Illegal Wildlife Trade: A Threat to Conservation Achievements

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Recommended: Essay about poaching (5 points)

Wildlife Poaching - Muckraker
By: Eve DeToro, Ella DeToro, Jeanna Akanova, Ellie Leverett, and Maahum Jan

Poaching is when a person illegally hunts and kills wildlife. Usually poaching occurs when an animal is on land that is not their own or a poacher is hunting specific species of animal which is illegal to hunt.
Animal and wildlife poaching is a big problem that has been around for thousands of years. However, it was only until the 1800s when poaching was made illegal.
Now, the world is dealing with an unprecedented spike in illegal wildlife trade, threatening to reverse decades of conservation achievements. Some examples of illegal wildlife trade are well known, such as poaching of elephants for ivory and tigers for their skins and bones. …show more content…

Their products continue to command high prices for consumers, particularly in Asia. In Vietnam, the recent myth that rhino horn can cure cancer has led to massive poaching in South Africa and pushed the price of rhino horn to rival gold. However, countless other species are similarly overexploited, from marine turtles to timber trees. Wildlife trade escalates into a crisis when an increasing proportion is illegal and unsustainable—directly threatening the survival of many species in the wild. As human populations have grown, so has the demand for wildlife. People in many countries are accustomed to a lifestyle which fuels demand for wildlife. They expect access to a variety of seafood, leather goods, timbers, medicinal ingredients, and textiles. At the other end, extreme poverty means some people see wildlife as valuable barter for trade.
Typically, poaching is a problem in economically unstable countries whose locals rely on the money the animals make for them. Poaching also threatens other economic opportunities in local communities, such as countries that run on tourism for its wildlife. Restaurants, hotels, and other attractions would no longer stand. Poaching also can alter the economy in certain countries by making areas appear

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