...Poaching: The Storm of Extinction The epidemic of poaching has rocked the country of Africa. The generous profit of Ivory in Asia and lack of income opportunities is seemingly forcing innocent people, who are simply looking for a means of survival, to kill elephants for their tusks. In order for survival of families, elephant poaching has become a significant source of income in Africa. Because of this, total extinction of these majestic animals is becoming a very real possibility and studies show that sadly enough we are swiftly working towards that. Here we will discuss the scope of the issue (what, when, where and why), regulation efforts of the poaching and the projected future of the outcome of poaching. When I first heard about poaching...
Words: 1779 - Pages: 8
...with elephants is beset by contradictions. On the one hand, they are regarded with awe and fascination; while on the other, whole populations are eradicated in pursuit of land or ivory (David 444). Even though elephants do have natural predators- the young are often killed by lions, hyenas, or crocodiles- by far their most dangerous enemy is humankind (David 444). As far back as classical antiquity, North African elephant populations were dwindling rapidly. They finally disappeared during the Dark or Middle Ages (“Saving the Elephant”). The Arab ivory trade, which started in the 17th century, precipitated a further rapid decline among elephant populations in both West and East Africa (“Saving the Elephant”). The colonial era accelerated the process by opening up previously inaccessible areas introducing modern technology, notably high-powered rifles; in Africa, the destruction of elephants reached a peak between 1830 and 1900 (“New Rules”). Today, continuing deforestation and the encroachment of roads, farms, and towns into former elephants habits threaten both African and Asian elephant by restricting their range, cutting off seasonal migration routes, and bringing them into more frequent conflict with people (“New Rules”). Perceptions of the main conservation issues involved have changed radically since the 1960s when the debate centered on local overpopulation of elephants in protected areas (David 444). In the 1970s and 1980s the concern was that elephants were being...
Words: 631 - Pages: 3
...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
...for years and,despite laws, this horrific crime has yet to be stopped. Poaching is a serious problem especially in Africa and Asia. This crime is committed for the money, meaning the muderers kill animals illegally and sell their hides and parts. Although poachers usually hunt zebras, tigers, elephants and rhinos. Also the killing of whales and sharks is also a part of illegal poaching. This illegal hunting has led to the decreasing population of many species. Many nations have banned poaching, but enforcement is difficult....
Words: 1800 - Pages: 8
...This paper aims to look at the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and role it plays within the sustainable use paradigm in Zimbabwe in particular and some of the countries in Southern Africa. Here we will understand the meaning or definition of CITES and how the CITES convention has played a great role in the countries in Africa and around the world. To begin this discussion it is important to understand what the CITES Convention was all about. CITES was established as a response to growing concerns that over-exploitation of wildlife through international trade was contributing to the rapid decline of many species of plants and animals around the world. The Convention was signed by representatives from 80 countries in Washington, DC, United States, on 3 March 1973, and entered into force on 1 July 1975. As of December 2008, there are 173 parties to the Convention. The aim of CITES is to ensure that international trade of wild animal and plant species does not threaten their survival. The Convention's conservation goals are to: monitor and stop commercial international trade in endangered species; maintain species under international commercial exploitation; and assist countries toward sustainable use of species through international trade. CITES parties regulate wildlife trade through controls and regulations on species listed in three appendices. Appendix I lists species endangered due to international trade. Trade in such species is permitted...
Words: 1609 - Pages: 7
...animal I did my report on is the Elephant. The scientific name is Elephantidae. I chose to do my report on this animal because the elephant is my favorite animal at the Zoo. I found information about this animal on the internet. The animal is best known for its long trunk. The most unique feature about this animal is that it is the largest mammal on the earth. The Elephant is a mammal. A female elephant is called a Cow. A male elephant is called a Bull. A group is called a herd. In my report, you will learn about the animal’s appearance, habitat, diet, parenting, survival and other special features. The natural habitat of the elephant has everything animal needs to survive. Elephants live on the continents of Africa and Asia. The countries it lives in are Central and West Africa, India, Nepal, and Southern Asia. The habitat the animal lives in is Desert, Forrest Areas, and where there are Swamps. The elephant is an herbivore. This means that the animal eats plants only and cannot digest meat. The Elephant eats grass, roots, fruit and bark. They use their tusk to pull the bark from the tree. It eats about 300 pounds of food every day. The animal is both nocturnal and diurnal because they must eat for more than 14 hours a day. Elephants take good care of their babies. Elephants have live births. They have one baby at a time. The baby will gain 2 to 3 pounds every day until its first birthday. The baby is taken care of by the female elephant. The male calves will wonder off...
Words: 407 - Pages: 2
...animal I did my report on is the Elephant. The scientific name is Elephantidae. I chose to do my report on this animal because the elephant is my favorite animal at the Zoo. I found information about this animal on the internet. The animal is best known for its long trunk. The most unique feature about this animal is that it is the largest mammal on the earth. The Elephant is a mammal. A female elephant is called a Cow. A male elephant is called a Bull. A group is called a herd. In my report, you will learn about the animal’s appearance, habitat, diet, parenting, survival and other special features. The natural habitat of the elephant has everything animal needs to survive. Elephants live on the continents of Africa and Asia. The countries it lives in are Central and West Africa, India, Nepal, and Southern Asia. The habitat the animal lives in is Desert, Forrest Areas, and where there are Swamps. The elephant is an herbivore. This means that the animal eats plants only and cannot digest meat. The Elephant eats grass, roots, fruit and bark. They use their tusk to pull the bark from the tree. It eats about 300 pounds of food every day. The animal is both nocturnal and diurnal because they must eat for more than 14 hours a day. Elephants take good care of their babies. Elephants have live births. They have one baby at a time. The baby will gain 2 to 3 pounds every day until its first birthday. The baby is taken care of by the female elephant. The male calves will wonder off...
Words: 407 - Pages: 2
...At one point in time the African elephant roamed a majority of the African Continent. In the early twentieth century it was estimated that approximately seven to ten million African elephants roamed the plains of Africa. In the most recent estimates this number had plummeted to a sparse three hundred thousand individuals and continues to decline at a rapid pace. Due to the incorrigible demand for ivory, along with habitat loss as a consequence of human settlement, has led to a sudden and steep decline decline in the populations of the elephants of Africa. Why does it matter that elephants are coming to extinction? The fact that many people fail to recognize is that elephants are a keystone species of the African ecosystem. For this reason the...
Words: 395 - Pages: 2
...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 an important part of the economy or culture.” He is saying that hunting has been around for like 400,000 years, poaching has been recent because of the reasons or values for doing it. There are so many methods for poaching, in Africa some of their methods are snare wire, spears and dogs, trap nets or traps, pitfalls, and arrows and bows. Snare wires are cables that they hang on trees and the...
Words: 2264 - Pages: 10
...GEOGRAPHICAL AND SPICES INFO: * It is located in extensive regions of Africa, Asia, Australia and South America. In the African savanna that occupies the east of the central area of Africa * Location * Some locations of savannas include: * Africa - Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, and Namibia * Australia * Central America - Belize and Honduras * South America - Venezuela and Columbia * Southern Asia * Abitoic facores: -fire Fire is the most important abiotic factor to the savanna. without the constant fires a tropical savanna could turn into a tropical forest -soil it is real important to plants and the animals that eat the plants -air Without it survival would be impossible. -water During the summer or dry season there really isn't a lot of water. Trees store water during the wet season so they have water during the dry season. * Plants * Grasses -Bermuda grass is one of the most common grasses in the tropical savanna biome. With its deep root system, bermuda grass has adapted to the savanna by dying off above ground during periods of drought, while maintaining growth beneath the soil. -Elephant grass grows in clumps and, despite its razor sharp leaves, provides shelter to several types of savanna birds. * Acacia Tree -A medium-sized tree, can reach 65 feet in height with a flat, round top and...
Words: 1473 - Pages: 6
...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...
Words: 477 - Pages: 2
...The common name is the African Elephant, the scientific name is Loxodonta Africana, the phylum is Vertebrata, the class is Mammalia, the order is Proboscidea, and the family is Elephantidae. The Closest Relatives to the African Elephant are: the Asian Elephant, mammoths, primitive proboscidean (mastodons), sea cows, and hyraxes. Scientists believe that the African Elephant evolved from one of its closest relatives, the Sea Cow. The geographical location and range of the African elephant covers all of central and southern Africa. In Ethiopia there are isolated populations that exist around Lake Chad in Mali and Mauritania. Also in Kenya, Rhodesia, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Zaire, and in National parks located in South Africa, as well as several other countries. African Elephants, originally, were found in all of the Sub-Saharan African habitats except desert steppes. Elephants still occupy diverse habitats such as: temperate grassland, tropical savanna and grass lands, temperate forest and rainforest, tropical rainforest, tropical scrub forest, and tropical deciduous forest despite their drastic decline in numbers. However, their migratory patterns and habitat use have changed, due to the fact that they are restricted to protected areas. The elephant can exist in many types of environments but it prefers places that have many trees and bushes, which the elephant needs both for food and shade. They also like warm areas that have plenty of rainfall. This ensures...
Words: 1767 - Pages: 8
...biggest elephants. Satao, who was almost fifty was found mutilated in Kenya. The poachers killed him for his 100 pound tusks. They were so big they almost dragged the ground. He had adjusted his habits to conceal his tusks by hiding them behind bushes and other trees. He was killed by poison arrows in an area that he migrated to in search of fresh water. When found his legs were splayed and his tusks and face had been hacked off. Illegal animal poaching has caused the population to decrease rapidly, arrests of many people selling or hunting illegal animals, and there is not a lot of new legislation being brought forth. The animal population has drastically decreased in areas like Africa and Asia. The reason for this is poaching. The animals that people mainly poach are rhinos, elephants, gorillas, tigers, bears, and sea turtles. In the beginning of the 20th century there were a few million African elephants. Now there are close to 450,000-700,000. The population of African elephants has decreased 64% and the number of elephants is...
Words: 571 - Pages: 3
...Asian and African Bush elephants are considered to be at a high risk of endangered or extinction in the wild because of poaching, limited territory, and handling methods in various part of the world. The African Forest elephant, another species of elephant, has the worst population compared to the other two, what was the cause of the numbers to actively decline compared to the other species? Is there a way to stop this method for the other two vulnerable species? What are the different ways to help limit the threats to elephants? Many organizations have been created to prevent the growing decrease of these prized animals but have only slowed...
Words: 1697 - Pages: 7
...Always use the word ‘Africa’ or ‘Darkness’ or ‘Safari’ in your title. Subtitles may include the words ‘Zanzibar’, ‘Masai’, ‘Zulu’, ‘Zambezi’, ‘Congo’, ‘Nile’, ‘Big’, ‘Sky’, ‘Shadow’, ‘Drum’, ‘Sun’ or ‘Bygone’. Also useful are words such as ‘Guerrillas’, ‘Timeless’, ‘Primordial’ and ‘Tribal’. Note that ‘People’ means Africans who are not black, while ‘The People’ means black Africans. Never have a picture of a well-adjusted African on the cover of your book, or in it, unless that African has won the Nobel Prize. An AK-47, prominent ribs, naked breasts: use these. If you must include an African, make sure you get one in Masai or Zulu or Dogon dress. In your text, treat Africa as if it were one country. It is hot and dusty with rolling grasslands and huge herds of animals and tall, thin people who are starving. Or it is hot and steamy with very short people who eat primates. Don’t get bogged down with precise descriptions. Africa is big: fifty-four countries, 900 million people who are too busy starving and dying and warring and...
Words: 1369 - Pages: 6
