Halt Poaching: The Urgent Need to Protect Endangered Species

As a child, I always visited zoos, national parks, and nature conservation sites. I was always so fascinated by the beauty of nature but more importantly, the animals that inhabit these remote areas. But as I grow up, more and more animals, specifically predators, are mysteriously becoming extinct. What was a mystery is no mystery anymore. Remember the next time you would like to visit any zoos, national parks, and nature conservation sites that our endangered animals are being stripped out of our reach by greedy poachers. 'Animal poaching' is when an animal is killed illegally and occurs when an animal possesses something that is considered valuable whether it be pangolin scales, elephant tusks, or lion hides for medicinal and entertainment purposes. “Trophy hunting” is the shooting of captured, tied down animals such as rhinos, elephants, lions, jaguars and bears – under a corrupt government permit, just for some human’s excessive desire. The trophy is either animal’s head, skin, or other body parts that provide “validation”. “Many countries believe that the rhino horn is an important ingredient for many medicines. This is false. Rhino horn has the same medicinal effect as chewing on your fingernails aka none”.

Wild animals are already predisposed to this survival of the fittest type of environment where they live day to day in search for food, water, and shelter. Once you add powerful, rich humans with weapons to the equation, these poor creatures stand no chance. This is not hunting. This also is not fair. Not only is poaching making circumstances bad for the animals’ territories, we’re hurting ourselves by limiting the opportunity for scientific research from murdering them. Who cares what this genocide is called? Whatsoever, both poaching or “trophy hunting” are sad excuses for killing innocent animals for entertainment. This poaching or “trophy hunting must stop otherwise we are going to destroy our own environment and the ability to experience these animals in captivity which essentially will mean for future generations outright extinction. Honestly, time to cut it out and get serious.

While most morally agree that the genocide some opposing arguments state: “Hunters argue that hunting is a tradition, a ritual or a bonding experience.” Well… there are plenty of different ways to bond that don’t involve the killing of poor, innocent animals who already have it hard. This is a sad excuse for not giving up something that doesn’t even provide a source of sustenance for humans. When hunting the right way, you take account for the weather, animals, and various other environmental factors. If that’s tough then individuals should think about adopting another other hobbies because this will not go on any longer. Another opposing argument was “killing a number of predators benefits the ecosystem as a whole”. Well… from based on the research that zoologists, nature conservationists, and statistics show, we will have little to none of these targeted apex predators. Without the predators, this causes the amount of prey to increase such as deer. If the amount of deer or herbivore dieted animals increases, they graze away at the crops which can lead to deforestation and drought.

Unethical. Immoral. Corrupt. Greed and illegal are just a few words that come to mind when poaching or “trophy hunting” is being discussed. Think about your children, your children’s children, and your great grandchildren. Everyone wants their offspring to be able to experience all the luxuries of life which include education and exploration we receive from animals. Animals have complex emotions just like us. Imagine if you had a child you’ve been taking care of, loving and all of a sudden the child were shot down for their appendix (an organ that’s purposeless) that isn’t even necessary for the survival of other humans. A child was killed for something that doesn’t even provide value to society. Did you know elephants can tell when one of their kind is killed? They show great sympathy and grief towards the assassinated member of their species by crying, showing respect, and covering the body. Imagine how animals feel when their species are being killed for body parts that don’t really provide resources but financial advance. So people supporting this cause are technically agreeing money is more valuable than life: not ethical whatsoever. If that’s not enough to raise awareness and realize how wrong the animal genocide is then our world has a more serious problem.