New York, May 16: Rhinoceros horn fetches poachers more than what one gets from comparable weight of gold or diamonds, a critical factor that is driving the extinction of one of the world\'s largest herbivores, says a new study.

The researchers noted that many of the world\'s largest herbivores -- including several species of elephants, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses and gorillas -- are in danger of becoming extinct because of the tremendous financial incentive for poachers to sell animal parts for consumer goods and food.

\"For example, rhinoceros horn is more valuable by weight than gold, diamonds or cocaine,\" said the study\'s lead author William Ripple, professor of ecology at Oregon State University in the US.

The researchers found that between 2002 and 2011, the number of forest elephants declined by 62 percent.

From 2007 to 2013, the number of rhinoceroses poached skyrocketed from 13 per year to an alarming 1,004 per year.

More than 100,000 elephants -- one-fifth of the world\'s wild savannah elephant population -- were poached between 2010 and 2012.

\"If this were to keep up, there would be very few or no savannah elephants in 10 years, and no African rhinos in 20 years,\" said study co-author Blaire Van Valkenburgh, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Los Angeles, in the US.

The scientists studied 74 species of wild herbivores that weigh an average of about 100 kg at adulthood.

\"Without radical intervention, large herbivores (and many smaller ones) will continue to disappear from numerous regions with enormous ecological, social, and economic costs,\" the study noted.

The findings appeared in the journal Science Advances.

Rhino horn more valuable than gold, diamonds