Rhino conservation is a hot topic used by many NGOs to raise lots of money to 'Save the Rhino'. Unfortunately, little of this money goes to those who have rhinos on their land and urgently need the funding! Very few people really understand the formidable challenges faced by rhino owners. Did you know that most rhinos in southern Africa roam free on private farms and reserves? NGO funding, however, is mostly channelled to government-run National Parks, with very little money reaching the private rhino owner. This leaves the private rhino owners with many challenges. Poaching for the illegal trade in rhino horn remains the main threat to the survival of the species. All reserves and game ranches with rhinos face rapidly escalating costs associated with rhino ownership. The costs of anti-poaching measures increased dramatically, without much effect on reducing the risk of poaching incidents. Severe droughts and the associated scarcity of animal feeds leads to increased feed expenses which place a further financial burden on rhino owners. Contrary to National Parks, most private landowners must make a living off their land and animals. They thus consider the cost and risk factors of rhino ownership compared to the financial benefits that can realistically be derived. The threat posed by poachers (also physically to farmers and their workers) combined with the high costs of keeping rhinos, compares poorly to very limited returns. This has, over the past years, led to a dramatic divestment in rhino keeping by private landowners. The knock-on effect is a significant drop in the market value of rhinos, spurring a viscous cycle of accelerated divestment. The often-overlooked consequence of all this is the resulting significant decline in available habitat for rhinos. Habitat decline is a leading cause of biodiversity loss and species extinction! This article provides an overview of the challenges surrounding rhino conservation. We start by discussing the drivers fuelling the illegal trade in rhino horn. This is followed by a discussion on anti-poaching measures implemented and an overview of current poaching statistics. We will also highlight the crucial role private rhino owners play in rhino conservation efforts. Finally, we touch on the thorny issue of the legal trade in rhino horn, where we provide rational arguments in favour of the legalised horn trade. We hope for an open discussion on this issue with readers who are pro- and anti-trade.