Skip to content

Conservation

Poaching tigers, and all the rest!

by JW Dowey 06 Feb 2015
Poaching tigers, and all the rest!

Another big hornbill, the great hornbill, Buceros bicornis is revered in Asia. Wildlife trade even affects these beautiful rainforest tourist attractions, alongside many others according to those at the Kathmandu summit (symposium) on Zero Poaching this week Great hornbill image; Credit: © Shutterstock

The Kathmandu Symposium on Zero Poaching in Asia is drawing to a close. Tiger, elephant and rhino hit the headlines, but aquarium fish, lizards, butterflies and birds are just as threatened by highly illegal activities. The WWF are prominent in this conference, highlighting 10 other species we need to be aware of.

Some of the WWF headliners are musk deer, Moschus moschiferus. They are sought after for the ubiquitous Chinese medicines and the perfume industry, while we have regularly covered the delightful Chinese habit of milking sun bears, Helarctos malayanus, for their gall bladder’s bile. Pangolins and the magnificently territorial Tokay geckos are now threatened with more daft medical claims, with plants also unable to escape this greed for collection. Many orchids, especially slipper orchids such as Paphiopedilum rothschildianum have been stripped from the wild, leaving empty forests, except where they have been cut down too. Even trees like rosewood have now virtually disappeared, with only one tiny area in Thailand protecting the whole species.

Familiar animals to some, in sewers and even Florida, the Asian python, Python bivittatus still cannot avoid the slaughter as fashion dictates snakeskin handbags! If we mention the tigers again, the Chinese have to be mentioned yet again too. 1590 tiger parts were seized over recent years, but of course many more tigers have beendisappeared. The exact mechanisms for Chinese to obtain tigers need to be carefully checked. The famed tiger temple at Wat Pa Luang Ta Bua uses tiger cubs for pet zoos and similar activity, but 100 tigers have been found at the temple without official permits. Like Sri Racha Zoo, also in Thailand, tigers are bred and have been found to be taken to China. The fate of these animals is to become a prized penis or skin, in this strange worship of animal bits that may confer some ancient blessing to their owner!

We have many articles on conservation, especially tiger subspecies, along with binturong and elephant, and the rest! Meanwhile, Thailand has been known to promise an end to ivory trafficking, but there is absolutely no sign of this happening, nor are tigers and precious hornbills at the tiger temple likely to have been maintained simply for tourists. The birds are indeed known to be traded in Narathiwat, with big helmeted hornbills, Rhinoplax vigil, the most sought, and also the most endangered. Obviously it is not only their huge loss of habitat they have to worry about.

We will write more tomorrow when the Kathmandu symposium has ended. Let us hope some really tight conclusions can end this horrific trade in what seems like all of the animals the world wants conserved! If you thought zero poaching in 2011 and 2013 was impossible, read up the Kathmandu Post on tiger and rhino poaching, but you are right. There IS a lot of poaching in other countries. It has to stop, although some species are becoming extinct as we write. Maybe that is the only end-point that will prevent this terrible trade.


Trending Eco-Friendly Clothing

Love My Planet Women's Relaxed Fit Hoodie
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Love My Planet Women's Relaxed Fit Hoodie
Love My Planet women's eco-friendly relaxed fit hoodieSize Guide Centimeters 8 10 12 14 16 18 Bust 84 88 92 97 103 108 Waist 66 70 75 80 85 91 Hips 91 95 99 104 109 116 Bust: Measure around the fullest part of...
£38.00
£38.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Penguins Hate Push-Ups Men's Pullover Hoodie
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Penguins Hate Push-Ups Men's Pullover Hoodie
Penguins Hate Push-Ups men's eco-friendly pullover HoodieSize Guide Centimeters XS S M L XL XXL Height 171 175 179 183 189 195 Chest 86 93 99 104 116 129 Waist 71 76 81 89 99 112 Chest: Measure all round your chest just below...
£38.00
£38.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Lightning Bolt Kids Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Notify me
Lightning Bolt Kids Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Lightning Bolt kids eco-friendly long sleeve t-shirtSize Guide Centimeters 3-4yrs 5-6yrs 7-8yrs 9-10yrs 11-12yrs Height 98 112 125 136 147 Chest 60 66 70 75 84 Chest: Measure all around your chest just below your armpits. Height: Your natural height If you fall between...
£18.00
£18.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Notify me
Union Jack Tote Bag
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Union Jack Tote Bag
Union Jack eco-friendly colour tote bagProduct Specification Organic Cotton Tote Bag. Twill Weave (170gsm). 37 x 42 cm (7cm gusset.) Made in India / Designed on the Isle of Wight. Wash Cool, Hang Dry.
£16.00
£16.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Prev Post
Next Post

Eco-Friendly Shop

Women's Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothing for Women Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable women’s clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies, vests, sweaters, shorts, and...
Shop Now

Men's Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothing for Men Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable men’s clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies, vests, sweaters, shorts, and...
Shop Now

Kids Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothes for Kids Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable kids clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies and jumpers. Our garments...
Shop Now
Someone recently bought a
[time] ago, from [location]

Thanks for subscribing!

This email has been registered!

Shop the look

Choose Options

Earth Times
Sign up for exclusive updates, new arrivals & insider only discounts

Recently Viewed

Edit Option
Back In Stock Notification
this is just a warning
Login
Shopping Cart
0 items

Before you leave...

Take 20% off your first order

20% off

Enter the code below at checkout to get 20% off your first order

CODESALE20

Continue Shopping