A training course to raise awareness of women and business people of the threat to rhino’s existence posed by the demand for the animal’s horn has been held recently in Hanoi.

Organised by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) management agency in Vietnam, the municipal Women’s Union and the Business and Integration Magazine, the event saw the participation of more than 500 women’s union activists and representatives from over 50 businesses in the city.

Participants were provided with information on the situation of rhino population in Vietnam and legal regulations related to the animal.

Like in many other countries in Asia, Vietnamese traditionally believe that rhino horn can treat a range of diseases, including cancer, hence the demand for the horn.

However, scientific studies show that the rhino horn has no medical properties because it is composed of mainly keratine substance, which is similar to human nail’s composition.

According to the Wildlife Department under the Humane Society International, since the beginning of 2013, at least 746 rhinos have been killed for their horns in South Africa, which has the highest concentration of rhinos in the world. Many of the horns were smuggled to Asia, including Vietnam.

The last rhino in Vietnam was killed in 2010, which is a tragic lesson in protecting wild species on the verge of extinction.-VNA