Poaching is a worldwide epidemic that is destroying our planet’s delicate balance of biodiversity while also causing appalling human rights violations. The demand for rhino horn, particularly in some Asian countries, is the primary reason why the rhino species is facing extinction. Working hand-in-hand with traffickers, who in turn work with poachers, traders pay meager sums for rhinos to be killed so their horns can be upsold on the black market for bogus health benefits.

In the above video, we see the painful reality of poaching. A mother rhino has been gunned down while her scared and confused baby darts around her trying to make sense of the inexplicable tragedy he witnessed. The baby refused to leave his mother’s side, and rescuers had to use a dart to take him to safety at a rhino orphanage.

This tear-jerking incident is a weekly occurrence in Africa. Rhino horn is made of keratin, the same material our own fingernails are made of, and there is zero evidence of any sort that proves ingesting rhino horn helps people in any way. The demand is so high for rhino horn, that even rhinos on protected lands with armed guards are targeted by poachers. This idiotic mentality must stop if rhinos are to have a fighting chance.

Although this video is painful to watch, please make sure to share it with your network. Only when people explicitly see the reality of poaching will they feel compelled to stand up against it.