I’ve written a few posts about the rise in wildlife poaching and how it affects you and me. Here’s a refresher:
Yesterday on Wildlife Direct’s Dzanga Forest blog, the blogger posted a photo of an elephant who’d been shot with AK-47s and his head and tusks removed, leaving the carcass behind.
Shocking, isn’t it? This elephant was killed for profit. The poachers took his tusks to sell for money and considering the weapon used, it’s possible they’ll sell the ivory for weapons.
It is illegal to import ivory to the U.S. but that certainly doesn’t stop it from happening. Here’s a news report from 2007 that claims the U.S. is the world’s largest importer of illegal ivory. According to Wildlife Alliance the U.S. is the world’s second largest importer of illegal endangered species pelts, parts, and live animals.
This must stop. You must be a smarter consumer and avoid buying ANYTHING that comes from an endangered species. In fact, take it a step further and stop buying clothing, jewelry and other items made from any animal, that includes factory-farmed animals.
In fact, if you must consume then do it sustainably. Did you know about “vegetable ivory”? It’s made from the “tagua, a tropical palm tree, produces nuts that closely resemble elephant ivory in look, feel, and carving properties. The difference is that tagua is a renewable product that doesn’t cost the lives of great animals. Buy tagua products and support a worthwhile alternative to the ugly trade in elephant tusks.
Do your part: Curios, chess sets, Christmas tree ornaments, boxes, and many other tagua products are available from One World Projects (www.oneworldprojects.com).
DO YOUR PART.
s.
Filed under: endangered species, wildlife conservation
Thanks for spreading awareness about the crisis of the illegal wildlife trade. I do want to bring to your attention that China is the #1 largest importer of endangered species and their parts, US is #2 and the European Union is #3 – but all countries MUST work together to stop poaching and illegal wildlife trade across borders.
Thanks, Nadia, for pointing that out. I’ll correct my post accordingly.
Thanks for visiting my blog, too.
s.
My pleasure! Keep on raising awareness.
Nadia
Good evening,
We hope you may be able to have a quick look at our work in South Africa http://www.suni-ridge.org.za/ and offer some advise regarding our request. We are a small but very significant environmental project, We have dedicated 18 years to the rehabilitation of a rare sand forest area which is a now flourishing wildlife reserve in the environs of a World Natural Heritage Site, The Isimanagaliso Wetland Park False Bay area Zululand South Africa. With poaching on the increase in Africa, we are needing help from volunteers to assist with patrols / wildlife protection, to accompany game guards. The work is safe, we just need to remove snares if we find them. Our volunteers will be given excellent opportunities to also enjoy other experiences available at the World Natural Heritage Site and in our area, the Elephant coast. The will enjoy their work in our spectacular region and we will host them with care and kindness, a home away from home! Their help is very much needed and will be appreciated.
Please see our website http://www.suni-ridge.org.za and http://www.leopardwalklodge.co.za
Hope you can offer some advice,assistance.
Looking forward to hearing from you
Kind regards
Janet Cuthbertson
Suni-Ridge Environmental Centre
South Africa.
What can we do to stop this “international ivory sales”