Why Poach?
Rachel Schurter
Poaching in Africa
Elephant Tusks
This is a bundle of elephant tusks from poachers in Africa.
Rhinoceros
Poachers using a chainsaw to cut off the rhinoceros's horn.
Lion
A lion being killed to keep as a trophy.
Causes of Poaching
There are many causes of poaching. Some are: the need for money, the need for fur, and the need for food. The animals are all killed for many different reasons.
What are these animals killed for?
- Giraffes: meat-can feed an entire family, skin, tails-the tails bring good luck
- Rhinoceros: horns-used for medicine and as handles for daggers
- Zebras: stripped coats, meat
- Leopard/Cheetah: their spotted coats
- Lions: coats, trophies
Laura Strom
Effects of Poaching
It effects much of the African ecosystems. Poaching threatens the survival of scarce species (Brooks).
How poachers use the animals?
- They collect and sell the animal's coats.
- Soldiers use the money from the sale of animal parts to gain money.
- The buyers of animal parts do not know that poaching is illegal.
Laura Strom
Solutions to Poaching
There are many different ways to solve poaching. One way is to find another for poachers to make money. If they have another way to make money there will be no reason to kill the animals. Do not purchase products from endangered species. If you stop purchasing these products there will be a less need for poachers to kill these animals. Fine and/or jail the poachers for what they are doing. If you start fining them, they will start to run out of money to do these things and figure out it isn't worth it if they will just get fined or jailed for their actions.
Laura Strom
Facts of Poaching
- According to www.dosomething.org, in 2011 there were thirteen large-scale seizures of ivory and over 23 tons of ivory confiscated.
- In 2012, 668 rhinoceroses were poached in South Africa and in 2013 these animals were being killed at a rate of 2 per day.
- Vietnam, China, Thailand, and Korea are a couple countries with markets for elephant tusks and rhinoceros horns.