TOEFL Integrated Writing Practice Test 006Rhino Horns

Despite the global ban on the sale of rhinoceros horns, rhinos are frequently poached for their horns, which can fetch tens of thousands of dollars per kilogram. Due to the high value of these horns, one species of rhino has already gone extinct, and without intervention, all rhino species are at risk of extinction. Several strategies have been proposed to address this issue.

The first suggestion is dehorning. Wildlife experts could remove the horns of rhinos in the wild to make them less appealing to poachers. When done with proper medical equipment and sedation, dehorning can be performed without harming the rhinos. In the early 1990s, a trial of this method showed that none of the dehorned rhinos were targeted by poachers.

The second approach focuses on consumer education. Most rhino horn is used in traditional medicine, despite there being no scientific evidence supporting its health benefits. Rhino horn is made almost entirely of keratin, the same protein found in human hair and nails, which has no known medicinal value. Educating consumers about the lack of health benefits could significantly reduce demand for rhino horn.

A third idea is to legalize government sales of rhino horn. Some governments have stockpiles of rhino horns seized from poachers. Rather than keeping these horns in storage, governments could sell them legally at low prices. If legal sales made rhino horns more affordable, poaching might become unprofitable, reducing the incentive to hunt rhinos and giving the species a chance to recover.