The Poaching of Gorillas

When I think about poaching my first thoughts aren't of gorillas being poached.This poaching isn't hearn of nearly as much as tiger, rhino, and elephant poaching. Before this article the only facts i know about gorillas were from disney's Tarzan.I hope you enjoy this exerpt from http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/gorilla/longevity.htm This article can help us to learn more about gorillas so we have more knowledge to help them.This also shows why they are currently poached.

Poaching is the illegal killing of an animal. Gorillas are poached for three main reasons: meat, capture for collections, and trophies. Partially due to the false negative image that gorilla stereotyping has projected, trophies from their hands, feet, skulls, and skins have been sought after. The collection of gorillas, especially infants, has led to numerous fatalities of adult males and females trying to protect their young. Many animals, including gorillas, are accidentally caught in snares not intended for them, often times resulting in death or serious injury. The most significant and urgent threat to African wildlife today is the commercial bushmeat trade (see below).

° BUSHMEAT Forested areas in Africa are often referred to as 'the bush'. Meat derived from wildlife living in these areas is called bushmeat. Many bushmeat animals are either threatened or endangered, like the elephant, gorilla, and chimpanzee. It is estimated that over one million metric tons are taken from the Congo basin each year. Bushmeat has unfortunately become a profitable business for individuals without alternative income options, earning them about $300-$1,000 per year which is higher than the average regional household income. The bushmeat trade generates about $50 million annually. The vast majority of bushmeat consumers are low income families who cannot afford more costly meat alternatives such as pork and chicken. However, logging company employees and illegal imports to countries such as the United States and Britain are financially contributing to the growing crisis. It is estimated that as much as 10 tons of African bushmeat may be reaching London on a daily basis, according to a British documentary. The logging industry has accelerated the bushmeat trade through direct bushmeat consumption and by creating access to the forests through the construction of roads, thus increasing poaching opportunities. All viable African ape populations may become extinct within the next 5 to 15 years due to the bushmeat trade.

Poachers Slaughter Five More Elephants

Here is the article(it's in orange) to read more go to http://bushwarriors.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/breaking-news-poachers-slaughter-at-least-five-more-elephants-in-chad-bringing-toll-to-20-in-past-week//


After last week’s gut-wrenching news of some fifteen elephants killed by a gang of poachers in Chad, today we learn the murderers have claimed the lives of at least five more of the giants.  Villagers reported hearing gunfire last night near Nanguigoto in the Department of Mayo Lemie.  This morning the mutilated, tuskless carcasses of five elephants were found.  Witnesses claim the poachers rode horses and were dressed in “nomadic Arab garb”.  This could suggest they are foreign, but it’s also possible their clothing serves as a disguise.  Whatever the case, their identity remains hidden and their whereabouts unknown. 


A total of 20 elephants were killed in that one week span.Poachers don't treat these animals with the respect that they should have.By Poachers they are wanted for their bones, ivory and skin.By regular people they are a creature to be admired .If the poachers would realize that the popultion of elephants is worth more than money then i truly believe that poaching would come to a screeching halt.


 President Idriss Déby’s army is now on the move, searching high and low for the criminals.  The Mobile Brigade of Environmental Protection, the Department’s High Administrative Authority, and other government officials traveled to the site of the massacre today to assess the situation.  Efforts are ongoing in the search for more carcasses, with SOS Elephants of Chad’s Stephanie Vergniault sorrowfully explaining that the more they search, the more they find.  Airport security reports they have not detected any recent attempts to smuggle ivory on departing flights, despite extra security measures taken to address this problem.  Ivory is frequently smuggled to other African countries, such as Cameroon or Kenya, before leaving the continent on its way to Asia.


The fact that the government is looking for these criminals gives me hope.I like to know that laws are being inforced and people want justice to be served.It makes me sad to know that the way to track a poacher is to follow the carcasses of fallen animals.I find it interesting that the security isn't as strict about smuggling.They should improve the security so the poachers and smugglers are both found.


Imagine 20 years from now a world without elephants.Imagine knowing that the human race caused it to perish. I would rather keep from destroying a beautiful species.




 Don't Let Go Of Hope For Elephant Survival

Tiger Poaching In China

Here is an article from CBSnews: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/11/22/tech/main7079437.shtml about another poaching story.


Experts Say China Fuels Tiger Poaching
(AP)  Demand in China poses the greatest threat to tigers in the wild and organized crime runs the illicit trade in the world's largest felines, international experts said Monday.

About 150 tigers are killed each year by poachers - 5 percent of the world's wild tiger population, Yuri Fedotov, head of the U.N. office on drugs and crime, told participants at a summit meant to address the animal's rapid population decline.

He said tiger poaching brings $5 million in profits.

"Often, crimes against wildlife are related to money laundering, violence, and in some cases could even be tied to terrorism," Fedotov said. "Only our common operations will help stop the trade."


Tigers once roamed most of Eurasia from the Tigris River to Siberia and Indonesia. But in the past century, the number of countries that are home to tigers has dropped to 13 from 25, while three of the nine tiger subspecies have become extinct. The World Wildlife Fund and other experts say only about 3,200 tigers remain in the wild, a dramatic plunge from an estimated 100,000 a century ago


Russia is among the 13 countries with remaining tiger populations, and the St. Petersburg summit is hosted by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. He has bolstered his image by posing with a cuddly cub and placing a tracking collar on a full-grown female in the country's Far East.
The summit, which runs through Wednesday, has already approved a wide-ranging program with the goal of doubling the world's tiger population in the wild by 2022.

Up to 50 Siberian tigers are killed annually in Russia's Far East to be sold in China, said Yelena Averyanova of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Their pelts, bones and meat are prized in traditional Chinese medicine, and each tiger costs up to $50,000, she said.

Poachers come up with increasingly cruel methods of catching and killing their prey such as attaching explosives covered with animal fat to tree branches, she said. When tigers swallow the bait, it explodes in their mouths, she said.

Much has been done recently to try to save tigers, but conservation groups say their numbers and habitats have continued to fall, by 40 percent in the past decade alone.

The Global Tiger Recovery Program estimates the countries will need about $350 million in outside funding in the first five years of the 12-year plan. The summit will be seeking donor commitments to help governments finance conservation measures.
 
Maria Otero, the U.S. State Department undersecretary for democracy and global affairs, said Washington "was committed to stop the illegal trade for every species", including tigers.

The United States finances many programs on saving tigers, including ones in Asia, Russia and China, she said.

Tigers occupy the top of the ecological system in vast forest landscapes, and their existence depends on diverse and undisturbed habitats.

Economic development and limited capacity for conservation efforts have contributed to degradation and fragmentation of the habitats and depletion of prey


This Article discusses china's very large role in the poaching of tigers.150 tigers are now killed every year and the profits for poaching is over 5 million dollars. I find it terrible that people can get rich by poaching beautiful animals for no good reason.In additon the methods of poaching tigers has become even more violent and cruel .Tigers used to be able to be found in 25 countries and are now only found in 13.Tiger populations are rapidly decreasing and poaching has a lot to do with it.But one good thing from this article is a plan by Russia to double the tiger population by 2022. It's a good feeling to know that people still care about the fate of the tiger.

Kenya Sees Rise in Elephant Population Despite Poaching

In Tsavo Nationl Park, Kenya a rise in elephant populations has occured. There has been increased poaching and a recent severe drough.Still even with all of these problems Kenya has recorded a rise in elephant population in its flagship park.


Elephant population  rose to 12,572 from 11,696 three years ago according to the  results of a recent census released Saturday.
The figures show increase of around two percentwhich is less than the four percent rise that has been recorded in previous counts.

In my opinion i think that the population rise though small is still a great thing. It's a sign that the current population is strong. They with stood a severe drought and still managed an increase in populations.

The Tsavo National Park is Kenya's premier elephant sanctuary, it houses one third of the entire elephant population and covers 46,437 square kilometres of territory, its area bigger than Denmark and more than twice the size of Israel.

In 1976, Tsavo was home to  35,000 elephants. In the 1970s, around 6,000 animals died during a harsh drought, and by 1988 only 5,400 remained in the park in the shadow of a serious poaching problem.

However, the numbers have gradually grown since the early 1990s because of tighter conservation and protection.

Poaching ususally makes it very hard for populations to reproduce because of the added stress. I hope that the poching of these animals decrese so their population can grow and thrive.

For more information i encourage you to read the rest of the article at http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jOrI9Gj32OOLQP2f0Ka3ajAvri9g?docId=CNG.4e201b9124c065f698a3b89b09e38576.d21

Basic Facts about Poaching

Poaching is the killing of wild animals or fish illegally on public land or when trespassing on private land.
Poaching usually occurs because the animal that is killed is valuable.They are often killed for wool, clothes, ivory, and food.Poaching also occurs frequently in developing countries by those desperate for an income.


Here are some commonly poached species:


Porbeagle – The Porbeagle is a shark.It is a strong medium sized shark that is migratory. Their meat and fins are in high demand which causes them to be poached. These creatures can also be used as fertilizer.


<<<<The Porbeagle>>>>




Spiny dogfish – The Spiny dogfish is a small shark with white spots.It grows to be about three feet long.It travels with other sharks in schools. It lives around the world in coastal waters. It is also known as the rock salmon.




<<<<Spiny Dogfish>>>>

Sawfish – The sawfish is a fish with a distinctive snout like a saw. They are traded for aquariums and sometimes for their meat and fins. Their snouts are sold as souvenirs and other body parts are used for traditional medicines.Sawfish are found off the coast of the U.S in the Atlantic.

<<<<Sawfish>>>>

Tigers – The tiger is a large jungle cat.The can be either white or orange with black stripes. The have continual threats from habitat loss and forest conversion, tigers face the potential to have trade in tiger parts to expand.Tigers are often poached for their parts which are used in traditional asian medicine.

<<<<Tiger>>>>


Asian rhinos – Rhinos have been poached for their horns, which are a prized ingredient in Asian medicines.They are devastated by the destruction of their forest habitat. Asian rhino populations are now extremely small. An increase in poaching over the last few years is effecting even the populations that were thought to be stable.
<<<<Asian Rhino>>>>

Red and pink coral – Is a jewel that is from reefs. It is the most valuable of all the corals. Pink coral has been fished for over MANY years.It's used for jewelry and decoration. Over-harvesting and the destruction of entire colonies has led to dramatic population declines.


<<<<Red and Pink Coral>>>>
European eel – The European eel in an eel native to coastal and freshwater ecosystems throughout Europe.The stocks of eel have declined  over the past several decades due to overfishing and poaching. There is a large international demand for these eels.


<<<<European Eel>>>




Elephants – A large mammal native to both Asia and Africa.The ongoing poaching of elephants is devastating their populations. Illegal international trade for ivory is increased by ivory sales in some countries, particularly in Africa and Asia.
<<<<Elephant>>>


Great Apes – Great apes  are gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans.They continue to decline drastically and are threatened by illegal trade, poaching for meat, disease and habitat disturbance, fragmentation and destruction.


<<<<Gorillas>>>>


For more information from this article click the following link: http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/media/press/2007/WWFPresitem947.html

South African Poaching Deaths Rise

When I think about poaching the first thing that comes to my mind is Africa.Most stories you hear about poaching are in Africa. Africa has many animals that are frequently poached such as, lions, elephants, and rhinos. Today I'm specifically focused on the poaching of Rhinos.

• The British newspaper, the Guardian, reports that the pace of killings of South African rhinos is outpacing last year's, with 136 rhinos killed for their horns which are used in medicine in Asia and for dagger handles in the Middle East. That compares with 129 rhinos killed last year.

This exerpt shows one reason why rhinos are poached. That reason is for their horns. The horns are ivory which is a very prized substance.In this article knife handles is one of ivorys uses.

This exerpt also shows how numbers on rhino poaching are rising. I thought that in modern times there would be no reason to poach and that with all the environmental programs that poaching would subside.This just proves how wrong i was since not only is poaching still around but it is on the rise.

The South African Rhinos are a small population already and this added threat of poaching isn't helping them to survive.Another issue is that the places where they are supposted to be safe, such as game reserves, are the places where they are being poached.

If you would like to know more about the plight of the rhino you can read the rest of the article at http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/07/19/128628852/s-african-rhino-poaching-deaths-rise

Welcome!!

This blog is all about the illegal poaching of animals. Hopefully this blog will help you to understand some key points about poaching.

• What is poaching and why it is illegal?
• What are some laws about poaching and how are people punished for poaching?
• Why does poaching exist?
• What animals are most commonly poached and why?
• Can domestic animals be poached or can only wild animals be poached?

Welcome and I hope you enjoy this blog!