Poaching is a huge problem that could have severe consequences in as little as a few years. Some people may not have a very big problem with people killing animals illegally, but by the end of this article, I hope to convince them that it really is a major problem that needs to be dealt with. And quick.
It has been discovered that there are many species of animals that, if nothing is done to prevent it, will go extinct in the next 10 years. It will only take a fraction of our lifetimes for a whole race of animals to be hunted down and slaughtered to the point that there are none of them left. To me, something about that seems horribly wrong. Some of the animals that are facing extinction are the Black Rhinoceros, the Chinese Alligator, and the Sumatran Orangutan.
The Black Rhinos are being hunted down and killed for one little reason: their horns. "Their horns are highly valued for use as ornaments and for their 'medicinal' properties, even though they are simply made of keratin, the same protein found in fingernails and hair" (10 Animals). Just at the start of this century, there may have been as many as hundreds of thousands of this rhino roaming wild in Africa...Now there are only a few thousand. Poaching and loss of habitat are ongoing problems for these poor creatures and soon, there may not be any left at all.
The Chinese Alligator is a small, secretive, mini-alligator that is a native of the wetlands in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Although thousands of these tiny gators have been bred in captivity, it is estimated that as few as 150 to 200 are left in the wild.
The Sumatran Orangutans are being rapidly driven from their homes by logging, fires, and other human activities. There are fewer than 7,500 left in the whole world. This may seem like a large number, but when you think about it, that is a smaller population than most small towns in the U.S. The number of these animals left is also decreasing at a HUGE rate: about 1,000 orangutans per year.
Now, I know that most people don't like animals as much as I do, but I like to think that people would show some compassion and try to help these defenseless creatures. They are on the brink of extinction and they are fighting a losing battle. The animals that I mentioned earlier are only a few of the species that are on the list of animals that are expected to go extinct in the next decade. Think about it; Our children won't get to see any of these beautiful animals unless WE do something about it. Not someone else. US. So next time you go to buy an ivory statue, or tiger-skin rug, think about the animals that had to die to make these pointless decorative items. :)
"10 Animals That May Go Extinct In the Next 10 Years." flushrush.com. FlushRush, 11/04/2009. Web. 22 Feb 2011.
