthy people in Asia hunt for black rhino horns because they see them as a status symbol. Photo: Eastern Echo.

The IUCN has confirmed that the West African black rhino has disappeared permanently because no one and no equipment has detected them since 2006, Science Daily reports.

"Humans, specifically human greed, caused their extinction," the IUCN stated.

The West African black rhino, a subspecies of black rhino, existed for thousands of years in southern Africa. According to an article on Earth First News on May 7th, many people covet the horns of the West African black rhino because they believe they can cure all kinds of ailments – from headaches to cancer.

SavetheRhino.org, a website dedicated to rhino conservation, states that wealthy people in Asia believe rhino horns are a symbol of wealth. In traditional Chinese medicine, practitioners use rhino horns to treat fever, convulsions, and to detoxify those who have been drinking heavily.

The wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC asserts that the hype surrounding the "miraculous" effects of rhino horns is merely a marketing ploy used by unscrupulous individuals to inflate prices. The entire rhino species faces extinction due to unscientific beliefs and the enormous profits of those who exploit fear among the wealthy.

Poachers regularly hunt rhinos in national parks. Sometimes they bribe park rangers to provide information about rhino spawn locations. On May 2nd, in an interview with AP, Antonio Abacar, a park ranger in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier National Park in Mozambique, admitted that many of his colleagues are complicit with poachers. According to him, 30 out of the park's 100 rangers will face trial for aiding rhino poachers.

Another rhinoceros species is also endangered. The Javan rhinoceros, native to Southeast Asia, is the most threatened of all rhinoceros species today. Vietnam's last Javan rhinoceros died in 2010.

According to VnExpress - VT