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AT TODAY'S RATE OF EXTINCTION, 1/3 OF ALL ANIMALS WILL BE EXTINCT WITHIN 20 YEARS
World Conservation Union-List of Threatened Species
WHAT IS POACHING?
Killing, hunting, or capturing animals illegaly.
- Lack of permit or license
- Using prohibited weapons or traps
- Taking out of season
- Taking during a certain time in an animals life or sex
Places of occurance-
- National Park
- Game reserve
- Zoo
- Your back yard
EXAMPLES OF LAND ANIMALS THAT ARE POACHED
- Elephant
- Rhino
- Tiger
- Zebra
- Monkey
- Deer
- Leopard
- Jaguars
- Wolves
REASONS FOR POACHING
Trade in wildlife products is worth billions of dollars every year.
Ex. A pound of tiger humorous bone sells for over $1700 in Hong Kong.
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Hide
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Ivory
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Horns
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Teeth
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Bone
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Meat
Uses for the animal matter.
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Clothes
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Jewelry
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Totems
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Herbs
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Medicine
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Trophies
POACHING METHODS
Snare wire
- Cable wires usually attached to trees that choke animals
Speears and dogs
- Dogs chase down the animals and then humans can spear the animals
Trap nets
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Animals are chased towards the nets and then speared by humans
Pitfalls
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Dug out pits, covered with leaves and branches, that large animals fall intoElephantsBuffaloesZebras
Bow and arrows
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Arrows are usually equipped with poisoned tips
| Table 1. Selected animal populations in Uganda, 1960-2003. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | 1960s | 1982-83 | 1995-96 | 1999-2003 | Status in Uganda |
| Elephant | 30,000 | 2,000 | 1,900 | 2,400 | Population low, but slowly increasing |
| Black rhino | 400 | 150? | 0 | 0 | Extinct in Uganda |
| White rhino | 300 | 20? | 0 | 0 | Extinct in Uganda |
| Hippopotamus | 26,000 | 13,000 | 4,500 | 5,300 | Population increasing slowly |
| Burchell’s zebra | 10,000 | 5,500 | 3,200 | 2,800 | Population low, possibly still decreasing |
| Hartebeest | 25,000 | 18,000 | 2,600 | 3,400 | Population increasing slowly |
| Topi | 15,000 | 6,000 | 600 | 450 | Population decreasing |
| Impala | * | 19,000 | 6,000 | 3,000 | Population low, may now be increasing slowly |
| Waterbuck | 10,000 | 8,000 | 3,500 | 6,000 | Population increasing |
| Uganda kob | 70,000 | 40,000 | 30,000 | 44,000 | Population increasing |
Table showing the devistating affects of poaching-------------------------------------
Interesting Poaching Facts
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Since 1970 almost 90% of the world's rhinos have been slaughtered for their horns
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In 1990 over 4,180 pounds of tiger bones were exported from Taiwan
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In the mid 1900's a pound of rhino horn could cost as much as $60,000
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In 1977 there were 1.3 million elephants in Africa, in 1997 there are only 600,000
Peter, Magelah (Lead Author); Sylvio G. Codella and Yahya Eid (Topic Editors). 2007. "Poaching." In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information
Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth May 7, 2007; Last revised October 5, 2007; Retrieved February 20, 2008].
<http://www.eoearth.org/article/Poaching>