Art News

Rhino horn thieves fooled by replicas in United Kingdom heist

LONDON (AP).- Thieves have struck a British museum aiming to cart away rare rhino horns — but it turns out they took replicas instead. The foiled heist at the Natural History Museum at Tring follows a string of rhino horn thefts in Britain and continental Europe. The horns are revered in parts of Asia for their purported aphrodisiac and medicinal value and are often ground into powder. The museum, located 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of London in the county of Hertfordshire, was closed Saturday while police investigated the early morning crime. Displays are being repaired and the museum will reopen Sunday. Museum officials say the replicas have no financial value. They estimate the real horns would have been worth about 240,000 pounds ($391,000) in the illegal trade.