England (Commonwealth Union) – The common myth of Rhino horns being an aphrodisiac has unfortunately resulted in scores of rhinos being hunted and killed for their horns. A new study has indicated that long horned rhinos may be in decline which could be a result of hunting.
Following an evaluation of more than a century’s worth of photos, University of Cambridge researchers made the first ever measurements that reveal rhinoceros’ horns have gradually become smaller in size over time. The researchers evaluated the horns of 80 rhinos, photographed in profile view from the years of 1886 to 2018. The photographs are held by the Rhino Resource Centre, which is an online repository that had the 5 species of rhinos which are white, black, Indian, Javan and Sumatran. Horn length had indications of reducing to a large extent for all species over the last century.
Real rhino horns are highly valuable that high security protocols hinder researchers from using them for study. Therefore, this is the first time that horns were measured over a long period.
Researchers believe rhino horns have shrunk over time as a result of intensive hunting. Rhino horns are of high value and in demand for financial investments, and their application in traditional medicines in China and Vietnam. However, there are no clear indications of traditional Chinese medicines historically using rhino horns, hence its often described as a myth.
Hunting has not just led to large reductions in rhino populations; researchers indicate that shooting rhinos having the longest horns has elevated the number of smaller-horned survivors – which have had increased reproduction and passed on their smaller traits to the next generations.
Oscar Wilson, who was previously a researcher at the University of Cambridge, Department of Zoology, first author of the report and currently at the University of Helsinki, Finland said: “We were really excited that we could find evidence from photographs that rhino horns have become shorter over time.”
