Free Essay

Elephant Poaching

In: Other Topics

Submitted By Emilytaylor17
Words 477
Pages 2
In all of Africa, there are only approximately 600,000 African elephants remaining, and around 38,000 elephants are illegally killed each year for their tusks. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora estimates that at least 25,000 elephants were poached in 2011. Scientists at National Geographic predict that if this trend continues, in about five years, the already endangered African elephants will become extinct in the wild.

Security on illegal exportation of ivory needs to increase and stopping unregulated domestic ivory markets found in a number of African and Asian countries would decrease the amount of ivory sold. Elephants are on the endangered species list, and with people killing these beautiful creatures just for their tusks, the elephant population is becoming dangerously low and at risk for extinction.

After poachers killed more than half of Africa’s elephants, an international ban on the commercial ivory trade was put in to place in 1989, but that did not stop poachers. The amount of killings is at an all time high, and 2011 broke the record for the amount of illegal ivory seized worldwide, at 38.8 tons, equaling tusks from more than 4,000 dead elephants.

In an interview National Geographic had about smuggling ivory with a Philippine church official, he had said, “Wrap it in old, stinky underwear and pour ketchup on it.” Another way to traffic ivory told by an Egyptian merchant who was taught by Chinese customers in a documentary by CNN, is to spray paint it to make it look like wood or metal wrapping it in tinfoil to throw off airport security systems. It can then easily be removed with nail polish remover. These techniques demonstrate just how easy it is for people to smuggle the outlawed ivory to other countries.

The Egyptian government makes periodic attempts to confiscate illegal tusks and some are locked up inside museum storerooms. That is what all other countries need to start doing to help stop wildlife trafficking and the illegal exportation of ivory. The government needs to also shut down markets and shops easily found all over Africa and Asia that illegally sell ivory. Most of the ivory is smuggled into Asian countries, the most popular being China and Japan. Seventy percent of all elephant ivory tusks flow into China, and ninety percent of the ivory transported is illegal. There is a global trade in smuggling ivory, and what is driving it are wealthy Chinese who prize ivory as a status symbol.

People need to realize how much danger elephants are in to becoming extinct in the wild, which is why we need more security on illegal exportation of ivory and unregulated domestic ivory markets need to be stopped or else in only a few years people might only be able to see these beautiful animals in captivity.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Poaching of Endangered Species

...Poaching of Endangered Species “The main reason for animals endangered is the uncontrolled human activity.” This quote was stated on a website called Animal Port. There are many reasons why this statement is true, one of them are poaching. Poaching occurs out of greed to make money. Although there are several laws to protect certain animals, this is a horrible act to any animal. Especially for the animals that are already endangered. Poachers minimizing these animal’s numbers for their own pleasure is not good. People who are against poaching should do what they can to stop this act from escalating, or there will not be any balance on this world. Animals are being killed every day from illegal hunting or capturing, that is called poaching; it’s getting worse and worse in certain places and we should do whatever we can to try and stop it. Poaching happens all around the world. Mainly in parts of the world where there is more game to hunt and a lot of money involved. A social science graduate from Makerere University Kampala in Uganda named Peter Galyak Magellan said that humans have been hunting for survival for a long time now and not because of pleasure. He stated “While primitive humans relied largely upon hunting for food, the agricultural revolution (approximately 10,000 years ago) reduced the need for survival hunting in most parts of the world. Hunting has continued, however, for several reasons, and poaching remains a possibility wherever hunting is...

Words: 2264 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Stop Poaching Research Paper

...If I were to give my opinion on poaching I would say to we need to be more about poaching because their environment will suffer. Their environment will suffer because, their food chain will be off track, some of the animals attract tourist, and some of the animals become extinct. Animal poaching should be stopped because it can knock its food chain off track because some animals eat the animals that are being killed by poachers every second of the day and if these animals aren’t around they won’t live very long and they won’t be a to feed their families. Another reason to stop poaching is because some of those animals thats are killed attract tourist this is important because raising money and showing off the animals might help their...

Words: 324 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Pros And Cons Of Poaching

...Against poaching Poaching,my family has had many incidents with poachers,not quit the type of poaching I am going to talk about today but still poaching. The story starts out at our hunting property and on our hunting property we have lots of tree stands but some tree stands that we have seen did not seem to belong and that is because the didn't,and sometimes there would even be a face that didn't belong and that is because it was someone we did not know it was a poacher he was illegally hunting on our property which is definitely a form of poaching.The form of poaching I am going to talk about today is poachers that are killing endangered animals like rhinos,and elephants,and all sorts of animals that are protected I am going to show you how these animals are killed,what animals are killed and why,and how many animals have been pushed to the age of extinction....

Words: 809 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Animal Poaching Research Paper

...would change and life in general would change. One may think that this is not possible, but it is. If poaching rates continue this could be a scary true future. Poaching is a deadly crime against wildlife. Wildlife officials say that legal hunters kill tens of millions of animals every year. For each of those animals, another is killed illegally, perhaps on closed land or out of season, leaving orphaned young to starve. Few poachers are caught or punished. This according to humanesociety.org. Studies have shown an increase in poaching in the recent years which is attributed to the value of the animals...

Words: 928 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Rhino Horn Controversy

...The exploitation of animals for the benefit of human well being has always been an area of controversy in the eyes of the greater human population. This film focuses its attention primarily on the illegal poaching and selling of the ivory of elephants and horns of rhinos in South Africa and Kenya that leads to the purchasing of these products in Vietnam and China. These are animals that were once abundant in these areas, but in the recent years have been rapidly declining which has, as a result, caused a rapid increase in the price of ivory and rhino horn. The increase in price of rhino horn and ivory creates an increase in demand of this product. This is a huge problem because the increase in demand of ivory and rhino horn will most likely lead to the extinction of these two animals. The aim of this film is to educate people on this issue, so that they will not further the problem by participating in it. The main way that...

Words: 1889 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Informative Speech On Badlands National Park

...I would like to tell you some interesting about the Badlands National Park. It is truly a wonderful place to go. The Badlands National Park was established on January 25, 1939, but it wasn’t a national park until November 10, 1978. The amazing terrain of the Badlands is 244,000 acres of eroding canyons. History In 1942, the Badlands National Monument was used as a gunnery and firing range for World War II soldiers. The first people to cross the Badlands were mammoth hunters around 10,000 years ago. Ancient animals such as the rhino and saber-toothed tigers used to live in the canyons. The Lakota Indians knew the Badlands as “mako sica” which means “bad lands” and the English knew them as ‘les mauvaises terres a traverser’ which means “bad land to cross.” For almost 11,000 years Native Americans were seen hunting in the park but in the late nineteenth century the American government removed the Native Americans off their land in the Badlands. Geologic Formations The lighter colored Sharps Formation was deposited from 28 to about 30 million years ago by wind and water as the climate began to cool and dry. The Rockyford Ash was deposited about 30 million years ago forming the bottom layer of the Sharps Formation. The Brule Formation was deposited about 30 to 34 million years ago. The Chadron Formations deposited about 34 to 37 million years ago by rivers. Campgrounds At the Badlands National Park there are two different campgrounds, Ceder Pass and Sage Creek. At Sage Creek...

Words: 522 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Animal Poaching Research Paper

...The poaching of animals is a crime, and the consequences should be severe. People don't realize it, but poaching is affecting the world around us. Poaching penalties should be severe because it is affecting local communities, and its presenting health risks to those who you the animal parts as cures. Buying poached products bring health risks. When animals are poached, people tend to want to buy those animal products to make mythological medicine. These mythological medicines can put people to health risk because again, these medicines they are making come from myths. Poached meat sold at black markets can bring diseases. Poached meat can put people at health risk because you don't know where that meat or other products came from, those animals...

Words: 398 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Animal Poaching Research Paper

...Intro: Imagine a world without a specific species, nobody can see them anywhere anymore, not even the zoo. Well it’s a tragedy that is very possible and is happening here in our realm. Poaching in Africa is very natural, although globally illegal, and any animal is susceptible to these executioners. Not only are animals being affected by poachers, but also tribes that occupy the lands rely on the animals for food. The result of so many animals being poached in areas that tribes employ, the tribes are being malevolently accused of the rapid decline of the animal population. Most of the animals being poached will, most likely, be extinct in years to come due to the rapid decline of animals such as elephants and rhinos. As viewers of these malicious transgressions, it is our duty to become protectors of these magnificent creatures before they become extinct. It’s our time to act. Please help these defenseless creatures. Explain the Issue: In...

Words: 1625 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Rhino Case

...hunting company? Safari companies were typically parks that specialized in rhino hunting that controlled safe hunts that were less violent. Hunting companies were much harder to control and often could result in rhinos being killed violently for their horns or just being used for viewing the uses varied. 3. How does a sale to a hunting and safari company affect the economy? Hunting and safari companies contributed over 10% to the GDP for South Africa. 4. What are the driving forces behind poaching? The demand for rhino horns is extremely high and the profit is continuously rising. Going through the correct process for hunting a rhino is much for expensive cutting into the profit for the horns. 5. How would you reduce poaching? The companies should push for harsher punishments for poachers enforced by government officials. Also if cost of hunting was lowered and rhino horn removal could safely occur then poaching might decrease. 6. How would you reduce poaching if a rhino’s horn could be cut and re-grown in six years? Safari companies and hunting companies could specialize in rhino horn hunts where horn could be...

Words: 357 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Eobiet

...Causes? Agriculture: Overcropping: Theres huge amount of food to feed up people all over the World and https://prezi.com/y6nzp06mxdi7/gm-crops-and-loss-of-biodiversity/ Mining: Poaching: Rhino’s horn is used in Chinese medicine, they often kill the huge rhino to just get this horn -.- Pollution: Invasive species: Australia has some of the world's most distinctive and diverse natural environments, with unique wildlife, and spectacular landscapes, including many national parks and World Heritage Areas.But there r so many species are extinct bcs of Feral cat. Feral cats kill tens of millions of native animals every night and are found across Australia, Each feral cat kills between 5-30 animals per day. While they appear to prefer small mammals, they also eat birds, reptiles and amphibians. What government do to preserved biodiversity? There are several ways the governments can do to preserve biodiversity, such as: Protecting Areas |   | Creating protected areas where human activity is limited is the best way to prevent deforestation and exploitation of organisms and the resources they need to survive. In order to truly make a difference, much planning needs to go into the creation of a protected area. It needs to consider all elements of the ecosystem it is trying to protect, so that it isn’t too small. It needs to include all resources that are utilized by its inhabitants; for example, leaving out a stream where half of the mammals go to drink would not make...

Words: 442 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Illegal Ivory Trade

...and worse every year. In Africa, the elephants are disappearing rapidly. With such a fast rate, scientists believe all elephants will be extinct by the year 2035. In the 1980s, there were over a million elephants in the population; today there are less than 470,000. Illegal poaching seems to be the greatest cause of the loss of these animals because of the value that their ivory tusks have in the market. Are we just going to let all of the African elephants die for the selfish wants and need for an immaterial item of other people? Poaching is the illegal hunting, killing, or capturing of wild animals. Examples of poaching include hunting without a license or permit, use of a prohibited weapon or trap, hunting at the wrong time of the year, and hunting in a sanctuary or reserve, national park, or zoo. Poachers usually only take a very small part of the killed animals letting the rest of the animal carcass to rot and waste away. The ivory trade is highest today in Africa, China, and Japan with the U.S. Following right after. The demand for ivory is still on the rise. Ivory sculptures are common in the Asian culture, as well as ivory handles for guns and knives. Jewelry and piano keys are also often made from ivory. Johnson 2 In 1989, a ban was issued on ivory imports because the death rates of elephants was so high at that time. Before the ban, 70,000 elephants were being killed per year for their tusks. This ban nearly halted poaching for their tusks. In 1989, the death rate...

Words: 1153 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Stakeholders In The Poaching Crisis

...countries in the world, was approved by The World Bank to receive a $46 million grant to help alleviate poverty, and $700,000 portion of the grant has been designated to increase elephant trophy hunting. Madji Seck of World Bank stated that "When properly regulated, hunting is an important tool for sustainable management of parks" (Can Killing more). The issue of poaching is clearly contested by a wide range of representatives and sectors making it an increasingly difficult matter to address. One group of stakeholders in the poaching crisis are the citizens of the local communities as well as the business owners, specifically in the tourism sector. Although these stakeholders are legitimate and directly affected, they are mostly unaware of...

Words: 426 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

The Banning Of The Bloody Ivory Trade

...The ivory trade is killing thousands of elephants and needs to be completely banned and stopped. In 1979, there were an estimated 1.3 million African elephants. A decade later, widespread poaching had reduced that figure by more than half.(Bloody Ivory) Animals that have been around for over 55 million years are quickly beginning to go extinct. The number one cause isn’t disease or legal hunting, it’s illegal poaching. This is what many may call a want and waste game because poachers mainly go after the elephants for their ivory tusks and leave the body to rot. The webpage, Bloody Ivory, states that the best ways to end the extinction is to fully ban the trade of ivory. In my opinion, fully banning the ivory trade is the most guaranteed way...

Words: 300 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Hunting History

...Since the existence of life, hunting has been the key to survival. In the prehistoric time life was all about hunting. Hunting today compared to prehistoric times has changed drastically. Without hunting we would not be around today. Humankind would not have survived without hunting. The mind is the source of power. Without knowledge, people would not have been able think of tactics or create weapons for hunting and storing food. Hunting has been a way of life since the beginning of time. Prehistoric times required hunting mainly for survival. Hunting was done in tribes during this time. When tribes hunted mammoths with spears they would surround the animals and back it off a cliff. Fear, numbers and intimidation were their tactics. Acting as a team allowed them to survive. For the most part, hunting has been about survival and acquiring food, but this slowly changed as humanity progressed. Much of hunting today is about bagging the bigger and better buck. A large number of hunters hang their racks up for display on the wall like trophies. This gives the hunters a sense of pride and accomplishment. Hunters today find a tree climb up it and sit and wait for the animal. Hunters have bag limits and restrictions on what animals they can kill. Which weapon they can use depends on what season it is. If people did not hunt today there would be a large number of overpopulation and spreading of diseases in animals. The tools and weapons used for hunting has been one of the biggest...

Words: 799 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Deer Hunting Benefits

...Have you ever thought of hunting as exceptional or a vicious thing before? Well whenever you think about it, you should take this into consideration, the tradition of hunting and the management for deer. Plus there is other thing that are good for hunting such as money and the food it produces for people who can’t afford to buy food in the store to survive. Hunting is a great bonding experience. It is relaxing, and you have solitude so you can think. It allows you to release stress while exercising at the same time. You can stay in good mental health by being in nature and getting fresh air with some exercise in there. According to the text, “Camaraderie of family and friends in the outdoors, all contribute to maintaining mental and physical...

Words: 319 - Pages: 2