Prince William denounces rhino horn trade

Prince William has condemned the illegal trade in rhino horn as ignorant and wrong.

Speaking ahead of a United Nations conference tomorrow which will highlight what's being called a poaching epidemic, he said the issue made him extremely angry.

“[Black rhinos] are two of the most heavily poached animals currently in the world,” said Prince William. “And if we don't do something about them, it's going to be a tragic loss for everyone.”

Demand is being driven by a traditional medicine market in Vietnam and China, with poachers using increasingly cruel methods to remove the rhino's horn. Illegal rhino horn is now more expensive than gold.

“It's a message about educating people and understanding that when you buy that rhino horn, or when you buy ivory, you have taken this from an animal that has been slaughtered,” the Prince said.

“It makes me very angry. It's a waste.” But conservationists say unless the Chinese government intervenes to stop the trade, there's little else they can do to protect these animals.

Kate Silverton from the BBC reports.