July 12, 2011
BLOIS, France (AFP) - Thieves stole a rhinoceros head from a museum in France, the latest in a string of raids thought to be fuelled by an international trade, police and museum sources said on Monday.
Staff at the natural history museum in Blois, 160 kilometres (100 miles) southwest of Paris, discovered the exhibit was missing on Saturday morning following a break-in.
The head, weighing about 100 kilogrammes (220 pounds) and dating back to the 19th century, had been dragged along the floor.
Museum curator Jean-Louis Pointal said it was the latest in a string of rhinoceros head thefts in recent months.
Thieves hit Rouen, France, in March, Liege in Belgium in June and the Belgian capital Brussels last week.
Rhinoceros horn is prized in China where it is said to have aphrodisiac properties.
