Posted on 28 November
2012 | Poaching of rhinos and elephants
has risen so sharply in Africa that the
fate of the species are now at risk. Tens
of thousands of elephants and at least 588
rhinos have lost their lives in 2012.
“The rhino faces extinction
within 10 years if we do not reverse this
trend,” says Dr Joseph Okori, WWF's African
Rhino Programme leader.
In South Africa several
rhinos are killed every day for their horns.
“Villagers are at the
bottom of the chain and can earn several
months income through two or three days
of poaching. Huge amounts of money is in
circulation,” says wildlife vet Okori, who
has worked on the protection of endangered
species all his life.
Behind the rhino poaching
boom is an increasing demand from Asia,
primarily Viet Nam. Ivory consumption has
risen in step with economic growth in Asia.
Large amounts of illegal ivory is reaching
markets in Thailand and China.
Demand for rhino horn
has become so strong that criminal syndicates
have plundered antique shops and museums
in Europe for old horns.
“In Vietnam appliances
that grind rhinoceros horns are sold for
around $450,”said Joseph Okori.
To reverse the escalating
poaching and to stop the illegal trade,
a range of measures are required, Okori
says. The demand in consumer countries must
decrease sharply, and world leaders must
acknowledge that wildlife trafficking as
a serious crime.
Establishing trust and
engaging in dialogue between authorities
and village residents is also necessary
to encourage locals to raise the alarm when
poaching occurs.
In Namibia, for example,
there is a effective information system
which is reliant on cooperation with local
populations, as well as a well-developed
local management scheme which results in
the lowest poaching in Africa. Similar ideas
have begun to spread to Botswana, South
Africa and Zambia, said Okori.
WWF now supports the
creation of a compulsory DNA registery for
rhinos. There are currently 5,600 rhinos
in the database. DNA evidence is invaluable
when poachers are arrested and cases are
tried in court.
“We welcome the fact
that the Swedish government has provided
increased support for stricter border control,
as well as other measures to combat smuggling
and poaching. Both governments and tourists
need to take more responsibility. People
should absolutely not buy souvenirs from
endangered species or carved ivory souvenirs
while on holiday,” said Hakan Wirtén,
Secretary General of WWF Sweden.
+ More
On your next holiday,
help stop the trade that kills
Posted on 10 December
2012 | 0 Comments
By Adam Barralet, Author and volunteer at
Caversham Wildlife Park
You’ve waited weeks, months, maybe even
years for this holiday. You’ve worked tirelessly,
went without that dessert and that new pair
of jeans just to have more spending money
and it’s all paid off because you are boarding
the plane. Where are you off to this time?
Is it somewhere unusual or exotic like India,
Bangladesh, Sumatra, Namibia, Zimbabwe,
Kenya or Mozambique?
….And then you’re there.
You caught a glimpse of a tiger or spotted
a mother rhinoceros with her calf or heard
elephants trumpeting as you lay in bed one
night. It’s been an amazing trip, the days
have flown by and soon it’s back to the
mundane routine of everyday life. How will
you remember this great time? You’ve taken
plenty of photos but an authentic souvenir
would be perfect too!
This is the point when
you have a chance to stop or support an
illegal trade that is responsible for killing
thousands of endangered animals each year.
In fact, nearly 400 rhinoceros have been
killed in South Africa alone this year.
Each year tens of thousands of elephants
are killed for their ivory tusks and due
to poaching just 3,200 tigers still roam
free through Asia. This not only contributes
to the extinction of a species but also
individual animals suffer greatly and are
killed inhumanely.
You may have heard that
traditional medicines are responsible for
the demand of rhinoceros horn and tiger
bones but this is not the only industry.
People will still purchase ivory statues
and carvings made from elephant tusk (see
below), rare animal furs, and animal body
parts such as teeth and claws. As long as
a tourist will buy them, somebody else will
be willing to kill an animal to take the
tourist dollar.
But the list of things
to avoid isn’t just restricted to elephant,
rhinoceros and tiger products. Many endangered
animals are threatened by this trade so
avoid:
dried starfish
seahorses
coral
conch shells
shark teeth & jaws
reptile skins
furs
feathers
tusks or bones of whales, walruses and seals
bush meat
turtle meat and eggs
queen conch
I remember being in
Bali just a few months ago and even in some
of the nicest shopping malls you could purchase
ivory statues as well as turtle shells,
dried star fish and other ornamental keepsakes
from the local waters. It may be just one
little star fish but if everyone bought
one thing, you’ve got one big problem!
On another trip when
I was in Japan a friend took me to a local
BBQ restaurant where you could try a huge
variety of different meats cooked in traditional
styles. With the menu all in foreign characters
and my Japanese a little rusty, luckily
I had a friend able to tell me exactly what
was on the menu.
When eating out it is
always great to try local food but be careful
your meal isn’t supporting a trade that
jeopardises the lives of endangered animals.
As you peruse the menu say “no” to bush
meat, shark fin soup, turtle meat and eggs,
queen conch and anything else from a non-domesticated
animal.
Just because something
is sold doesn’t mean it is legal as well.
The Convention on the International Trade
in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES) protects endangered animals
and prevents their trade. If you try to
bring a banned item home it is likely to
be seized and you could find yourself paying
a hefty fine. Just look at all the items
in the picture that have been seized by
customs.
Your holiday is meant
to be a time to get away from it all, relax
and unwind. The good memories will last
for years to come. Let’s just make sure
that the memory sitting on your mantle,
bookshelf or desk didn’t involve the inhumane
suffering or killing of an animal or contribute
to the animal’s extinction.
This is your chance
to stop the trade that kills.
About Adam Barralet
Adam Barralet’s relationship
with WWF began in 2007, when he hosted a
radio show on Melbourne’s JOY 94.9. The
show looking at green and environmental
issues and success, regularly featured interviews
with members of the WWF Australia team.
While living in North America for the last
two years he was involved in social media
for an array of organisations concerned
with animal rights to global travel as well
as donating his time as a tour guide at
Toronto Zoo. Now Adam is glad to be back
in Australia, facilitating life skills to
children, working on his first book and
volunteering at Caversham Wildlife Park.
He continues to run his blog, originally
a spin off from his radio show.
