Poaching is a global crisis that threatens the extinction of thousands of species each year. This inhumane and heinous crime is something that doesn’t just affect specific species or locations but is a global problem that can have global consequences if not taken seriously. While the most common thought that people have when they hear the word, ‘poaching’, is that of elephants, tigers, and other famously endangered species, poaching goes farther than just biodiversity.
This illegal activity can have an impact on the entire world by helping to promote climate change and offset and imbalance ecosystems around the world. But how much of a threat is poaching and does it poach a real danger? Not only that, but how do you do your part in helping to protect endangered species and help put an end to this horrible problem?
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What Are The Real Dangers of Poaching?
When people think of poaching, they inevitably think of the threat of extinction. While poaching can contribute to the extinction of species, this is not the only way that poaching is itself a threat. In fact, poaching and its results can go far beyond the extinction of certain species. While there is nothing more tragic than the world losing precious animals species that it will never get back, poaching poses a real global threat that can affect humanity itself.
What Exactly is Poaching?
Poaching itself is the illegal killing, trapping, or trafficking of a species. This is a broad term and can apply to everything from killing endangered creatures, to hunting non-endangered creatures out of season. Poaching isn’t always killing an animal either but can be part of the illegal trade of pet trafficking. For instance, certain exotic animals are the target of poaching every year and are sold as pets on the black market.
Why Is There So Much Poaching in The World?
This is another great question to understand. Poaching in certain cases can happen against a rare or endangered species as a means of collecting a needed resource like food, or even material for clothing. However, the most pressing driver for poaching in the modern world is the value that certain animals have on the black market.
For instance, the most famously endangered creatures such as elephants and rhinos are being pushed to extinction because of the value their body parts bring on the black market. Both the elephant tusk and the rhino horn are incredibly valuable on the black market and thousands of these creatures are mindlessly slaughtered every year for these valuable commodities.
Where Does Poaching Happen the Most?
One of the biggest misconceptions about poaching is that it’s only centralized in certain areas such as Africa and Asia. The truth is, poaching is a global problem that happens on every continent, and in every country. North America for instance has problems with the illegal poaching of animals like elk, bears, and even birds such as eagles and hawks. Whether it’s for specific body parts or the be sold as exotic pets, the black market has value for most animals around the world.
That being said, some of the most famously well-known areas for poaching are still Africa and Asia as creatures like the elephant, rhino, tiger, and gorilla found there are near endangered. These higher-profile species deserve the awareness that they get for being endangered, however illegal poaching happens as a global problem.
How To Protect Endangered Species
Because poaching is such a problem that faces the entire planet, it can seem overwhelming when it comes to helping in the fight. The good news is that there are several meaningful ways that you can help to protect endangered species and fight the war on poaching. Here are some of the best ways you can make a difference when it comes to helping protect endangered species.
Education
The number one way to help fight this problem is to educate yourself and your local community about the severity of poaching and how it affects the world. Learn about how poaching affects the local regions that you live in and what specific species it threatens.
Awareness
Raising awareness of the needs that your local area has when it comes to poaching is a great way to help protect endangered species. These creatures need advocacy and helping others understand the dangers of poaching is a powerful way to advocate for their existence.
Support Organizations
Another powerful way to help endangered creatures is to support organizations that are on the ground fighting against poaching. These organizations help to ensure that endangered species have the land, resources, and protection they need to survive.
Conclusion
One of the most important things to remember is that you can make a difference when it comes to fighting poaching. Raising awareness, making a donation, or petitioning local governments for laws that better protect endangered species are all powerful ways to contribute to the fight against poaching.
