Poaching – Page 2 – TINA CHIARELLI, PHD, FRGS

The Ivory War Continues: 22 Years After the Ban

January 7th, 2012tinalc0 Comments

2011 was considered the bloodiest year for elephants since 1989, the same year the ivory ban began. Confiscated ivory from illegal sales estimate over 3000 elephants were killed by poachers to fuel the black market demand; and that is just what was found. In a single month, Malaysian authorities seized over $1.3 million US worth of ivory that was being shipped out of Kenya and into Cambodia. It is well documented that the illegal trade in wildlife and their parts is a multi-billion dollar a year business; third only behind drugs and weapons trafficking. Trade in rhino horn and tiger …

Extinction: The Final Countdown

December 7th, 2011tinalc0 Comments

The word extinction has shown up several times in the news lately regarding the population status of some wildlife species. All too often we can identify species that have been deemed extinct, but we are not given an explanation of how this came to be. Historically, or I should say prehistorically, we know that a meteor striking the earth and an ice age contributed to the extinction of thousands of species. Note that these catastrophic events were natural disasters. However, what about the extinctions as of late? Internationally, we still experience natural disasters all the time, but what is their …

Shark Finning: The Global Attack on Sharks

August 21st, 2011tinalc0 Comments

Used as a tasteless thickener in soup and an inconclusive cure all in Ancient Chinese Medicine, shark fin, or more specifically shark finning, claims the lives of more than 70 million sharks annually. Think about that number for a moment; more than 70 million sharks. Portrayed as mindless, blood-thirsty killers in Peter Benchley’s novel Jaws, sharks are persecuted not on what they do, but what they have the capacity to do as conjured up in the human psyche. Is not the alcoholic behind the wheel of a vehicle more of a danger to your family than a shark? In reality, …

Wildlife Products: When the Demand Stops, the Killing Stops

August 14th, 2011tinalc0 Comments

As a kid, I remember having several brightly colored rabbit foot key chains given to me as good luck tokens. Traveling through the south eastern United States, it is still commonplace to see stuffed baby alligators, or the preserved severed heads of juveniles, for sale at welcome centers and gift shops. Baby sharks with an icy death stare, glaring out of alcohol-filled jars adorn service stations and restaurant counters. And who hasn’t seen the spider or scorpion suspended in acrylic paper weights. Wildlife is under constant threat from humans. As human population increases, the demand for resources necessary for survival increases. …