Veterinarian educates Indonesian children about nearby rhinos

A College of Veterinary Medicine professor wants to take the problem of rhinoceros poaching by the horns. Using a children's book, Dr. Robin Radcliffe has raised local awareness of two vanishing rhino species in Indonesia. Now he plans to use the same approach in Asian countries that import rhino horn, which commands sky-high prices as medicine, a party drug and an aphrodisiac. Composed of keratin, as are hair and fingernails, rhino horn can't deliver on any of these claims. However, it is a potent status symbol because until recently, only the affluent could afford it. Now that members of the growing middle class in "user" countries have the income for luxuries, demand for horn is growing - and poachers are trying to meet it. "For the book program to make a lasting impact on the rhino horn trade, we will need to reach the people who are using it," Radcliffe says.