There are only 25,000 wild rhinos in the world at present, dropping by 95 percent over the last 40 years (Photo: Education for Nature-Vietnam) Hanoi (VNA) – Twelve walls in Nguyen Thai Binh ward of District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, are being covered with rhino-themed graffiti to call for an end to the use of rhino horn in Vietnam.
The event, taking place from January 9-15, is part of a rhino arts week which features street art and interactive activities to convey anti-rhino horn messages to the public.
The 10 graffiti artists such as Trang Suby, Florian Nguyen and Danny Dao will also show off their skills in individual and mass performances during the week, which is expected to attract 10,000 visitors.
The 12 walls will be kept intact after the week ends so as to encourage people to protect rhinos.
Statistics show that there are only 25,000 wild rhinos in the world at present, dropping by 95 percent over the last 40 years.
South Africa is home to about 20,000 rhinos or 80 percent of the global total. Up to 1,175 rhinos were poached there in 2015, down slightly from the record of 1,215 in 2014. However, many experts believe that the real number of poached rhinos is much higher.
Poaching is attributable to the rising demand for rhino horn in some Asian countries, including Vietnam, since many people in these nations believe that rhino horns can cure illnesses, which is refuted by science.
Conservationists warned that rhinos will become extinct within the next 10 years if poaching is not stopped.
The last Java rhino in Vietnam was killed at Cat Tien National Park in 2010.-VNA
VNA
