Graffiti calls for end to rhino horn use in Vietnam
Twelve walls in Nguyen Thai Binh ward of District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, are being covered with rhino-themed graffiti to call for an end to the use of rhino horn in Vietnam.
There are only 25,000 wild rhinos in the world at present, dropping by 95 percent over the last 40 years (Photo: Education for Nature-Vietnam)
Hanoi (VNA) –Twelve walls in Nguyen Thai Binh ward of District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, arebeing covered with rhino-themed graffiti to call for an end to the use of rhinohorn in Vietnam.
The event, taking place from January 9-15, ispart of a rhino arts week which features street art and interactive activitiesto convey anti-rhino horn messages to the public.
The 10 graffiti artists such as Trang Suby,Florian Nguyen and Danny Dao will also show off their skills in individual andmass performances during the week, which is expected to attract 10,000visitors.
The 12 walls will be kept intact after the week endsso as to encourage people to protect rhinos.
Statistics show that there are only 25,000 wildrhinos in the world at present, dropping by 95 percent over the last 40 years.
South Africa is home to about 20,000 rhinos or80 percent of the global total. Up to 1,175 rhinos were poached there in 2015,down slightly from the record of 1,215 in 2014. However, many experts believethat the real number of poached rhinos is much higher.
Poaching is attributable to the rising demandfor rhino horn in some Asian countries, including Vietnam, since many people inthese nations believe that rhino horns can cure illnesses, which is refuted by science.
Conservationists warned that rhinos will becomeextinct within the next 10 years if poaching is not stopped.
The last Java rhino in Vietnam was killed at CatTien National Park in 2010.-VNA
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There are only 25,000 wild rhinos in the world at present, dropping by 95 percent over the last 40 years (Photo: Education for Nature-Vietnam) 
