Valued for their horn, the biggest threat to rhinos is poaching. The horn is ground up and used in traditional Asian medicine and folk remedies for a range of ailments from hangovers, impotence, fevers, to cancer cures. The horn is made up of the same material that comprises human hair and nails and has no scientific curing maladies. The Asian markets put such trust in these remedies that all scientific studies have been ignored.
An endangered species is supremely desired by hunters who yearn to add the rarest of animals to their trophy collection. The winner of the trophy hunting auction pays up to $350,000 for the right to kill an endangered species.