Fake it till you save it? Synthetic animal parts pose a conservation conundrum by Claudia Geib on 19 February 2021 Thanks to technological advancements, it’s now possible to make synthetic versions of animal parts like rhino horn, elephant ivory, and big cat fur, demand for which is contributing to the extinction crisis. Yet this practice is controversial, as some conservation groups assert that selling synthetic parts could actually promote more poaching. Proponents of the strategy say more conversations are needed around this possibility, including looking at the issue from an economic perspective. Twice a year, thousands of members of South Africa’s Nazareth Baptist Church clothe themselves in spots and walk to their holy grounds in KwaZulu-Natal province to take up a dance. Following the swell of horns and the pounding of a drum, more than 1,500 male dancers move together, their stamping feet and upraised arms swinging in perfect sync. On each dancer’s shoulders hangs an