The risk of extinction

[32519]

This article appeared in a local newspaper Hunger for ivory

The rhino in my own country is being poached for its horn at an alarming rate. Last year the tally was close to 700. We are now in early March and the tally already stands at 110. If this rate continues it too will be extinct soon.

The great white shark, to the best of my knowledge is also on the endangered list.

Not to mention the polar bear, the tiger, the panda, et el.

The Sumatran rhino was poached to extinction in 2011.

A sign of the times? A way of survival to many in an overpopulated world where growing job shortages are a huge problem? Greed? Something else?

[dwar0123]

A sign of the times? A way of survival to many in an overpopulated world where growing job shortages are a huge problem? Greed? Something else?

Supply and Demand. There is a demand and there is a supply, simple economic forces that have played out countless times before throughout history. Nothing particular about the economic times, someone will always work to see to it that demand gets its supply.

 

If history is a guide; demand will remain long after supply gives up the ghost, dooming the species in the wild. You can protect them 24/7 with armed guards, but that is just delaying the inevitable and leaves quite a lot to be desired for the idea of them living in the wild.

[hrothgar]

ran across the following over the weekend

 

http://www.salon.com/2013/03/09/save_the_rhino_partner/

 

Might be a reasonable way to go on the rhino front.

(I do wonder how much land would be required to farm a reasonable number of rhinos)

[kenberg]

From the above cited article

African wildlife conservation has become as militarized as America’s “war on drugs,” with the same miserable failures.

[/Quote]

 

 

Apparently rhinos are being poached so the tusk can be used in dagger handles. And drugs get used because people are idiots. One would like to dry up the demand but for reasons that are simply beyond my understanding, apparently this cannot be done. It's very discouraging.

[onoway]

A few voices crying in the wilderness.. and then you have people like Patrick Watson who is trying to save the whales (and indeed trying to prevent Japanese fishing boats from ILLEGALLY harvesting them according to Australian law) who has now apparently earned a label as a pirate by the US justice system and placed on Interpol most wanted list for doing so

[32519]

Supply and Demand. There is a demand and there is a supply, simple economic forces that have played out countless times before throughout history. Nothing particular about the economic times, someone will always work to see to it that demand gets its supply.

 

If history is a guide; demand will remain long after supply gives up the ghost, dooming the species in the wild. You can protect them 24/7 with armed guards, but that is just delaying the inevitable and leaves quite a lot to be desired for the idea of them living in the wild.

The supply will soon be completely exhausted. Check this out and this.

The Kruger National Park, a prime tourist attraction, is down to its last handful of rhinos. People are already making sick jokes such as, “Join the last rhino sight seeing tour.”

[ggwhiz]

The supply will soon be completely exhausted. Check this out and this.

The Kruger National Park, a prime tourist attraction, is down to its last handful of rhinos. People are already making sick jokes such as, “Join the last rhino sight seeing tour.”

 

I lived in South Africa from 97-2000 and was blown away by their committment to saving Cheetahs or anything else. It's such an amazing place that a fisherman from Port Elizabeth caught a Coalecynthe that was thought to be extinct for 10 Mil years. The Scientists took over and found a few hundred of them.

 

Hmm. A first class technical capability and people who care got my attention and if they come asking for anything to avert whatever, I would give them a blank check.

[onoway]

On the news today there was a story about Australia considering opening shipping lanes across the Great Barrier Reef to companies planning to ship uranium, coal etc. Apparently this is prompting consideration of designating it an Endangered World Heritage Site. Australia is not a third world economy and should behave better than this. Though I could (and do) say the same of Canada and the quest for unfettered development of the tar sands and oil pipelines crossing vulnerable ecological areas. Among other things.

 

I just had hopes that no other western country had a government so mindnumbingly focussed on getting a dollar no matter it costs, as we do.

[32519]

The answer to rhino horn poaching is to actually legalise the trade in horns. A dead rhino is of no use to anyone. Instead harvest the horn periodically and then let the stump grow again. Many in South Africa are fighting for this but so far to no avail.

[32519]

A new voice to legalise trade in rhino horns.

[32519]

Rhino poaching worse than ever.

[32519]

Another species close to extinction.