2012–2014

ABOUT WILDAID
WildAid’s mission is to end the illegal wildlife trade in our lifetimes by reducing demand
through public awareness campaigns and providing comprehensive marine protection.

The illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be worth over $10 billion (USD) per year and has
drastically reduced many wildlife populations around the world. Just like the drug trade, law
and enforcement efforts have not been able to resolve the problem. Every year, hundreds of
millions of dollars are spent protecting animals in the wild, yet virtually nothing is spent on
stemming the demand for wildlife parts and products. WildAid is the only organization with
a mission focused on reducing the demand for these products, with the strong and simple
message: when the buying stops, the killing can too.

Via public service announcements and short form documentary pieces, WildAid partners
with African Wildlife Foundation and The Yao Ming Foundation to educate consumers and
reduce the demand for rhino horn worldwide. Through our highly leveraged pro-bono
media distribution outlets, our message reaches hundreds of millions of people each year in
China alone.

www.wildaid.org

CONTACT INFORMATION
W ILDAID
744 Montgomery St #300
San Francisco, CA 94111
Tel: 415.834.3174

Christina Vallianos
vallianos@wildaid.org

Special thanks
to the following supporters & partners
PARTNERS who have made this work possible:
African Wildlife Foundation
Beijing Horizonkey Information & Consulting Co., Ltd.
Virgin Unite
Yao Ming Foundation

PHOTOGRAPHER
Kristian Schmidt

DESIGNER
Hugo Ugaz
 IN 2014, APPROXIMATELY

1,215 RHINOS
WERE KILLED IN SOUTH AFRICA
FOR THEIR HORNS

RHINO HORN DEMAND | wildaid.org /rhinos

EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
In 2012, WildAid interviewed residents in three major Chinese cities – Beijing, Shanghai,
and Guangzhou – to better understand awareness and attitudes toward rhino conservation,
and to identify the behaviors and beliefs of rhino horn consumers.

In 2013, WildAid and African Wildlife Foundation launched a campaign to reduce the
demand for rhino horn in China. Using the 2012 findings to inform the campaign strategy,
WildAid began working to raise awareness of the rhino poaching crisis, support lawmakers
and increase enforcement efforts in China, and ultimately reduce demand for rhino horn.
One year into the campaign, WildAid replicated its survey to assess changes in awareness,
attitudes and behavior regarding rhino horn consumption and the poaching crisis, and to
ascertain the reach of campaign messages in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

Rhinos continue to be poached at an alarming scale. More than 1,215 rhinos were poached
for their horns in South Africa alone in 2014 compared to just 13 rhinos killed in 2007.
However, there has been progress in changing attitudes and beliefs toward rhinos and rhino
horn in one of the world’s top consuming nations.

WildAid/AWF’s 2014 survey shows significant improvement in overall knowledge and

recognition of the severity of the poaching crisis, as well as awareness of how rhino horn
is obtained.

• There was a 23.5% reduction in the belief that rhino horn has a medicinal effect.

• Ninety-five percent of residents who do not consume rhino horn agree that the Chinese
government should take stricter action to prevent the use of rhino horns, while even 87%
of rhino horn consumers agree with stricter regulations.

• Of the residents who had seen WildAid’s rhino PSAs featuring ambassadors Yao Ming or
Jackie Chan, 90% said they would not buy rhino horn after watching them.

The results of the 2014 survey are promising and demonstrate that demand reduction cam-
paigns are having an impact on China’s residents’ attitudes and behaviors toward rhinos and
the rhino horn trade.
Baby Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis)

RHINO HORN DEMAND | wildaid.org /rhinos

PA G E // 4

Rhino horns. African Wildlife Foundation

 PA G E // 5
THREATS
TO RHINOS
The rhinoceros has existed for over 50 million years, and modern rhino species have been in
existence for over 15 million years.1 Many rhino species are extinct, and only five species
remain today. Today, the global rhino population has fallen from an estimated 75,000 in the
early 1970s to less than 30,0002.

Several hundred thousand rhinos once roamed across Africa. Between 1970 and 1995, the
black rhino population declined from 65,000 to 2,4103. All rhino species are critically endan-
gered, except the Southern White Rhino subspecies, which recovered from less than 100 in
the early 1900s to around 20,400 individuals today 4.

16,000 TOTAL BL ACK RHINO NUMBERS IN SOUTH AFRICA &

THE RES T OF AFRICA BE T W EEN 1980-2010
NUMBER OF BL ACK RHINOS

14,000 (DATA FROM R. EMSLIE) (MILLIKEN AND SHAW, 2012)

12,000
RES T OF A FRICA
10,000 SOUTH A FRICA

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000

0
1980 1990 2000 2010

1. Prothero, D. “Fifty Million Years of Rhinoceros Evolution. Proceedings of the International Rhino Conference, San
Diego Zoological Society.” San Diego, 1993.
2. Leader-Williams, N. “Regulation and Protection: Successes and Failures of Rhinoceros Conservation.” Rhino
Resource Center, 2002.
3. Emslie, R. and Brooks, M. “African Rhino. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan.” IUCN/SSC African Rhino
Specialist Group, 1999.
4. “TRAFFIC’s Engagement on African Rhinoceros Conservation and the Global Trade in Rhinoceros Horn.” TRAFFIC,
2013.

RHINO HORN DEMAND | wildaid.org /rhinos

 CURRENT POPULATION OF ALL
THREATS
PA G E // 6

FIVE RHINO SPECIES

JAVA N RHINO While most endangered species are under threat from habitat loss due to encroaching human
(Rhinoceros sondaicus) development, African rhinos face only one major threat: poaching, specifically for their
Fewer than 50 horns. Rhino horns are actually compressed hair and composed primarily of keratin, the
same material as human fingernails.
SUM ATR A N RHINO
(Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) TRADE IN VIETNAM AND CHINA
Fewer than 200 In 1993, as a response to an international trade ban to protect wild rhinos, the Chinese
government banned the use of rhino horn in traditional Chinese medicine, removing rhino
INDI A N OR ASI A N ONE-HORNED RHINO horn from the Chinese pharmacopoeia administered by the Ministry of Health of the
(Rhinoceros unicornis) People’s Republic of China. Yet rhino horn is still in demand for use within Traditional
Approximately 3,000 Chinese Medicine across China and Southeast Asia6. Western pharmaceutical studies con-
BL ACK RHINO cluded that, while in high dosage, rhino horn might slightly reduce fever, it is not worth
(Diceros bicornis) pursuing as a medicine, particularly because acetaminophen works more effectively. 7,8
Fewer than 5,000 However, demand for its use as a traditional medicine and a speculative asset in Asia
appears to have grown in recent years. People that use rhino horn believe it helps relieve
W HITE RHINO fever, improve sexual competency, detoxify the body, and in recent years in Vietnam, serves
(Ceratotherium simum) as a magical cure for cancer and hangovers, with no conclusive medical scientific evidence.9
Estimated 20,405 (northern & southern Rhino horn is also used to demonstrate affluence and social status both as a party drug and
subspecies combined)5 as a gift to important political officials.10

The need for a magical cancer cure is likely the result of the 150,000 new cases diagnosed
in Vietnam annually, combined with a shortage of radiotherapy machines in the country.
The long waitlist for radiotherapy means many people die before they can be treated.11

Vietnam has been identified as “the principal end-use market” for rhino horn by the IUCN,
Traffic, and Asian Rhino Specialist Groups.12 A survey by WWF and TRAFFIC in 2013 found
that “educated, successful and powerful individuals are the main market for horns.” Of
those surveyed who are not currently using rhino horn, “16% are ‘intenders’, individuals
who said they wanted to buy or consume
White Rhinos (Ceratotherium simum) rhino horn in the future.”13

LEGAL PROTECTION
In response to rhino poaching, the first
international ban on the commercial trade
in rhino products was enacted in 1975 by the
Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES). However, some countries
were allowed to trade live rhinos and trophy
hunt. All remaining rhino species were
placed on Appendix I of CITES listings by
1977. Appendix I species are prohibited from
being traded internationally for commercial
purposes. In 1994, after their population
improved, the South African Southern
White rhino was down-listed to Appendix II.
Species placed on Appendix II are identified
as not currently threatened by extinction,
but may become threatened if trade is not
strictly regulated.14

While the ban prohibited international trade

in theory, domestic sales in Asia were still
legal and continued with rhino horn remain-
ing widely available through traditional
medicine outlets. Major consumers in the
1980s included China, Taiwan and South
Korea for its use in medicine, and the Middle
 PA G E // 7
Yao Ming with poached rhino, South Africa 2012.
Kristian Schmidt

East, particularly Yemen, for the production began to recover, but in 2008 poaching rose the rhinos were killed in Kruger National
of dagger handles. 15 Growing economies again.16 South Africa had remained relatively Park. 19 The rise in poaching has been
ensured that more consumers could afford untouched by poaching and was successful attributed to improved trade links, increased
rhino horn. Rhino populations declined as in rebuilding the Southern White rhino pop- affluence in Asian countries, consuming
poaching for their horns increased into the ulation from around 100 individuals in 1895 nations’ growing presence in Africa, involve-
early 1990s. to over 20,400 today.17 Unfortunately, it has ment of organized crime, and the emergence
now become the center of the poaching cri- of Vietnam as a new major importer.
In 1993, CITES and the international com- sis. Despite efforts by CITES in 2010 to
munity took action to prohibit sales of rhino increase protection for rhinos – as member In 2013, CITES member governments
horn. The State Council of China also issued countries committed to increased law directed Vietnam to make progress in the
the ‘Notice on Prohibiting the Trade of enforcement, anti-poaching initiatives, and development and implementation of rhino
Rhino Horns and Tiger Bones’ and publi- trade controls —448 rhinos were poached in regulations and enforcement efforts in
cized the prosecution of illegal rhino horn South Africa in 2011, compared with just 13 South Africa, agreeing on a Joint Action
dealers. The ban in China, Hong Kong, in 2007. In 2012, 668 rhinos were killed and Plan between 2012 and 2017. The plan is set
Taiwan, and Singapore, combined with in 2013, South Africa lost a record 1,004 rhi- to help strengthen management of imported
increased public awareness campaigns, nos to poaching18. Alarmingly, the poaching rhino horn trophies and improve investiga-
reduced demand for rhino horn and reports continues to worsen. In 2014, the 1,215 rhi- tions and prosecutions of Vietnamese
of poaching greatly decreased. nos poached for their horns in South Africa nationals suspected of illegally trading in
surpassed the previous year’s record; 68% of rhino horn.20
For 15 years, rhino populations in Africa

5. “African rhinos won’t hold out for much longer, IUCN Therapy Saves Lives.” IAEA Bulletin 51–1, 2010. 18. “Update on rhino poaching statistics.”
experts warn.” IUCN, 2013. 12. Julian Rademeyer. “Vietnam denies rhino horn Environmental Affairs, Republic of South Africa,
6. “The Journal of Chinese Medicine.” jcm.co.uk, 2014. charges.” Mail & Guardian, 2013. 2014.
7. Beech, H. “Killing Fields: Africa’s Rhinos Under 13. “Rhino Horn Consumers. Who Are They?” TRAFFIC, 19. “Minister Edna Molewa highlights progress in the war
Threat.” TIME Magazine, 2011. 2013. against poaching and plans for 2015.” Department
8. Nowell, Kristin. “Species trade and conservation, 14. “IUCN Red List.” IUCN, 2014. of Environmental Affairs, Republic of South Africa,
Rhinoceroses: Assessment of Rhino Horn as a 15. Gwin, Peter. “Rhino Wars: Rivaling the price of gold 2015.
Medicine.” CITES, 2012. on the black market, rhino horn is at the center of a 20. “Governments Shield Rhinos, Elephants From Illegal
9. Miliken, T. and Shaw, J. “The South Africa–Vietnam bloody poaching battle.” National Geographic, 2012. Trade.” Environment News Service, 2013.
Rhino Horn Trade Nexus.” TRAFFIC, 2012. 16. “TRAFFIC’s Engagement on African Rhinoceros
10. “Supply and demand: the illegal rhino horn trade.” Conservation and the Global Trade in Rhinoceros
Save the Rhino, 2011. Horn.” TRAFFIC, 2013.
11. Potterton, Louise. “Access to Affordable Radiation 17. Ibid.

RHINO HORN DEMAND | wildaid.org /rhinos

PA G E // 8

2012 & 2014 CHINA

RHINO HORN
AWARENESS & ATTITUDINAL SURVEYS
In November 2012, WildAid, African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), and Horizonkey Research
Consultancy Group interviewed 963 residents in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou to better
understand awareness of rhino conservation status, China’s rhino horn consumers, and pos-
sibilities to deter consumption.

Two years later, in October 2014, WildAid, African Wildlife Foundation, and Horizonkey
Research replicated this survey to assess any change in awareness, attitudes and behavior
regarding rhino horn consumption and the rhino poaching crisis, and to ascertain the reach
of campaign messages in the same three cities.

SURVEY KEY FINDINGS

1. Awareness that horns come from poached wild rhinos increased by 51.5% to 50% in 2014
from 33% of respondents in 2012.

How are rhino horns acquired?

2012

2014
33%

50% 51.5%
INCREASE

21. Horizonkey survey: Sample size: 935 participants; samples are weighed according to the Yearbook of Statistics of Chinese Cities in 2013
• Type: In-person, questionnaire. • Requirements: Participants are urban residents who have lived in Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou
for over one year. • Age: Participants 18 years old and older where 18-35 year olds accounted for 40.2%, 36-50 year olds accounted for
37.8%, and those above 50 years old accounted for 22%. • Income: Monthly income between RMB 0 to over RMB 10001.
2. Nearly half, 49.4% of participants in 2012 and 46.3% in 2014, believed that rhino horn

PA G E // 9
could be legally purchased from official stores.

2012 49.4%

2014 46.3%

3. Our 2014 survey showed a 23.5% reduction in the belief that rhino horn has a medicinal effect,
falling from 58.2% in 2012 to 44.5% in 2014.

2012

2014
58.2%

44.5% 23.5%
DECREASE

4. Of participants who do not buy rhino horn, 95% said the Chinese government should
take stricter action to prevent the use of rhino horns. Even 87% (compared to 72% in 2012)
of those who purchase rhino horns agreed with stricter restrictions.

SAID THE GOVERNMENT

95% 87% SHOULD TAKE STRICTER

ACTION TO PREVENT THE
USE OF RHINO HORNS

NON-CONSUMER S CONSUMERS

RHINO HORN DEMAND | wildaid.org /rhinos

 5. More than 90% of interviewees think poaching poses a serious (or very serious) threat
PA G E // 10

to rhinos, compared to 74% in 2012. The increase was most pronounced in Beijing, where
awareness of the seriousness of poaching grew from 6.1% to 54%.

2012

2014
74%

90.9% 21.6%
INCREASE

6. More than 92% (90% in 2012) of all respondents believe that trade in rhino horn is illegal.
In 1977, China signed CITES and banned all international trade in rhino horns. In 1993, the State Council
banned rhino horn sales within China.

2012 90%

2014 92%

7. 40% of participants interviewed in 2014 had watched PSAs featuring ambassadors Yao
Ming or Jackie Chan and 90.9% of those said they wouldn’t buy rhino horn after viewing
the PSAs.

90.9%
WOULDN' T BU Y
RHINO HORN
41%
SAW W ILDA D PSA S

A F TER VIE W ING

THE PSA S
8. In 2014, 44.4% of residents cited seeing graphic images of poached rhinos as the most

PA G E // 11
effective way to persuade consumers to end their ivory consumption.

4 4.4% CITED GR APHIC & CRUEL IM AGES

AS THE MOS T EFFEC TIVE WAY
TO END THEIR IVORY CONSUMP TION

ONLINE SURVEY
We also conducted an online survey 22 in December 2014 of 1,500 residents of Beijing, Shanghai, and
Guangzhou with market research group Intage, China. The online survey findings are similar to those
of the Horizonkey survey, but there are noted differences that likely reflect the online demographic:

1. 5 4% OF PARTICIPANTS BELIE VE THAT RHINO HORNS COME FROM “POACHED WILD RHINOS”

2. Y E T, ONLY 78% OF PARTICIPANTS BELIE VE THE RHINO HORN TR ADE IS ILLEG AL, AND 75% OF PARTICIPANTS
BELIE VE RHINO HORN POSSESSES CERTAIN MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

3. 61% OF PARTICIPANTS HAVE SEEN WILDAID’S RHINO PSAS; OF THOSE, 63% OF PARTICIPANTS HAVE
VIE WED THE JACKIE CHAN PSA, 5 4% HAVE VIE WED YAO MING PSAS, AND 41% VIE WED PSAS FE ATURING
PRINCE WILLIAM, DAVID BECKHAM AND YAO MING.

4. 98% OF PARTICIPANTS WHO HAVE VIE WED THE PSAS BELIE VE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS PL AY A
ROLE IN PERSUADING PEOPLE TO REFUSE TO BU Y RHINO HORN PRODUC TS – 4 5% THINK PSAS “PL AY A
GRE AT ROLE”, WHILE 53% SAY THE Y “PL AY A ROLE”

22. Online survey: Sample size: A total of 1500 participants: 500 from Beijing, 500 from Shanghai, 500 from Guangzhou. • Requirements: Participants
are local residents or residents who have lived/studied in the city for over two years. • Age: Participants ranged from 18-55 years old, in which 18-
29 year olds accounted for at least 40%, 30-40 year olds accounted for at least 40%, and 51-55 year olds accounted for no less than 10%. • Income:
Monthly salary above RMB 6000.

RHINO HORN DEMAND | wildaid.org /rhinos

 2012 FOCUS GROUP MAJOR FINDINGS
PA G E // 12

WildAid, AWF, and HorizonKey also conducted in-depth interviews with select focus group
members to understand pre-existing attitudes, knowledge, and perceptions on rhino horn and
its trade. Participants included media professionals, government officials of deputy depart-
ment director level and above, customs officials responsible for law enforcement and legal
action, and a ‘high-income group’ with an annual household income above 2 million RMB.

More than half of the participants did not know the material composition of rhino horn.
Upon learning its material, perceptions around its medicinal value seemed to change.

“I thought rhino horns have some medicinal effects. But after I heard that there is no dif-
ference between a rhino horn and a human fingernail in nature, I think it might have no
especially great medicinal value.”

—Female Media Member, Beijing

“You can find a person of great authority to tell the public that a rhino horn is the same as a
fingernail. If you want to use a rhino horn, why not just bite your own fingernails?”

—Male, Media Member, Beijing

Respondents were wary of rumored claims in Vietnam that rhino horn can cure cancer.

“I don’t think rhino horns can treat cancer. Nothing has been verified yet. I think it is
mainly because some sellers are fabricating rumors to increase rhino horn prices. If it
has been verified, the authority would publish the news.”

—Male Government Official, Guangzhou

“This is sheer nonsense. If rhino horns can treat cancer, how could Anita Mui die of can-
cer? Didn’t she have the money for a rhino horn? If rhino horns can treat cancer, cancer
would have been conquered earlier.”

—Male Rhino Horn Consumer, Shanghai

To the Chinese public, there is no doubt that rhinos are endangered wild animals under
protection. All interviewees believed that although no wild rhinos live within the territory of
China, the Chinese government should ensure the survival of rhinos and increase punish-
ment for offenders.

“I think we need to tell the public the destructive impact on the ecological environment
after the extinction of animals. Because your children and future generations will contin-
ue to live on the earth, they might be revenged by the nature. The nature would in turn
attack and retaliate against human beings.”

—Female Media Member, Shanghai

“Although rhinos come from South Africa rather than China, it is within the scope of pro-
tected endangered animals in China, and is also a rare protected animal. Some non-Chi-
nese animals are also covered in the Chinese laws concerning endangered animals, most
of which are world-class protected animals. Therefore, the laws also have great impact
on the protection of such animals.”

—Male Government Official, Shanghai

“China has made more efforts in the protection of tigers and pandas, since their quantity
is less than that of rhinos. In addition, pandas are peculiar in China, and regarded as our
national treasure, so we make great efforts in the protection of pandas. But rhinos have
become extinct in China.”

—Male Government Official, Shanghai

“The punishment on personal collection or transaction of rhino horns should be strength-

ened. Those with gross violations can be investigated for criminal punishment properly,
and should not be simply fined. Such punishment should be listed into the criminal law.”

—Male Government Official, Shanghai

 PA G E // 13

RHINO HORN DEMAND | wildaid.org /rhinos

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