Germany: Epidemic of rhino robberies

last updated 8 January 2015

Stefan Ulrich

Süddeutsche Zeit

Forget gold, said Stefan Ulrich. Today’s sophisticated thieves are trafficking in rhinoceros horns, which can fetch up to $300,000 each. The horns are ground down and sold to the Asian market, where rhino-horn powder is believed to cure everything from migraines to cancer, but is most often marketed to treat male impotence. This year alone, robbers have stolen rhinoceros horns from museums, antiques stores, and even private collections in at least eight European countries.