Poaching puts biodiversity at risk
Despite an official ban on hunting wildlife, the illegal trade in tusks, horns and skins is booming and is worth billions of dollars annually.
Dwindling hopes of survival
Poaching is threatening to make whole species extinct. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) says the African elephant is particularly at risk. At least 60,000 were killed in the last two years alone. Every year they drop in number by 10 percent. 100 years ago there were about five million elephants in Africa, today there are between 470,000 and 690,000.
Popular status symbol
Elephants are slaughtered largely because of their ivory tusks. Even though global trade in this animal product is forbidden, it thrives nonetheless. In 2013, the amount of ivory seized by the authorities rose to a new, depressing record - 42 tons! In China, illegal ivory fetches higher prices than gold. Ivory carvings are a status symbol!
Hunting for rhino horn
Rhinoceros stocks are also being seriously depleted by poachers. Commercial hunting of rhinoceroses and the trade in rhino products has been banned in all African and Asian states. The level of threat to the rhinoceros varies from species to species. The northern white rhinoceros is almost extinct.
The alleged medicinal benefits of rhino horn
Most of the demand for rhinoceroses comes from China and other Asian countries. Rhino horn is used in traditional medicine as an alleged treatment for fever and even for cancer. Rhino horn commands prices equal to those paid for elephants' tusks.
The endangered tiger
Poachers prey on tigers because of their coats. It estimated that there are now as few as 3,200 tigers living in the wild. 100 years ago there were 100,000. Trade in tiger parts has been banned since 1975 under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). The tiger's natural habitat is also at risk from deforestation.
Quotas on bear hunting
Bears are also being increasingly targeted by poachers. Bear parts often serve as trophies, they are also used in traditional Asiatic medicine. There is no global ban on hunting bears. In some countries, a quota system governs the number of bears that can be killed. Poachers generally ignore it.
The disappearing habitat
The chief threat to the polar bear is climate change. Because the Artic's offshore pack ice is melting, the polar bear's natural habitat is becoming smaller. The indigenous population hunt polar bears in order to stay alive. There an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears on the planet of whom around 700 are killed by hunters every year.
A likely farewell to the gorilla
The mountain gorilla is the most endangered of all gorilla species and only 700 are still alive. Gorillas could be extinct in 15 years time. They are hunted largely because of their meat. Some people believe that when they consume gorilla meat, they acquire the animal's physical strength.
Farming as an act of conservation?
Crocodiles were once thought to be at risk because of the activities of poachers and hunters. Crocodile hide was highly sought after. In the meantime, crocodile stocks have recovered and the demands of the leather industry are met by crocodile farms.
The killing of migratory birds
In Europe, migratory birds are at risk from poachers. On their return from Africa, the birds are often shot in large numbers or caught in nets. The German conservation group NABU says that the killing of these birds, while they are on their way back to their breeding grounds, is endangering the stocks of many species that are already on the Red List of threatened species.