Why is poaching done

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In , the United States crushed 5. The logic behind the action was simple: the availability of raw and carved ivory drives demand for the product, which then encourages poachers to continue slaughtering elephants for profit. AWF encourages all countries with ivory stockpiles to follow this example. While many countries have signed on to the international ivory ban, many have the right to exercise the option to sell their existing stockpiles.

Four African countries in commendably declined to exercise the option, but others have flooded the market with ivory, a move that conservationists worry undermines efforts to end the ivory trade. Underlying all poaching is the demand for animal products. Reduce the demand for ivory, horns, hides and other products, and you cut the heart out of the poaching industry. Zebras are hunted for their distinctive skin. Ivory is a favorite material for carved statues, jewelry and other trinkets.

AWF and its partner WildAid are dedicated to educating people about the impact of poaching. Chinese film icon Li Bingbing transforms into an elephant in this short film urging viewers to consider the realities of elephant poaching, part of AWF's "Say No" campaign with WildAid. The world has taken many great strides to protect dwindling wildlife populations and save species on the brink of extinction, but poaching is a stubborn problem to root out.

Recent actions do provide some hope. A new strategy by a coalition of African countries could result in a coordinated, cross-border effort. Sign up for our newsletter. Stay Connected. Why Do Poachers Still Thrive? This, in turn, affects the ecosystem to which the animal belongs.

A reduction in predators like tigers, for example, may cause prey populations to grow out of hand, while a reduction in fruit-eating mammals may affect seed dispersal, altering the fauna of an ecosystem. Demand for elephant ivory has had negative effects in sub-Saharan Africa, where poaching has increased since the early s. Between and , for example, poachers killed 90 percent of elephants in some locations.

In , nearly 90 elephants were found dead near a sanctuary in Botswana , which had recently ended a strict anti-poaching policy. There were a few million elephants living in Africa in the early s, but today there are believed to be fewer than , Africa's lion populations have also been affected by poaching. Since , they have been reduced by 42 percent, and the species is now "vulnerable to extinction.

Prior to colonization, the population of lions was estimated to be about 1 million. But by , there were only about , lions living in Africa. As of , scientists estimate that only about 20, remain. Poaching does not only affect wildlife. Park rangers and game wardens are also victims of violence. From to , rangers have been killed by poaching related activity. One of the misconceptions about poaching is that it must involve endangered animals.

This is not the case. In North America, for example, poaching can involve animals as common as lobster. The big event known as "mini lobster season" takes place every summer in the Florida Keys. During that time, which precedes commercial lobster season, anyone can take to the water and snatch a spiny lobster from its "hide hole" and toss it in a cooler. When it comes time to head back home, though, officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are sometimes present to inspect the catch.

When an officer does an inspection, he uses a standard measuring device. Placing the lobsters side by side on a table, he measures each one in the legally prescribed manner, placing the device on the lobster's carapace to check the size.