Hunting  Trade  Collection  Overexploitation

Many animals have suffered for years due to the other products they can provide. Butterflies are commonly used for decoration. The skins of crocodiles, alligators, and snakes are made into shoes and handbags. The shells of Giant sea turtles, used to make tortoiseshell objects, have helped to make them endangered. Millions of birds such as the Lear's Macaw and the Quayaquil Great Green Macaw are killed so that their feathers can be used to make hats and clothing.

The elephant is highly prized for its ivory tusks (modified incisors). The population in Kenya alone have decreased by two-thirds in only eight years. The ivory trade is responsible for the deaths of approximately 50,000 to 150,000 elephants each year. It is shocking that over 90 percent of the ivory being circulated around the world today comes from elephants killed illegally. To meet such demands of about 800 tons of ivory per year, an estimated 90 000 or more elephants must die. Ultimately we could add another 10 000 to this figure as many of the dead elephants would be females with young and they would then die of starvation. Many people who look at exquisite pieces of jewelery and ivory carving often forget that they cost that elephant their lives.

The rhinoceros is killed for its horn which is made of compacted keratin (same material as human fingernails). The horn which is prized as a medicine and aphrodisiac in the Orient, is used in the Middle East to make ceremonial daggers, a prized status symbol. They are traditionally gifts at puberty rites in the region. As much as $12,000 can be paid for rhino horn daggers.

The horns, which are not made of bone but of a compacted mass of hairs, are especially prized by Indians and Chinese, who consider them to be a powerful aphrodisiac. Powdered horn, mixed in a potion, are supposed to cure anything from measles to diptheria. If it is applied externally in a poultice, it is believed to cure boils and chicken pox. Rhinos are protected under the Endangered Species Act and many countries have signed the CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species) treaty for the banning of importation of rhino horns. Poachers are now at risk at being shot on sight for the riches the rhino horn brings on the black market. Some black market prices included U.S.$4 500 for a single horn and in 1985 the going price in Singapore was U.S.$5 000 for a pound(0.45kg). Luckily, some rhino species, such as the White Rhino, are making a slow comeback.

  Fur trade  

Another threat to land mammals is hunting for their skin and fur. Humans have used skins and furs for clothing, rugs, and tents for centuries. But the senseless killing of a large number of mammals for their hides alone is a rather recent occurrence.

The Koala bear is widely prized for its valuable skin, and has been hunted ever since Europeans arrived in its homeland. 1-2 million skins were annually exported, attached with labels such as "beaver," "Adelaide chinchilla," "silver-gray possum," and "skunk." The state government itself gave licenses to 10,000 trappers in 1927, knowing full well the precarious position of the Koala bear. Within the next few months, over half a million Koalas were killed. The motivation for declaring open season on the animal came from votes and money. Farm workers and landholders wanted the money from Koala hunting, and the government wanted their votes for the next term.

The Snow Leopard has also been hunted for its beautiful, pale gray fur that is marked by black rosettes. Bengal tigers and African lions are also commonly poached for their pelts. There are around 300 Siberian tigers remaining, even though its long-haired pelt is the most valued of tiger skins. The cheetah, also hunted for its fur, is all the more vulnerable because of its solitary lifestyle and delicate bone structure.

Baby seals are beaten to death with heacy sticks because they do not want to damage the pure white coats with a bullet hole or a knife. Foxes from Finland are still captured and killed in the wild for their fur. Our desire for fashion could ultimately threaten all species.