Why Poaching Is Wrong

The prices of tiger pelts continue to go on the rise because “as the destruction of tigers decrease supply, the price of their parts rises further, creating even greater incentives for poachers to kill the remaining animals” (Linden). These innocent animals are in danger in both unsecure and secure places. Poachers will not hesitate to go into zoos and kill an animal. Recently, zoo veterinarian Eric Miller talked about an incident that happened in France. Miller said, “we were shocked last week by the news that a white rhinoceros was killed when poachers entered Thoiry Zoo” (“A Critical Time for Saving Rhino Species”). The prolonged war against poaching is not promising for the future of some animal species. Animals are being driven to endangerment and even close to extinction. A recent extinction in the wild happens to be the white rhino. In 1960 white rhinos numbered more than 2000, but now they are extinct in the wild (Miller). The few white rhinos that are alive, in the world, are kept in areas such as zoos.

People around the world need to acknowledge that poaching can affect more than just the extinction of animals but can also cause many economic issues. If the average citizen was educated about poaching most likely it would not occur as often as it does now. Journals that are put into the world about poaching are very upsetting and emotional to read, but they can educate people around the world about how devastating poaching actually is. Not only are these animals endangered, but poaching can also affect the economy and disrupt the delicate balance of the ecosystem. A Harvard University graduate reported: “The loss of these species would have harmful effects upon the overall ecosystem and the environment's ability to provide"ecosystem services"such as soil stability and water retention”(Xie). Also there are many health risks that come from wildlife trafficking; “Experts have noted that increased traffic in animals will raise the risk of zoonotic disease transmission. Diseases such as Ebola, which is often carried by bats and other primates, come to mind. It is hypothesized that HIV is linked to the consumption of primate meat and that respiratory viruses may be found in smaller animals, such as civet cats”(Xie). These different diseases are very lethal to the human body and cause death if made contact

Hunting is a common controversial issue among people. Determining when killing an animal is necessary and ethical has mixed viewpoints. One type of hunting that generally creates feelings of animosity among people is trophy hunting. There are very few ethical theories and ideas that support trophy hunting. Trophy hunting is a form of hunting in which the hunter kills an animal with the main goal of taking a part or parts of that animal for a trophy. The majority of trophy hunting occurs in Africa, with big game as the most popular trophies, but trophy hunting also applies to non-exotic species as well. In this paper, I will start with introducing a recent incident involving the killing of a popular African lion, then outlining the main ethical issues with trophy hunting. Next I will analyze the trophy hunting from an anthropocentric, biocentric, and ecocentric viewpoint, and finally I will propose a few solutions that would make trophy hunting a more ethical activity. Trophy hunting has been said to provide many benefits to conservation and preservation of species but is ethically lacking; with some stronger laws and regulations trophy hunting has the potential to be both ethically acceptable and beneficial to the environment.

Poaching animals is defined as the “illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals mainly in areas in which hunting is forbidden” . The main difference between poaching and hunting is the legal permission, indeed “hunting is regulated by the government, and hunters must obtain permits authorizing them to kill certain animals” .

Because of the sale of illegal ivory so many elephants' lives are put at risk. If the poaching of elephants and ever-growing trade in illegal ivory is to be seriously addressed, part of the solution to this complex problem must be a return to the full ban on the sale of ivory established in 1989 (Bloody Ivory). Between 434,000 and 684,000 African savanna elephants in 18 countries remain, down 30% in the last seven years. Once again levels of poaching and illegal trade have spiraled out of control. Rates of poaching are now the worst they have been since 1989. There are no easy answers, but a total ivory trade ban is the one strategy we know has worked (Mary Rice). Hong Kong seized 779 elephant tusks three days into 2013, over a ton of ivory,

Thesis: The illegal activity of killing animals in Sub-Saharan Africa has caused many short and long terms affects for this continent.

Poaching are causing harm to food chains. If all the pandas are extinct the population of bamboo will increase rapidly. We can't let pandas go extinct because one everything that's eats a panda their population will go down. Then everything the pandas eat will start to overgrow and their population will grow rapidly. If elephants go extinct than everything that eats elephants their population will go

Poaching causes animals to die at a rapid pace and is the main reason animals go extinct. There are other reasons for animals going extinct but usually it’s due to poachers and their selfish ambitions. One of the other big reasonings for rapid decline in animals

Like all big issues in our world, there is an argument being made. The argument is not whether poaching is a problem or not, it is obviously a problem, it is an argument on how humanity should go about stopping poaching. One side of that argument believes that going after the people behind poaching, those who buy poached ivory for example, is more important than stopping poachers on the ground . They would be more likely to support a United Nations sanction on poaching than providing funding for ranger groups. The other side of the argument is that the effort to stop poaching has become an all out war and needs to be treated as such. They believe rangers need access to modern weapons and technology, training and funding. They argue if the poachers have it, the rangers trying to stop them need to have it too.

Recently, the poaching controversy has gained more attention in the news and media due to the killing of Cecil the Lion back in 2015. But what exactly is poaching and why is it illegal? Poaching can be defined as the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals. Animals are captured and killed for their parts and products that are eventually sold on the black market and to cartels to make medicines, trinkets, and other products. Animals are typically poached for personal gain and value.The the illegal poaching trade in Africa alone has accumulated a worth of $17 billion dollars a year and it keeps growing. Ivory, fur, skin, and bones especially are in high demand and places/people are willing to pay high numbers for these products, so it is no surprise that people continue to hunt them. Due to poaching, the tiger is one of the most endangered species in the world . Tiger parts, such as fur, skin, and bones, are seen as a luxury and are used as commerce on the black market and secretly throughout Asia. Although China has participated in the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species, the laws are commonly ignored and it remains the primary destination for tiger parts. Elephants are also on the brink of extinction and the number hunted per year keeps increasing. Despite international ivory trade being banned in the 1990s, it is still sold on the black market and sought after in Asia; once again, China being the biggest demander. According to Kideghesho in Sage Journals , “widespread poaching coupled with inefficient law enforcement in Tanzania was manifested in the dramatic decline of the elephant population to less than 30% of what it was in 1979, a drop from 316,000 to 85,000 by 1987.” Rhinos are also greatly sought after in Africa. In

Tiger bones are supposed to cure arthritis, while pangolin and turtle shells are other classic remedies. Even the United State has seen the use of these treatments up close. Surprisingly, traces of tiger bone in medicine can be found in about 40% of small medicine stores (Congressional). However, not all consumers of a poached animals are seeking a healthier lifestyle. Some of the younger upperclass Chinese use tiger bone in products such as shampoo, wine, and soup as a declaration of their wealth. They buy expensive these products simply because they can afford to buy such expensive products. This certainly makes a statement, seeing that the bones of a Tiger can cost up to $7,000 in US dollars (Endangered). Nevertheless, the flaunting of status shouldn’t justify the murder of these elegant creatures. In the article “Endangered and in demand” the author explains:

Bill Freedmen, author of “Endangered Species—Human Causes Of Extinction and Endangerment” notes, “scientists approximate that present extinction rates are 1,000 to 10,000 times higher than the average natural extinction rate.” These distressing numbers should be acted upon to save the endangered species and avoid the catastrophic change to this planet if these species were to become extinct. In order to produce change, people need to recognize that habitat loss, climate change, and poaching are all factors in why our animal species are going extinct.

Animal poaching has a bigger price tag than the trophy sitting on the shelf. Poaching is causing iconic animals of many continents and of our oceans to become endangered or even extinct. These animals that people have come to love and fantasize over may be gone before we are (Africa). Elephants, rhinos, lions, and zebras are the animals thought of the most when it comes to animal poaching, but many animals are poached. They are killed for only one quality, like their horns or skins and the rest of the animal is left behind. Poaching is a massive business that is ran by international networks, it’s estimated to make hundreds of millions of dollars (World). Not all wildlife trade is illegal, but it becomes a crisis when an increasing amount of illegal poaching is done and it directly threatens the survival of species in the wild (World). Since 1960 97.6% of the Black Rhino population in Africa has been poached and lions are extinct in seven African countries (Africa).

There are organizations around the globe designed to stop elephant poaching. Their intent is to sway people’s opinions to help with the world-wide problem. Only a global ban on the sale of ivory would take the heat off of these massive creatures. Solutions might include, addressing the involvement of international criminal institutes by means of strong law enforcement at both national and international levels along the full extent of the supply. Closing down domestic (national) markets in ivory, would also be beneficial. Countries could embrace the trade ban, and educate consumers in order to stem the demand for ivory (Bloody Ivory; January 11, 2013).

Imagine the world without hunting laws and regulations, the ecosystem would be unbalanced. Beneficial hunting would go down and possibly lead to certain animal species extinction’s; therefore, to avoid detrimental changes in the ecosystem, people need regulations and laws to keep balance. Both society and the environment play a role in maintaining a balance between each other. For many years game wardens have helped patrol and protect the untamed environment. There are times where problems will arise and can be very difficult to handle, yet there is always a way to solve these problems. It just might take some time to put the plan into action to make a change.