From 1991-1993 Earthtrust conducted a far-flung international
campaign to investigate and document the killing of rhinos, the
smuggling of their horns, and finally to work publicly within
Taiwan to end the practice. Earthtrust's Taiwan staff managed
to involve local Taiwanese firms in the conservation effort, which
took Earthtrust staff to Africa to investigate poaching and establish
ties with those protecting the animals there, while getting images
and facts on living rhinos to take back to the consumers in Taiwan,
world's largest market for the horn. The undercover work done
was, as with the tigers, important in causing Taiwan to be sanctioned
by the U.S. for continuing trade. Progress was made within Taiwan,
but as with the tigers, the outlook remains poor for the survival
of rhinos in the wild. The work was documented in the Earthtrust
video Rhino Crisis.
For more information on Earthtrust's activites in Asia, see Earthtrust's
Endangered Wildlife Initiative page.
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