By
Victoria GillScience reporter, BBC News
18
September 2017
Criminal
networks smuggling rhino horn out of Africa are turning it into jewellery to
evade its detection in airports, an investigation has found.
Wildlife
trade monitoring network Traffic revealed an "emerging trend" of
making and smuggling beads, bracelets and bangles and rhino horn powder.
The lead
investigator told BBC News the trade in rhino horn was now "morphing"
into a market for luxury items.
At least
7,100 rhinos are estimated to have been killed in Africa since 2007.
Today,
about 25,000 of the animals remain.
Julian
Rademeyer from Traffic explained that the production of rhino horn
"trinkets" mirrored some of the patterns seen in the trade in ivory.
"It's
very worrying," he told BBC News. "Because if someone's walking
through the airport wearing a necklace made of rhino horn, who is going to stop
them?
"Police
are looking for a piece of horn and whole horns."
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