Animals and Insects

Poachers Broke Into A French Zoo And Killed A Rhino For Its Horns

Vince the white rhino was shot to death, and one of his horns was removed with a chainsaw.

Poachers Broke Into A French Zoo And Killed A Rhino For Its Horns
Parc Zoologique de Thoiry
SMS

A zoo in France is mourning the death of its rhinoceros after he was killed by poachers.

Vince the white rhino was found shot to death in his enclosure at a zoo west of Paris. Authorities say poachers broke into the zoo, shot Vince and sawed off one of his horns with a chainsaw. 

Investigators think the poachers were interrupted — they left the second horn behind after starting to saw it off, as well. The zoo's two other rhinos were uninjured.

A former zoo official said, "It's not easy to kill a rhino weighing several tons just like that. It's a job for professionals." Other zoos around Europe were warned to take extra precautions.

African Rhino Poaching Increases For The Sixth Year In A Row
African Rhino Poaching Increases For The Sixth Year In A Row

African Rhino Poaching Increases For The Sixth Year In A Row

Over 1,300 rhinos were killed for their horns in 2015.

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In 2016, the ivory and horn trade was banned in France, but poaching can still be very profitable. A pound of rhino horn is worth tens of thousands of dollars on the black market.

White rhino poaching is increasing worldwide. More than a thousand of them are killed annually for their horns, which are sometimes used in traditional Asian medicine.