The perfection with which nature works is visible in the animals, from the gracefulness of the birds to the severe gaze of the felines. The risk of seven thousand species becoming extinct is, however, concrete and the cause is wildlife poaching and illegal trade in the world. This is revealed by the new Report WWF Poaching Connection that promotes the SOS Campaign Animals in Trap.
Elephants, walruses, hippos are subject to continuous persecution by mercenaries interested in their ivory. Every year, 20,000 elephants are killed at a rate of 55 per day. Rhinos, on the other hand, are coveted because of their horn, which on the black market is worth more than gold and platinum. Just think that this material costs up to 66 thousand dollars per kilo.
Tigers are not safe either. In fact, they are killed with traps or rifles for their claws, their flesh and their fur. The bones of this magnificent feline can have a value of 3000 dollars per kilo on the Asian black market. The sad result is that, to date, there are only 3890 tigers in Asia. Pangolins, on the other hand, have completely disappeared in China. However, they survive in the African and Asian continent where, in ten years, one million of them have been killed. The meat, the scales and the skin are the reason why they are so much longed for by the poachers.
According to the WWF, there are various reasons for hunting. One of the first causes is the welfare of the richest countries. In fact, they are willing to pay for illegal natural products that the poorest people find for them in the hope of making easy profits.
Wildlife poaching is now a global business based on organised criminal networks that also deal with drugs, weapons, counterfeit goods and human trafficking. The illegal sale of wildlife products has also grown by 70% on the internet. It is no coincidence that, according to the analysis of the United Nations, this type of illegal trade is part of the threat finance that threatens global financial security. In addition, there is no lack of connections with terrorism. According to the WWF report, sellers of illegal weapons supply both poachers and jihadists.
Those who decide to poach, unfortunately, do not understand that the advantages are much less than the disadvantages. The most pressing consequence, in fact, is the actual impoverishment of the poorest countries. In the conviction that they are quickly enriched, they end up losing their greatest wealth – biodiversity.