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TRAFFIC's approach in China is based on the importance of systematic monitoring of wildlife trade as a way to provide an 'early warning' for emerging conservation issues. Through regular market surveys, TRAFFIC is able to alert government officials and other stakeholders when certain species such as the yew tree (Taxus) or musk deer are threatened. These early warnings ensure that sustainable, long-term solutions can be implemented to protect these wild species.

A central focus of TRAFFIC's work in China is the protection of species used for traditional medicines. TRAFFIC works in close collaboration with the Chinese government, the traditional Chinese medicine industry, academic institutions and numerous other organizations to ensure the protection of wild plants and animals used in traditional Chinese medicines. Together we are working to promote sustainable use in the traditional medicine industry, and to stop the illegal trade of endangered species used as traditional medicines, such as tigers and rhinoceros.

Early Warning

The global trade in wildlife is big business. Strict monitoring and management of the market is needed to keep threatened species safe. In partnership with academic institutions and other conservation organizations, TRAFFIC has begun to build an 'early warning system' for China. This will alert the public and decision-makers to problems as they arise, allowing for better planning for sustainable use, and China's law enforcers to stop illegal trade.
For example, with funding from the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, we are currently working for the conservation of the yew tree (Taxus), an important medicinal ingredient. By documenting current threats and providing conservation information to relevant authorities, we help strengthen conservation action by local governments and communities.

Flagship Species

Flagship species such as tigers and elephants are crucial to healthy eco-systems. Yet these species are critically endangered, with hunting for trade a primary threat. With support from the Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation, TRAFFIC has joined with the China CITES Management Authority to develop training materials on the globally used Elephant Trade Information System. We are also assisting with the training of Customs Agency staff on its use. Another example of TRAFFIC's work on flagship species comes from our trade investigations to understand and stop the illegal trade in tigers and tiger products, conducted in partnership with WWF and Save the Tiger Fund.

Resource Security and Wildlife Trade

Resource security means to ensure the sustainable use of natural resources. This is a central focus of TRAFFIC in China, and includes work on sustainable use in key resource sectors, including the forestry sector and the traditional medicine industry.

TRAFFIC is promoting resource security in China through a number of initiatives. In 2003, for example, TRAFFIC East Asia and China's CITES Scientific Authority formed the Traditional Medicines Advisory Group. This group is composed of a diverse range of China's traditional medicine community. It is a continuing, high-level forum that discusses key issues related to conservation and sustainability in traditional medicine. The proceedings of early meetings of the Traditional Medicine Advisory Group have recently been published as Conservation and Sustainable Use of China's Medicinal Resources - an invaluable text for conservationists, government officials, academic professionals, and traditional medicine practitioners.

TRAFFIC is also leading an editorial committee, composed of professors from several traditional medicine universities, to write a new textbook for students of traditional Chinese medicine. The textbook focuses on conservation and sustainable use of China's endangered and rare medical resources. TRAFFIC has also worked with the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the Endangered Species Scientific Commission on workshops for certification and labeling of wildlife products.

TRAFFIC's work on resource security in China also extends into the forestry and fisheries sectors. TRAFFIC is assisting the Global Forest Trade Network with an analysis of legality in the timber trade, for example, and has previously worked on the issues of shark imports and shark fisheries. TRAFFIC is committed to work for sustainable use of wild plants and animals throughout China's growing economy.

Hotspots - China's growing impact on Asian biodiversity

China's wildlife trade is significant not only within China but across its borders, having a big impact on the wildlife of neighboring countries. Therefore, the effective control of China's wildlife trade increasingly relies on collaboration between China and its neighbors. TRAFFIC and the China CITES Management Authority regularly support high-level meetings and joint enforcement actions between China and countries throughout Asia, including Vietnam, Russia, and India. This is done in partnership with government agencies across the globe, including the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the United States Bureau of International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.

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TRAFFIC's approach in China is based on the importance of systematic monitoring of wildlife trade as a way to provide an 'early warning' for emerging conservation issues. Through regular market surveys, TRAFFIC is able to alert government officials and other stakeholders when certain species such as the yew tree (Taxus) or musk deer are threatened.

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Wild animals are being poached on a massive scale, with millions of individual animals of thousands of species worldwide killed or captured from their native habitats. Poaching poses a growing threat to elephants, rhinos, and other charismatic animals, as well as to smaller and more obscure creatures, like certain lizards and monkeys.

Why animals are poached

Poachers sometimes kill or capture animals to sell them locally or for the global trade in wildlife. Wildlife trading is a major black market that has increased alongside rising wealth in Asia-a major consumer of wildlife-and the advent of e-commerce and social media websites.

Some animals, such as birds, reptiles, and primates, are captured live so that they can be kept or sold as exotic pets. Slaughtered animals, on the other hand, have commercial value as food, jewelry, decor, or traditional medicine. The ivory tusks of African elephants, for example, are carved into trinkets or display pieces. The scales of pangolins, small animals that eat ants, are ground into powder and consumed for their purported healing powers. The meat of apes, snakes, and other bush animals is considered a delicacy in parts of Africa.

In addition to killing for direct profit, poachers target animals to prevent them from destroying crops or attacking livestock. This happens to lions and elephants in Africa, as well as to wolves, coyotes, and other predators in North America and beyond.

The effects of poaching

Poaching has devastating consequences for wildlife. In some instances, it's the primary reason why an animal faces a risk of extinction. This is the case with the African elephant, more than 100,000 of which were killed between 2014 and 2017 for ivory. Poaching has also had a catastrophic impact on rhinos, with more than a thousand slaughtered a year for their horns.

Poaching for the exotic pet trade affects an animal's welfare in addition to its numbers in the wild. Most wild animals eat specialized diets found in nature, and they need space to fly, roam, and swing from branches. Captured animals are stuffed into boxes, suitcases, or sacks, and even if they survive transport, they often suffer in their new, unnatural situations.

Then there's the tragic ways poaching affects people. In Africa, nearly 600 rangers charged with protecting wildlife were gunned down by poachers between 2009 and 2016 while in the line of duty. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Virunga National Park, one of the continent's most dangerous, at least 170 rangers have been killed during the past two decades.

What's more, poaching has been linked to armed militia groups in Africa suspected of trafficking ivory to fund their operations, and it often occurs alongside other crimes including corruption and money laundering. And poached animals can spread disease, such as Ebola and SARS.

Efforts to stop poaching

In addition to providing on-the-ground protection for animals, many countries make poaching an offense punishable by prison or monetary fees. Because poachers in Africa and Asia are often impoverished local people who make small profits in comparison to traders and kingpins, penalties for poaching wildlife are generally less severe than those for trafficking wildlife.

There are also numerous nonprofits around the world working to end wildlife poaching. Some of these groups have helped to promote alternative, more sustainable ways for poachers to earn a living. Another way people are working to end poaching is by trying to decrease demand for illegal wildlife and wildlife parts. If no one's buying the products, there will be no need to kill the animals.

Read more about poaching and wildlife crime at National Geographic's Wildlife Watch. See all of National Geographic's videos about poaching here.

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Wild animals are being poached on a massive scale, with millions of individual animals of thousands of species worldwide killed or captured from their native habitats. Poaching poses a growing threat to elephants, rhinos, and other charismatic animals, as well as to smaller and more obscure creatures, like certain lizards and monkeys.

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If you've ever been interested in endangered animals you've probably heard that one of the reasons the species is threatened is because of poaching. By definition, poaching is a pretty straightforward practice, but beyond the surface level, there is a lot to unpack.

Poaching is a complex topic with a lot of confusing reasoning and effects behind it. We'll be breaking down exactly what poaching is, how it has changed over time, why people poach animals, and how groups are combating poaching so it's easily understandable.

Let's get started.

Poaching Definition and Explanation

Poaching includes illegal hunting, fishing, and taking of species, and in the modern-day, this is generally for financial gain. You might expect black markets and shady dealers to drive most of the poaching, however, this isn't really the case.

Any form of illegal harvest falls under poaching. From news-garnering stories of poached elephants to your cousin Billy bagging a deer that he didn't have a tag for. To be clear, hunting or fishing while trespassing and going over legal bag limits are also poaching.

Tropical fish are a prime example since they are frequently caught, shipped, and sold into the aquarium trade in large numbers. This can decimate the reefs they call home, and until recently there was very little protection or regulation in most aquarium markets worldwide.

Sometimes individual countries can drive poaching of specific species almost on their own. China didn't ban the import of ivory until 2017 and had a high demand up until that point.

Even the capture of animals to be sold into zoos has driven poaching in the past. While better, more sustainable options such as captive breeding, bans on importing certain goods, and establishment of guarded sanctuaries have been put in place, poaching remains a problem for many endangered species.

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History of Poaching

In the past, poaching was mostly a matter of life and death. In Medieval Europe for example, hunting was a sport reserved for nobility and they exerted their exclusive right to hunt game like deer, wild boar, foxes, and other game.

For peasants who typically lived on the edge of starvation, poaching the ruling class's game was the only way to improve their diet. As time passed, these exclusive rights were given to landowners who employed gamekeepers to protect the animals on their land from poachers.

At this time, poachers were mostly made up of poor people who just needed more food, and animals were taken almost exclusively for this reason. Groups of poachers were formed and fought against gamekeepers for access to food.

From the mid 20th century until the modern-day, the reasons behind poaching have changed. Typically, poachers are either hunting game for sport or for financial gain.

Trophies are the main reason for sport hunting of endangered animals. There are legal options for hunting endangered animals, but typically old or weak animals are chosen to improve population health. Since these aren't ideal trophies, many hunters decide to operate outside of these legal options.

Poaching can also be incredibly profitable. Animal products such as skins, fur, bones, tusks, teeth, and organs can all fetch large sums of money. This is because in many countries these items are culturally considered status symbols, luxury items, or of medicinal or ceremonial importance.

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The Major Effects of Poaching

Poaching Statistics

The total value of the illegal wildlife trade is somewhere between $7 billion and $23 billion worldwide each year. Not all wildlife trade is illegal however, with animals from thousands of species legally caught and sold as food, pets, ornaments, or medicine.

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Common Animals Threatened By Poaching

Here we'll give a quick overview of different animals that are particularly threatened by poaching and why they are sought after.

1. Elephants and Rhinos

The ivory trade drives the poaching of all types of elephants and rhinos more than any other factor. These animals with horns and tusks are highly prized as luxury items and status symbols in some cultures, while their other body parts can be used in traditional medicinal techniques.

Rhino poaching itself grew 7700% between 2007 and 2013 and is the biggest reason why rhino populations are nearing extinction. One famous example is Sudan, the last male northern white rhino left alive and his two female partners. They are all accompanied 24/7 by armed guards to protect them from poachers.

2. Tigers

Thanks to traditional Chinese medicine and their beautiful furs, tigers are regularly the target of poaching. While once home to one of the largest tiger populations, China now has very few wild tigers but keeps thousands in captivity to farm them for ingredients.

3. Fish

Tropical fish are caught quite frequently on reefs and sold as pets in the aquarium trade. Clownfish, blue dory's, and butterflyfish are all popular choices.

Outside of the aquarium trade, around 100 million sharks each year are caught just for their fins. Driven by demand for shark fin soup, most of the shark species are caught in nets, their fins are sliced off, and then they are discarded back into the water to die.

4. Reptiles

In many cases, reptiles are poached because of their tough skin that can be made into leather. Alligators, crocodiles, and snakes are all harvested to make boots, handbags, and other garments.

Again, reptiles such as lizards, geckos, and snake species are caught and sold in the pet trade. This includes species like reticulated pythons, boa constrictors, and thorny dragons.

5. Birds

Parrots are a primary target for birds thanks to their popularity in the pet trade. This extends to parakeets and other birds that have beautiful plumage.

Outside of the pet trade, the helmeted hornbill was hunted near extinction because of its solid red bill that was dubbed "red ivory". Beak ivory such as this is known as a casque and was a profitable option for poachers.

6. Bears

Bear poaching in North America is rare, however, it is fairly common around the world. Their organs are used in traditional Chinese medicine, but they are also hunted for their paws, claws, meat, furs, and trophies.

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Countries Most Threatened By Poaching

Some countries have higher rates of illegal wildlife trafficking than others. South Africa has vast numbers of desirable species from lions and cheetahs to elephants and rhinos. They, along with Kenya, Uganda, and Mozambique are hot spots for the ivory and wildlife trade.

China is the biggest player when it comes to the consumption of illegally poached animals. Traditional Chinese medicine and homeopathic remedies make use of animal products such as tiger fangs, rhino horns, and pangolin scales. Local wildlife is under immense pressure despite animal farms and imports.

India is home to tigers, Asian elephants, and leopards are in demand in their own and other countries. Facing pressure from other Eastern markets like China has driven poaching in India.

Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand are all major hubs for illegal wildlife trading. A huge variety of species and products are trafficked or farmed in these countries and then exported to world markets.

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Poaching Arrest Statistics

In many countries, the penalty for poaching is marginal. In countries that are part of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), 40 members had a maximum penalty of a cash fine, 56 countries had a maximum penalty of fewer than four years, only 34 had a maximum penalty of more than four years in jail, while 51 countries did not report penalties.

Penalties like this are light when weighed against the potentially life-changing money available from poaching.

Accurate arrest records are difficult to find and corruption from bribes and a lack of resources invested influence the actual reported numbers. In 2017, South Africa made 518 poaching-related arrests and Kenya made 1,549 arrests in 2013.

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Why Would Anyone Poach Animals?

If you're someone who loves animals and sees them as beautiful and awe-inspiring creatures it can be hard to wrap your mind around why anyone would hunt these animals to the brink of extinction or even in general. Necessity, cultural differences, and financial gain are all driving factors for poaching.

1. Subsistence Poaching

In many isolated rural areas, people have to rely on their surroundings to survive. Areas like this don't have readily available access to trade and frequently depend on small to medium-sized game animals, also called bushmeat, to survive.

In Africa's Congo Basin, billions of kilograms of bushmeat are consumed each year. These people largely depend on this kind of poaching for food and for income. In other regions like Cambodia, Peru, and Brazil, isolated communities gather wood and products from the forest to trade for necessary goods.

2. Financial Gain

3. Medicine

4. Cultural Reasons

Ivory and tiger skins are considered a status symbol and a luxury resource in many Eastern cultures, driving both their high value and demand. Cultural acceptance of medicinal uses for animal parts is another reason for high demand.

Rebellion against what are seen as unjust restrictions can also be a reason for hunters to poach animals. Red snapper populations are a huge debate in the Gulf of Mexico where regulations on recreational fishermen have been stringent for years.

It isn't uncommon for anglers to catch multiple fish and only keep the biggest, throwing the dead ones overboard. It also isn't unsurprising when fishermen take more than their daily bag limit home.

Cultures, where hunting certain animals are commonplace, don't conform readily to new regulations put in place.

In many cases such as with tribal groups, this kind of hunting is given to groups as land rights, where they can hunt as they please. Rarely do they ever take more than they need, and they are not a cause for depleted wildlife populations. These regulated areas though are prime targets for poachers.

5. Ceremonial Needs

In some cases, animals are hunted for or used in traditional ceremonies. In places where these animals are no longer available legally, they're often poached to be able to continue the practice.

Some religious practices call for hunting rare animals. In these cases, the individuals feel obligated based on their beliefs to hunt animals and engage in poaching.

South African tribes would traditionally use a cape buffalo hide to wrap their chief in when he died. With protections on the animal, this is technically not allowed, however that doesn't mean it would no longer happen.

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How Groups are Fighting Back

Poaching of endangered wildlife is likely a problem that cannot be extinguished. Banning the trade of certain goods does reduce demand and poaching of species, but on its own is not enough. There are, however, ways people are fighting back.

Banning the Trade of Specific Goods

Establishing Wildlife Refuges

National Parks and Wildlife Refuges are essentially no hunting zones where anyone caught harvesting animals or plants is subject to penalties. Whether on land or in the sea, these areas receive protection from a governing body that takes responsibility for keeping patrolling the area.

Kruger National Park in South Africa employs mercenaries to hunt poachers within its borders. While the ethical dilemma surrounding who owns the land, who protects it, who is killed, and the overall morality and fairness of the situation is certainly up for debate, it has reduced the number of animals being poached.

Ruining the Profits

One way to protect animals is to make whatever body part poachers are after worthless. In the case of rhinos and elephants, a non-toxic pink dye put into and on their horns and tusks ruins the ivory and should put off poachers.

While not harmful for the animal, the dye is meant to make the ivory unsellable. Unfortunately, the hot pink photos aren't representative of the actual process. Instead, dye is used in combination with poison to make the ivory in the horn unworkable for ornamental or medicinal use.

It's yet to be established if the process will be successful in deterring poachers from taking the animals.

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What is Poaching and Why is It Practiced? - Outforia

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If you've ever been interested in endangered animals you've probably heard that one of the reasons the species is threatened is because of poaching. By definition, poaching is a pretty straightforward practice, but beyond the surface level, there is a lot to unpack.

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Understanding what poaching is, why elephants are particularly vulnerable, and the effects of elephant poaching can help people learn more about how to save elephants from poaching.

What is Poaching?

Poaching refers to illegally hunting and killing or transporting wild animals. Poaching occurs on a global basis, with thousands of species of animals being targeted. Every year, millions of animals are captured or killed, including large mammals such as elephants and rhinos, as well as monkeys, lizards and less recognizable animals.

Poaching comes down to the demand for wild animals. The demand is global but is particularly strong in China and other parts of Asia, where people typically use poached animals to create traditional medicines, to serve as delicacies or to keep as exotic pets. Elephants are poached primarily for ivory, and rhinos for their horns.

Poaching threatens many species and can contribute to extinction. It can also have a tremendous impact on the environment, especially when a keystone species such as the elephant is targeted. A keystone species is an animal that plays a critical role in its ecological community. The removal or reduction of a keystone species can have negative consequences on its entire ecosystem, affecting many other species of animals and plants as well.

Understanding Elephants and Behavior

Elephants are the largest mammals on land and are characterized by their long trunks, large ears and huge bodies. They are found in 37 countries in Africa as well as in Asia. Elephants rely on their trunks to siphon up water for drinking and bathing, to greet and touch and other elephants, to sound warnings and to pick up objects.

It is their tusks, however, that place them in danger of poaching. Both female and male African elephants grow tusks, which are actually long, extended teeth. Elephants use these extended teeth for a number of purposes, including stripping bark from trees for food, moving objects and for defense against predators. In dry times or when water is scarce, elephants will use their tusks to dig in the ground for water. Like humans being right- or left-handed, elephants can be right- or left-tusked, which means they tend to use one more than the other.

African elephants can weigh up to 8 tons and are larger than Asian elephants. Asian elephants have smaller ears and are also less likely to have tusks - female Asian elephants do not grow tusks, and not all males do. These makes them less of a target for poachers.

In Africa, there are two types of subspecies of elephants: the forest elephant and the savanna, or bush, elephant. The savanna elephant is the one that people tend to think of when they picture an elephant. It is larger than the forest elephant and is found in greater numbers. The tusks of the savanna elephant curve upward, and like all tusks, continue growing throughout the elephant's life.

Forest elephants, as their name implies, live in thickly forested areas in Central and West Africa. They are more elusive than savanna elephants and are more difficult to count because of their habitat preferences. Researchers usually estimate their numbers based on the dung that they find instead of counting the number of animals they actually see.

Elephants are highly intelligent animals. Females and calves live together in related groups, headed by a matriarch, or female leader, for years. An adult female elephant is pregnant for 22 months before she gives birth to a single calf every four or five years. The adult elephants care for the calves, and female calves may stay with the herd for their entire lives. Male calves leave when they grow up and then live alone or in small groups with other males.

Because of their size, elephants need large areas of land to meet their requirements for space, food and water. In just one day, one elephant can eat hundreds of pounds of plants, spending up to 18 hours feeding. Because of the variety of plants they eat, they scatter the seeds of a wide range of plants throughout the areas they travel via their dung.

The Impact of Elephant Poaching

The poaching of elephants has consequences beyond the obvious. First of all, there is the loss of these beautiful creatures: statistics indicated a mortality rate from poaching in Africa of more than 10% at its peak in 2011. About 100,000 African elephants were poached between 2014 and 2017. Today, it's estimated that poaching is responsible for the deaths of 10,000 to 15,000 elephants every year. With only about 350,000 elephants left in Africa, the animals are in danger of being eliminated there. They survive in small groups that are heavily protected. They are considered a vulnerable species, while the Asian elephant is endangered.

Recent research has found that if elephants continue to be poached, the decrease in population will affect the majority of the forests in Central Africa. This is due to the way elephants help disperse seeds, spreading different species of plants much further than would happen without them. The nitrogen contained in elephant dung also plays a vital role in these forests, as nitrogen is essential for tree growth. Fewer elephants means less tree growth, and that impacts the plants and animals that thrive in those environments.

Elephant poaching also affects communities. People may be drawn to it for the money but are more likely to be prosecuted than those higher up the poaching "food chain," which can affect families as well. Rangers who help protect elephants and other wildlife are also in danger of being killed by poachers, further increasing the harm to individuals, families and communities.

What Can We Do to Stop Elephant Poaching?

What is being done to stop elephant poaching? There are two basic ways to help prevent poaching: reduce the demand for ivory and reduce the supply though protective measures.

Researchers believe that demand for ivory primarily stems from eastern Asian countries, especially China. Ivory has long been in demand in China, and as more people there become able to afford it, the market for it has grown, which encourages poaching. China did pass an ivory trade ban in 2017, but as long as people want ivory, elephant poaching is likely to continue.

Another way to reduce poaching is by having more effective law enforcement to protect the elephants throughout Africa. However, this can be complicated by the fact that impoverished communities are more likely to allow poaching as it may be one of the few ways for people to support their families.

If you, like many people, want to help end elephant poaching and protect these animals and the environments in which they live, there are a variety of things you can do. Do not buy ivory or products that contain it. Speak out against poaching, and support the anti-elephant-poaching organization of your choice.

How IAPF Works to Stop Elephant Poaching

The International Anti-Poaching Foundation was founded in 2009. Since then, it has taken a novel and effective approach to conservation, transforming what has traditionally been an adversarial approach to one that is an empowering, innovative and gender-diverse model with a goal of protecting habitats and wildlife. Our animal conservation organization not only protects and restores nature but helps empower indigenous communities while enhancing national conservation efforts. As an anti-poaching charity, we look at the big picture. IAPF starts from the ground up, targeting and working with the local residents who live near the habitat and wildlife that need protecting. IAPF educates, trains and empowers local women so that they can become rangers. These women are rewarded with consistent income and the opportunity to have jobs that are respected in their community.

There are multiple ways to get involved to help further our mission, but the best way is to make a donation to our unique, effective wildlife conservation charity.

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Understanding what poaching is, why elephants are particularly vulnerable, and the effects of elephant poaching can help people learn more about how to save elephants from poaching. Poaching refers to illegally hunting and killing or transporting wild animals. Poaching occurs on a global basis, with thousands of species of animals being targeted.

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Wildlife poaching has negative side effects that affect local communities, wildlife populations, and the environment. It is a crime fueled by a lucrative black market trade of animal parts. The animal parts are sold as novelty items and are sold for their "medicinal" properties. Environmental groups, animal rights groups, government agencies, and even the Duke of Cambridge are calling for an end to wildlife poaching. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), The World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), and The International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF) are leading international efforts to end wildlife poaching.

Poachers kill for profit. For example, bear gall bladders and big horned sheep antlers are worth top dollar for their so-called medicinal properties. This past November, at the National Wildlife Property Repository in Colorado, the wildlife service destroyed six tons of ivory confiscated at U.S. borders. Elephants are killed for their tusks because, while it is possible to remove the tusks without killing the elephant, they are too dangerous to remove when they are alive. The international community is responding. China recently increased its prosecutions of ivory smugglers, sentencing eight citizens to jail for bringing in over 3 tons of ivory between 2010 and 2012.

Effects on Local Communities

The United States is second to China in its desire for illegal wildlife parts. According to an On Earth article, poachers killed over 30,000 elephants last year. Experts believe that elephants will go extinct within the next decade if the killing continues at this rate.

The extinction of a species can have a negative economic effect on a local community's tourism industry. A community that relies on its wildlife to attract tourists is at great risk for economic hardship if the prevalence of poaching is high. Furthermore, a tourist boycott due to local poaching is a real threat. A boycott could have a detrimental effect on a community's economy since restaurants, hotels, rentals, and other attractions would suffer.

Effects on Animals

Extinction is the greatest threat to animals that are victims of wildlife poaching. In 2011, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUNC) declared the Western Black Rhinoceros extinct. This subspecies of the critically endangered Black Rhino was poached due to the belief in the healing properties of its horn.

The Sumatran Tiger is a critically endangered species right now. It is poached and sold for its parts (skin, teeth, bones, and claws) which sell for up to $5,000. Poaching is more lucrative than other jobs that are available in the region; a harsh reality faced by many individuals and communities.

Effects on the Environment

Poaching is also dangerous to the environment. When the North American Gray Wolf was on the brink of extinction, due to trophy hunting and poaching, the elk populations in Yellowstone National Park soared. With no natural predator, the elk nearly ate the aspen tree to extinction. Now, because of the increasing populations of gray wolves in the park, elk populations are balancing out and the aspen tree is recovering.

Our ecosystems are sensitive and must be preserved. The economic challenges of a community can lead to poaching, which in turn can lead to endangerment (and in the worst cases, extinction) of different species. We need various species of flora and fauna in our environmental ecosystems so that they can maintain healthy and balanced. The survival of our own species depends on it.

Get Involved

If you suspect poaching, use this list to contact the proper authorities. If you are a witness to poaching, dial 911 and report it. Wildlife poaching is a crime and should be treated as such.

Also, arm yourself with additional information, like from the sources below, and share it wide and far!

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster , the largest plant-based recipe app on the App Store to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks .

Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, donate if you can, grow your own food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don't forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!

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The Devastating Effects of Wildlife Poaching

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Wildlife poaching has negative side effects that affect local communities, wildlife populations, and the environment. It is a crime fueled by a lucrative black market trade of animal parts. The animal parts are sold as novelty items and are sold for their "medicinal" properties.

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"As the global human population increases, and because illegal wildlife trade is so financially lucrative, demand for wildlife and their parts has greatly increased, leading many species to become threatened or endangered.

Wildlife poaching has grave consequences for targeted species and their habitats. Besides, it has clear environmental implications, which illustrate how our environment is connected to our well-being and economy, as this illegal activity negatively affects ecosystems, our health and prosperity of local communities.

It is important to know that the consequences to wildlife are not only devastating; they are also pervasive.

In Africa, illegal poaching has led to the extinction of wild rhinoceros in Mozambique. And many other regions across the continent have witnessed a drop by 97 percent in rhino populations just over the last 100 years.

A similar story emerges in Asia with tigers, a species that was commonly found across most of the continent. Sadly, according to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), numbers of these beautiful animals have shrunk so much that they can be now found living on less than six percent of their historical range."

"In economic terms, the extinction of a species can have a negative effect on local tourism. The area not only becomes less attractive to potential tourists, but it also means that there is an increased chance of "tourist boycott." A boycott could have a detrimental effect on a local economy since restaurants, hotels, rentals, and other attractions would suffer great losses in revenue.

If Africa were to lose its iconic species, this would in turn create a huge financial impact on the continent, most likely resulting in job losses particularly in the tourism industry which currently employs around 8 million people.

Beyond the environment and the economy, poaching animals can have severe consequences on communities. Not only does it threaten traditional ways of living but it also relies on profiting from state weaknesses and corruption.
This creates an inherent interest among poachers and criminals in actively undermining state economic development - a particular problem in a number of already vulnerable countries in the developing world."

Source :
https://greentumble.com/the-devastating-consequences-of-wildlife-poaching

Example: Economic consequences of poaching African elephants:

The current elephant poaching crisis costs African countries around USD $25 million annually in lost tourism revenue.

Research shows that tourism revenue lost to the current poaching crisis exceeds the anti-poaching costs necessary to stop the decline of elephants, signaling strong economic incentive for countries to protect elephant populations.

"For example, for every dollar invested in protecting elephants in East Africa, you get about $1.78 back. That's a great deal", said Dr. Brendan Fisher, an economist at University of Vermont's Gund Institute for Ecological Economics."

"The impact poaching may have on human health is not widely discussed: however, it can be significant and the emergence of numerous zoonotic diseases has been linked directly to wildlife crime. The outbreak of SARS in Hong Kong has been traced to the human contact with and consumption of poached meat available on black wildlife markets. Ebola, one of the world's most horrific diseases, has had outbreaks in Africa directly linked to the poaching and consumption of primates. Further, bird flu (H5N1), Monkey Pox, and Heartwater Disease are additional examples of diseases directly facilitated by the illegal wildlife trade. Indeed, according to the US Center for Disease Control (CDC), 75% of diseases reach humans through animals: a fact made more worrying because the illegal entry routes used by smugglers bringing exotic wildlife and their parts into international markets are unable to be effectively monitored, let alone quarantined and controlled."
Source: Why is poaching such a problem? | theproblemofpoaching

(wordpress.com)

The emergence of nearly uncontrollable zoonotic diseases, like COVID-19, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) from Bat to Civets), a COVID related virus, Middle-East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) from Bats to Camels), Ebola, and HIV are transferred from animals to humans

Sources of transfer from animal to human

Bushmeat- Infected meat from poached wildlife eaten by indigenous human populations

Animal wet markets- infected uninspected, uncontrolled wildlife sold in urban wet markets and eaten by local human population

Bats are a reservoir for COVID related strains of viruses such as SARS, MERS, COV-2, COVID-19

"The environmental impacts of poaching are sometimes clearly visible and sometimes much harder to identify, at least in the short term. The most obvious impact is a depletion in the number of wildlife present in a given area. The defaunation of an area due to poaching flows from the immediate impact of killing an existing animal, the medium-term effect of reducing breeding numbers and hence the rate of reproduction, and the long-term effects of thinning the gene pool and the symbiotic- and often irreversible - impact this has on overall biodiversity.

This is not an abstract or 'maybe one day' problem. Just over a century ago there were over one million rhinoceros in Africa; now, poaching has directly led to the extinction of wild rhinoceros in Mozambique, most of western Africa, and many other regions across the continent. According to most reports, the number of wild rhinos left in Africa hovers around 22-25,000 - that's a reduction of around 97% over the last century. Further, according to the WWF, tigers, which could once be found across almost the whole of Asia, have had their wild range decreased by 93% over the last 100 years, and have suffered a numerical decline of 97%.

Additional to the drop of animal populations, poaching affects ecosystems. Natural ecosystems often develop a rather delicate balance between different types of fauna and their local habitat. Because of this, in terms of cause/effect the depletion of one species is analytically bound to the effects this has on other species. For example, the removal of predatory animals can result in an over-abundance of prey animals resulting in the destabilization and decline of vegetation; the decline of prey animals can lead to drops in predator numbers because of a reduction in food supply. Further, certain species are considered 'keystone' species in their local environment. For example, many species of animal - such as elephant - are responsible for the distribution of plant seeds and hence a local extinction of elephant has a heavy consequence for local vegetation. These changes in vegetation affect other animals along the food chain, and the circle continues."

Source:
Why is poaching such a problem? | theproblemofpoaching (wordpress.com)

The defaunation of an area due to poaching flows from the immediate impact of killing an existing animal, the medium-term effect of reducing breeding numbers and hence the rate of reproduction, and the long-term effects of thinning the gene pool and the symbiotic- and often irreversible - impact this has on overall biodiversity.

Species that are victims of poaching are greatly threatened by extinction. When just one species becomes extinct, especially if it is a keystone species within the ecosystem, the balance of the ecosystem is thrown off. The loss of one species can have a chain reaction, leading to the loss of other plants and animals or even the collapse of the entire ecosystem.

The illegal hunting and harvesting of animals are the second biggest direct threat to species after habitat destruction. It can have a devastating effect on the individual species and on entire ecosystems as well as on local communities. Wild animals are being poached on a massive scale, with millions of individual animals of thousands of species worldwide killed or captured from their native habitats.

Loss of Keystone species within an ecosystem can cause the entire ecosystem to weaken or even collapse. Keystone species may be in the middle or the top of the food chain. They are unique and not easily replaced.

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Impact Of Poaching | International Wildlife Defense Foundation

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"As the global human population increases, and because illegal wildlife trade is so financially lucrative, demand for wildlife and their parts has greatly increased, leading many species to become threatened or endangered. Wildlife poaching has grave consequences for targeted species and their habitats.

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There are a lot of animals that are killed by poachers every year. Poaching is still common on most parts of the world. In Africa and Asia, a lot of animals are killed for their meat and other parts. (Research source: Save the Rhinos)

Poaching in Asia:

Javan Rhinoceros: This species was once widespread across Southeast Asia, but now only a few individuals remain in Java, Indonesia due to poaching for their horns.

Sumatran Tige r: The Sumatran tiger is critically endangered and has been heavily targeted by poachers for their skin and bones which are used for traditional medicine.

Asian Elephant: These majestic creatures have been hunted for their ivory tusks which are highly valued in some cultures.

Saola: This rare and elusive species is found only in the Annamite Mountains of Vietnam and Laos where it is threatened by hunting and habitat loss due to logging.

Pangolin: These scaly anteaters are prized for their meat and scales which are used in traditional medicine, leading to severe population declines throughout Asia.

Poaching in Africa:

Black Rhino: This species was once widespread across Africa, but today only a few thousand individuals remain due to poaching for their horns which are highly valued in some cultures.

African Elephant: These majestic creatures have been hunted for their ivory tusks which are highly valued in some cultures leading to severe population declines throughout Africa.

Mountain Gorilla: These critically endangered animals are found only in the highlands of East and Central Africa where they have been threatened by hunting and habitat loss due to logging, mining, and agriculture.

Lion: While not yet extinct, lions have seen significant population declines in recent years due to habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and poaching for their bones and other body parts which are used in traditional medicine.

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WHAT POACHING DOES TO THE ENVIRONMENT Poaching is the illegal hunting, killing, or capturing of wildlife. This can refer to any animal that is being hunted or captured illegally, including endangered species, game animals, and fish. WHY POACHING IS A PROBLEM Poaching is a

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Scroll down until you get to poaching section.

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Scroll down until you get to poaching section.

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Poaching is the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals. In many cases, there are equally land-use rights issues. Poachers, most of the time, kill or capture wild animals to be sold as exotic pets either locally or on the global wildlife trade. Wildlife trading is a vast growing black market that has been on the rise for over a decade now.

Poaching vs. Hunting

The significant difference that exists between poaching and hunting is simply a matter of what is legal and what isn't. Poaching involves hunting animals illegally without authorization from whosoever owns the land. Hunting, on the other hand, is more of a sport that consists of seeking, pursuing, and killing wild animals and birds, called the games and game birds. This activity utilizes firearms, but sometimes, it uses bows and arrows. Professional hunters and the government regulate hunting. Thus, hunters are mandated to acquire specific permits that allow them to kill some animals on authorized grounds.

Some Firearms Used in Hunting

There are different forms of firearms used for hunting, but there are certainly some restrictions when it comes to the choice of a gun to use for hunting, which varies in different places.

Many things distinguish rifles from shotguns and muzzleloaders. Still, the obvious ones are the type of ammunition used and that the inner parts of the barrel have grooves cut into it, called rifling, to make ammo shoot farther and more accurately.

There are different kinds of rifle designs, including break-action, bolt-action, and semi-automatic. Most of these can be used without legal restrictions, though most states have limitations on the magazine capacity of the rifles to be used. Riflescope can be attached to guns to increase shooting accuracy, widen the field of view, and increase the magnification, whether you are hunting or shooting at targets at long distances.

Shotguns are unique in that the ammo they fire leaves in a shell, and the interior of the barrel is smooth, although there are rifled barrels available for shotguns.

When considering the use of shotguns for hunting, restrictions usually revolve around things like barrel length, ammunition size, and the number of shells allowed in the gun at once.

Handguns are short-barreled weapons and are categorized into single shots, revolvers, and semi-automatics.

Some hunters make use of scopes to their handguns when hunting to make their aim more accurate.

The scope is a single magnifying component that may resemble a small telescope that you can mount on top of your gun.

Impacts of Poaching on Wildlife

Wildlife poaching has lots of adverse effects on local communities, wildlife populations, climate, ecosystem, biodiversity, and the environment as a whole.

People target bear gall bladders and big horned sheep antlers for their medicinal properties. African Elephants have seen a major decline over the years, with over 80% of herds lost in some region s. They're being killed for their Ivory tusks as it isn't possible to remove the tusks while they're alive.

Some birds, reptiles, and primates, are killed or sold as exotic pets. The slaughtered ones, on the other hand, are valuable as food, or used in decors, as jewelry, or traditional medicine. The scales of mandolins, for example, small animals that eat ants, are grounded into powder and used because of their believed healing powers.

Effects of Poaching on Climate Change

Poaching affects ecosystems and also threatens biodiversity. A recent study shows that there are severe consequences pose as a result of this practice: Some types of poaching can cause and accelerate climatic changes.

Effect of Poaching on Biodiversity

The extinction of species affects the forests, which makes a huge difference that causes climatic changes. Poaching over the years has been responsible for the death and drastic reduction of many species of animals.

The problem resulting from this reduction in species is that bio-diverse forests become susceptible to climatic disturbances. The effects of climatic change, whether a change in temperature or precipitation patterns are more pronounced where there are fewer species left to react. If some of them are unable to do so and end up dying off, the ecosystem as a whole is more likely to fail.

Measures to Reduce Poaching

In response to the impending dangers of poaching activities, strategic and meaningful measures need to be put in place to counter the effects. Game management and other conservation programs across the world are there to curb the impact of poaching and other threats to wildlife. Such establishments are enhanced by patrolling game supervisors who regulate poaching for commercial purposes. Sometimes confrontations can become violent, and wardens, environmentalists, and poachers killed over valuable animals.

International agreements, such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), aim to reduce poaching by regulating worldwide commercial trade in wild animal and plant species. International border policies can also serve to prevent the smuggling of poached wildlife. Many governments have made public shows of the destruction of confiscated poached items, such as pangolin scales or elephant tusks, to motion that the protection of the animals depends on ending the sale of poached animals.

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Poaching is the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals. In many cases, there are equally land-use rights issues. Poachers, most of the time, kill or capture wild animals to be sold as exotic pets either locally or on the global wildlife trade.

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Collection of National Geographic videos 

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Collection of National Geographic videos 

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Poaching is the illegal trafficking and killing of wildlife. Sometimes animal or plant parts are sold as trophies or "folk medicines" and sometimes they are sold as pets or houseplants. With more tigers kept captive than living wild, the scope of poaching can not be overstated. Maintaining Earth's biodiversity is critical as we rely on it for ecosystem services, which makes life possible. To have any hope of achieving this, poaching must be stopped.

Subjects

Conservation, Experiential Learning, Geography, Social Studies, Economics, Storytelling

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Poaching is the illegal trafficking and killing of wildlife. Sometimes animal or plant parts are sold as trophies or "folk medicines" and sometimes they are sold as pets or houseplants. With more tigers kept captive than living wild, the scope of poaching can not be overstated.

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For all their strength and cunning, animals like tigers, rhinos, elephants and gorillas are no match for a poacher's rifle

For all their strength and cunning, animals like tigers, rhinos, elephants and gorillas are no match for a poacher's rifle

Some things leave us open-mouthed in amazement. Dumbstruck. Overawed.

With the first flash of a wild tiger, the approach of a herd of elephants or an encounter with a family of gorillas, words fail. We're left gaping a single syllable: "wow".

We know deep inside that these magnificent animals matter. And yet we've driven many of them towards the brink of extinction through relentless poaching.

For 50 years, WWF has fought to stop this slaughter.

What's at stake?

Poaching is the greatest current threat to tigers, rhinos, elephants, gorillas and other African and Asian species.

It's a crime and it's driving species to extinction. Tigers and rhinos are particularly vulnerable, their body parts being prized in traditional Asian medicine.

The old image of a lone poacher with a rifle, man against beast, is far from the true story nowadays. The current wave of poaching is carried out by sophisticated and well-organised criminal networks - using helicopters, night-vision equipment, tranquilisers and silencers to kill animals at night, avoiding law enforcement patrols.

Why does this continue to happen? The problem is that poaching is rarely a political priority and is a very lucrative business.

"The value of a rhino horn in illegal trade is probably 100 times the average earnings of a villager living next to them," explains Christy Williams who leads our work on Asian elephants and rhinos. "It makes poaching a coveted money-making opportunity."

We work to tackle poaching and the causes behind it on many levels - from training anti-poaching patrols, to campaigning for stronger action against the illegal wildlife trade, to helping local communities benefit from living alongside endangered species through wildlife tourism.

The story so far

Rhinos
With our partners, we've helped to step up efforts to stop rhinoceros poaching in Africa.
When we launched our African Rhino Programme in 1997, there were 8,466 white rhinos and 2,599 critically endangered black rhinos remaining in the wild. Today, there are around 17,500 white rhinos and more than 4,000 black rhinos.

The three species of Asian rhino remain in grave danger: less than 300 Sumatran rhinos and only around 60 Javan rhinos are left, and poaching is an ever-present danger.

"There would be no Javan rhinos in Ujung Kulon [home to most of the remaining population] and Sumatran rhinos in Bukit Barisan Selatan without prompt WWF action to save these species," confirms Williams.

Tigers
We're proud of our work stopping the poaching of tigers too. We're helping boost the number of anti-poaching patrols on the ground, making sure they have the equipment they need to communicate with each other and to act swiftly to tackle illegal activity.

"In the eastern sector of Rajaji National Park in the Himalayas, we helped double tiger numbers within a span of five years from 2004 to 2008," says WWF tiger expert Joseph Vattakaven.

Read more about our work to save the tiger.

Gorillas
From 2003 to 2010 our work in the Virunga Forest on the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda helped increase gorillas by 26%, from 380 to 480. This happened despite the presence of violent militias in the region - a testament to the bravery and dedication of our anti-poaching patrols.

Elephants
In the 1980s, Africa lost half its elephants to poaching - but since the international ivory trade was banned in 1989, numbers have begun to recover.

We helped to bring about the ban, and continue to monitor local sales. Reducing the demand for ivory, and helping local people develop alternative livelihoods, has helped drive down elephant poaching. But there's still a large black market, and the danger hasn't gone away. We continue to run patrols and push governments to enforce anti-poaching laws.

Asian elephants are rarer - only around 25,000-32,000 remain - so they're particularly vulnerable. Poaching for ivory and meat is a serious problem, especially in southern and north-east India.

Did you know?

Less than 60 Javan rhinos survive - they're probably the rarest mammal in existence. Poaching could easily make them extinct.

Facts and stats

26 - percentage increase of mountain gorillas over the past seven years

11,065 - number of rhinos in Africa in 1997. Now there are more than 21,000.

2022 - year by which we hope to double tiger numbers in the wild.

100,000 - African elephants killed a year during the 1980s.

What's next?

Unfortunately, poaching has rocketed recently, driven especially by increased wealth in Asia and a demand for exotic or rare species, largely for traditional Asian medicine. In 2010, 333 rhinos were illegally killed in South Africa, threatening the huge progress we've made over the last 15 years.

"To save elephants and rhinos we need to give them large undisturbed areas that are protected from poachers and development activity like farmlands, mines, drilling and illegal logging," says Williams.

"In some places we are just holding on trying to keep the animals alive, but in other places we are making outstanding progress, swimming against the tide.

"We're building camps where rangers can stay, and providing them with everything from communications links to drinking water. Without camps, rangers can't patrol distant spaces, and that leaves them open to poachers. By putting in security, wildlife occupying remote areas stays alive."

Similar steps are needed to protect tigers from poaching. We're fighting to double tiger numbers in the wild by 2022. Despite official bans on the use of tiger parts in traditional Asian medicine, there's still a booming black market.

"It is possible," says Vattakaven. "We can turn the tables for tigers. As a species they have amazing resilience. Saving tigers is a constant battle and if we stop fighting, we lose the battle."

Poaching always has the potential to undermine so much of the work we've done to protect endangered species. But we're determined to use our 50 years of experience to make sure that this doesn't happen.

Videos: Former poacher talks about his transformation to conservationist and what it takes to track and tag a wild elephant.

What you can do

Watch a video of a snared tiger in Belum Temengor

Help us stop the rise in rhino poaching in South Africa. Make a donation today towards much-needed anti-poaching equipment and support for rangers. This includes binoculars, radios, night-vision gear, bullet-proof armour, and rhino-tracking and camping equipment. It will also provide essential training for anti-poaching units and emergency veterinary treatments for injured rhino.

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For all their strength and cunning, animals like tigers, rhinos, elephants and gorillas are no match for a poacher's rifle For all their strength and cunning, animals like tigers, rhinos, elephants and gorillas are no match for a poacher's rifle Some things leave us open-mouthed in amazement. Dumbstruck. Overawed.

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About the Author

Emily Logan is Director of Acquisition and Retention at Care2, where her team works with member activists to spread the word about critical issues on ThePetitionSite, building campaigns into full-scale organizing efforts. In h ... More

More than 40 years have passed since the Convention on International Trades in Endangered Species (CITES) became law. Today, 181 countries and international bodies are treaty members, but despite a worldwide commitment to end poaching of Africa's iconic, threatened wildlife, many species still face an acute risk of extinction.

CITES experts found poaching reached record highs in 2012, and a 2014 analysis found that in just three years, poachers killed 100,000 African elephants.

These alarming statistics beg the question: how and why are poachers still so lethal?

Enforcement and Protection

Despite the global consensus condemning poaching, countries that are home to elephants, rhinos and other covered species play the most important role in protecting their fauna. They are, after all, the places where the endangered wildlife needs to thrive.

Consider Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), an ecological paradise and home to some of the continent's most iconic species, including mountain gorillas, white rhinos and elephants. But at nearly 5,000 square kilometers, it's a huge area for any country to patrol, let alone one that has been wracked by civil war and unrest for decades. Under-resourced and often going up against organized crime syndicates, Garamba Park officials often can't keep up with poachers who use everything from chainsaws to grenades to hunt down elephants.

Eco guards receive training at AWF's Iyondji Community Bonobo Reserve in the DRC. Photo credit: Nakedi Maputla

Given their tough circumstances, it's not surprising that 68 elephants were killed in just two months at the park last summer. The slaughter was at such a large scale that the park director said in a statement that, "The park is under attack on all fronts."

AWF works in communities to recruit and train rangers, and equip them with technology to better track wildlife movements and provide more targeted protection. International bodies, including the United States, have provided troop support to beef up forces. Still, for the local rangers trying to protect their park, the mission is daunting.

Lack of Economic Opportunity

While it's tempting to see poachers as purely evil, it's critical to understand the context in which poaching flourishes. Sure, the cold-hearted are among the perpetrators. But for many, poaching is the best of a slate of bad options for supporting themselves and their families.

Many countries that are home to elephants, rhinos and other valuable wildlife are desperately poor. The per capita gross national product in the DRC is just $430, compared to $53,470 in the United States. A single pound of ivory can fetch $1,500 on the black market -more than three times the typical DRC annual income. The tusks of a single elephant can weigh up to 250 pounds, meaning the killing of just one elephant is a life-changing windfall for a family.

AWF's REDD+ projects aim to reduce community dependence on consumptive forestry activities by providing new and/or improved sources of livelihood. Photo credit: Amy Rizzotto

To stop poaching, we have to change that calculus. The international community has already made strides by banning the sale of ivory. But to make a dent in the black market, potential poachers need other ways to earn a living and support their families.

AWF and other groups work to help communities realize the economic benefits of conservation. Many areas participate in Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation ( REDD+) programs, in which companies pay communities to preserve and protect their forests to offset corporate carbon emissions. As of September 2014, the UN-REDD Programme had enlisted 53 partner countries covering more than one-third of the world's forests and more than $215 million was contributed to participating countries.

Trade Ban Enforcement

Any student or practitioner of public policy will tell you that implementation is everything. While the international community has made important commitments to conservation of endangered wildlife through trade bans, too often reality falls short of the promise. Between 2010 and 2014, the price of ivory in China skyrocketed from $750 to $2,100 per pound, fueling poaching activities, particularly in Nigeria and Angola, according to Time magazine.

A damning report from the Environmental Investigation Agency accused Chinese officials of fueling the ivory trade in their country, where the material has long been used in carvings and as a symbol of wealth and prosperity. So long as countries undermine their international commitments to wildlife protection, poaching will continue to thrive.

15 tonnes of ivory were destroyed in Kenya's Nairobi National Park in March, 2015. Photo credit: Peter Chira.

Ivory Stockpile Sales

In 2013, the United States crushed 5.4 tons of ivory in its possession, the equivalent of 1,000 elephants. The logic behind the action was simple: the availability of raw and carved ivory drives demand for the product, which then encourages poachers to continue slaughtering elephants for profit.

AWF encourages all countries with ivory stockpiles to follow this example. While many countries have signed on to the international ivory ban, many have the right to exercise the option to sell their existing stockpiles. Four African countries in 2014 commendably declined to exercise the option, but others have flooded the market with ivory, a move that conservationists worry undermines efforts to end the ivory trade.

Public Education

Underlying all poaching is the demand for animal products. Reduce the demand for ivory, horns, hides and other products, and you cut the heart out of the poaching industry. For many products, demand is driven by traditions, many of which don't stand up to the scrutiny of science and the realities of the modern world.

Zebras are hunted for their distinctive skin. Ivory is a favorite material for carved statues, jewelry and other trinkets. Rhino horns can fetch up to $300,000 on the black market because of their believed (but false) medicinal properties as hangover and cancer cures.

AWF and its partner WildAid are dedicated to educating people about the impact of poaching. Their "Say No" public awareness campaign targets audiences across Asia through videos and billboards, correcting misinformation in order to reduce demand and save countless animals from a grisly fate.

Chinese film icon Li Bingbing transforms into an elephant in this short film urging viewers to consider the realities of elephant poaching, part of AWF's "Say No" campaign with WildAid.

The world has taken many great strides to protect dwindling wildlife populations and save species on the brink of extinction, but poaching is a stubborn problem to root out. Recent actions do provide some hope. President Obama's executive order targeting wildlife trafficking has raised awareness and targeted enforcement of illegal markets. A new strategy by a coalition of African countries could result in a coordinated, cross-border effort.

Changing the system to address the ongoing problems isn't simple, but with a collaborative, supportive and forward-thinking international strategy to educate people about the consequences of poaching, to stop trade in wildlife parts and to provide a better life for people in poverty-stricken countries, we can save Africa's great fauna for generations to come.

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Why Do Poachers Still Thrive? 5 Key Hurdles to Overcome to Stop the Slaughter

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Emily Logan is Director of Acquisition and Retention at Care2, where her team works with member activists to spread the word about critical issues on ThePetitionSite, building campaigns into full-scale organizing efforts. In h ... More More than 40 years have passed since the Convention on International Trades in Endangered Species (CITES) became law.

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7 Ways You Can Help Stop the Illegal Wildlife Trade - EcoHealth Alliance

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Illegal wildlife trade not only exploits vulnerable wild animals, but it has also been proven to be a pathway for new and emerging diseases to spread and infect humans. Join EcoHealth Alliance in stopping the illegal wildlife trade.

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PASA members work with law enforcement agencies to fight wildlife crime, care for confiscated animals, and bring criminals to justice.

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Fighting for the Future: Poaching Our Children’s Heritage - American Humane

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Conservation efforts for these persecuted animals, then, must not only include space and food for them to live but protection that allows them to breed and thrive.

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As the human population increases exponentially and because the illegal wildlife trade is so profitable; the demand for wildlife animals and their parts has increased phenomenally. This has led to many animal species being endangered or threatened, ending up on IUCN endangered animals list.

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WHY IS IMPORTANT TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST POACHING NOW

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On June 27 th, the Energy, Environment, and Sustainability summer associates spent the afternoon at the Tyson Research Center, visiting its famous Living Learning Center and attending "Behind the Scenes of 'Poached'", a lecture by guest speaker Rachel Nuwer, author of Poached: Inside the Dark World of Wildlife Trafficking. The talk was part of a summer-long seminar series offered every Thursday at the Tyson Center.

'Inside the Dark World of Wildlife Trafficking'

Rachel Nuwer is a freelance science journalist who writes for the New York Times, BBC Future, and National Geographic among other prestigious science journals. In her first book, she describes her experience and research into the illegal wildlife trade, from small poachers to big consumers. Her investigation takes her across the globe from Vietnam to South Africa, and from pangolins to white rhinoceros, spanning both cultures and species.

By taking away endangered species from their natural environments, poaching threatens biodiversity and entire ecosystems. Poaching targets wild animals, which become worth more money as they become more scarce. This demand for animals can threaten the existence of the species, such as pangolins who are killed by the millions for the supposed-healing properties of their scales. When a species is over-hunted, it becomes at risk of extinction because there are not enough reproducing mates to replenish the rapidly decreasing population.

Rachel Nuwer contests, however, that punishing poachers does not solve the problem of illegal trade. The root of the problem, says Nuwer, is that the animal is worth more dead than alive. For poachers, illegal hunting is the only way they can make enough money to feed their families. Instead of punishing poachers who hunt due to extreme poverty, Nuwer suggests targeting a different group: the consumers.

The high value of wildlife products such as rhinoceros' horn is due to high demand. In some traditional eastern medicine practices, animal horn or bone is prescribed to give the consumer the properties of the animal product they take. Eat a tiger bone to strengthen your muscles and snake meat to cure your arthritis, Nuwer illustrates. Yet here too the author of "Poached" suggests a more nuanced view as traditional medicine has deep roots in culture and religious beliefs. Denouncing consumers for purchasing animal horn and scales also infringes upon religious rights. Instead, she points to taking apart criminal organizations supplying the illegal wildlife market and promoting anti-demand campaigns.

An Alarming Scientific Report on Biodiversity

Nuwer's concerns surrounding our ecosystems' volatility are echoed by a UN Report on Biodiversity recently released by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services ( IPBES). Beyond reporting on where the world stands on key international goals regarding biodiversity, it outlines the implications for people, policy options, and likely future scenarios. Similar to Nuwer's approach, it incorporates a systematic examination of indigenous and local knowledge, issues, and priorities.

The report reveals that since 1990 the average abundance of native species in most major land-based habitats has fallen by at least 20%. In addition, it states that one in four species is at risk of extinction, or about 1 million animal and plant species.

The report warns that this unprecedented decline in biodiversity will have long-lasting implications for our economies, food security, livelihoods, and global quality of life. Biodiversity's contributions to our public health and wellbeing is underestimated and hardly quantifiable. The negative trends are forecasted to continue to 2050 and beyond in all of the policy scenarios assessed in the report. Experts stress the importance of a transformative change of social, technological, and economic factors including paradigms, goals and values on a global scale to mitigate the effects of what is now known as the sixth mass extinction.

What Can We Do?

As students, staff, and faculty members we must understand our role as consumers to mitigate the anthropogenic effects on biodiversity. We must strive to reduce our consumption of media that downplays the strife of animals, endangered or not. As a society we should adopt a culture change that encourages a greater respect of wild animals.

Rachel Nuwer explained how our patronage of harmful social media content furthers the problem. If you see a post on your Facebook feed in which a tiger is being kept as a pet, you should do your best to discourage that behavior by not sharing. Rather, report or confront the post. While alive as a pet, "the animal is dead to its ecosystem".

Another way through which individuals can take action is by supporting nonprofits that are making a difference. Examples highlighted by Rachel Nuwer are:
This article was written by Summer Associates Martha Benduski and Adrian Odamtten.

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Saving the Pangolins: Why Biodiversity Matters

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On June 27th, the Energy, Environment, and Sustainability summer associates spent the afternoon at the Tyson Research Center, visiting its famous Living Learning Center and attending "Behind the Scenes of 'Poached'", a lecture by guest speaker Rachel Nuwer, author of Poached: Inside the Dark World of Wildlife Trafficking.

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Across the globe people rely on the harvest, collection, trade, and consumption of wild animals and plants. Managing the sourcing, trade, and consumption to sustainable levels is a highly complex and often emotive issue. Decisions that shape whether trade is sustainable, legal, fair, and transparent…

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7 Ways You Can Help Stop the Illegal Wildlife Trade - EcoHealth Alliance

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Illegal wildlife trade not only exploits vulnerable wild animals, but it has also been proven to be a pathway for new and emerging diseases to spread and infect humans. Join EcoHealth Alliance in stopping the illegal wildlife trade.