Birds, fish and mammals are food; people rear them in farms for mass production and sell them packaged as meat.
Sadly, animals are not killed for food alone. The Indonesian government brought alarming news to the Convention on International trade in endangered species (CITES) held in Johannesburg, South Africa. They said the colourful helmeted hornbill is being hunted non-stop for its casque (the hard part on its beak) and a sudden explosion in demand for the hornbill casque is driving the bird to extinction very fast.
The casque is usually spongy, but in the helmeted hornbill it is solid keratin (protein). It is like soft ivory. Its colour is golden yellow, but the bird rubs it’s casque (horn on top of the beak) on its preen gland, whose oily secretion gives the surface of the casque a bright red colour.
The bird species seen in Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo has suddenly been discovered by the world and is heading to extinction. It is in the category of “critically endangered “. For thousands of years, tribals of the Indonesian rainforests have carved various objects out of the ivory of the helmeted hornbill . In 2011, the Chinese begins to buy the carved ivory products in large numbers. From 2012 onwards, the birds have been hunted mercilessly and their heads are now being smuggled to ports in Sumatra and Java and then on to Hong Kong and Taiwan. Bird protection groups estimate that nearly 6,000 birds are killed every year.
The male helmeted hornbill has the ivory. And it is the male bird with the casque that feels the female when she has her chicks and stays in the nest. Killing off the male will starve the female and wipe out the bird population altogether. It may be a good idea not to buy products made of ivory.
Hippopotamus
The hippopotamus, or river horse, spends up to 16 hours a day submerged. Threat to their lives comes from people hunting them for their meat and ivory (teeth in the case of hippos). Strangely, these herbivores spend most of their time in water with only their face sticking out so they can breathe. The hippo is still a target for hunters who get paid thousands of dollars to kill them.
Great White Shark
The Great white shark is hunted for its fins. Shark fin soup is a delicacy and people believe it will cure certain ailments . Fishermen across the global catch a million of these sharks, cut off their fins and then throw the sharks back into the water. This inhumane practice is a death warrant for these beautiful creatures. Unable to swim, they starve, drown or are eaten by other marine animals. The white shark is also hunted for sport which is also illegal.
African Lion
The African Lion is fast on its way to becoming an endangered species. Their populations have dwindled to half since the 1950s, but it is legal to hunt them for prices in sport competitions. The lines are hunted in two ways. One, they are hunted in the wild, in forests. Two, the lions are caught and are let loose in game reserves so people can hunt them for pleasures. This is called “canned hunting”. For canned hunting sometimes cubs are reared by humans and are eventually released in an enclosed area. In confined area, the “customer” is guaranteed a kill.
Tiger
Only about 4000 tigers may be left in the wild. Tigers are poached for almost all their body parts – skin, meat, nails, teeth. Tiger skins, bones, teeth and claws are used in traditional medicine. They are believed to cure toothaches and protect against malicious curses, among other problems. Some countries allow tiger farming, but poaching continues since tiger parts fetch huge amounts of money in the market.
Asian & African Elephant
Elephants everywhere are being slaughtered by poachers and hunters for their tasks. Trade of elephant tusks continues to grow as the demand for ivory increases, though stiff penalties have been in place since the 1990s. Hunters go on a safari and helped by professional trackers locate and kill the animals at close range with high calibre weapons.
Black Rhino
Between 1970 and 1992, 96 percent of the black rhino population was killed for their horns, making their numbers critically endangered. The Vietnamese and the Chinese believe the horns can cure a multitude of health problems. Cruelly, their horns are hacked off and the rhinos are often left to die.
Hawksbill Sea Turtle
Although Hawksbill sea turtles are found from the Caribbean Sea to the Indonesian archipelago, their numbers have dwindled so much that they have been listed as almost extinct. Poachers hunt hawksbill for their shells, which are made into ornaments and decorative items and are sold worldwide as travel souvenirs. Hawksbills are killed for their oil, which is used in traditional medicine.
Mush Deer
Thousands of male musk deer have been killed for their musk pods, a gland that produces the musk. This musk, a brown, waxy substance, can be extracted from live animals, but “musk gatherers,” who get big money for the secretion find it easier to kill the deer. Today synthetic alternatives to musk are available, but the hunting hasn’t stopped. Musk is used in traditional medicines for treating cardiac, circulatory and respiratory problems.
Picture Credit : Google