Eaten Alive – Poaching and trafficking in wildlife are the

Poaching and trafficking in wildlife are the greatest direct threats to many of the world’s most threatened species. As animal populations decline, poachers increasingly resort to poaching in protected areas. TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, estimates that illegal wildlife trade costs billions of dollars a year, although for obvious reasons it is almost impossible to obtain accurate figures. Three potential poachers are likely to have been eaten alive after a herd of lions attacked the Shibuya Nature Reserve in July 2018. Most endangered animals live in developing countries, where overhunting and poaching are important factors in their population decline. If illegal hunting continues, the absence of these species will have a devastating impact on ecosystems and society. In South Africa alone, rhinoceros hunting increased by 7,700% between 2007 and 2013, with an average of three rhinos a day. In 2011, international organizations seized more than 23 tons of illicit ivory, equivalent to about 2,500 elephant deaths. In recent years, there has been an alarming increase in the illicit trade in wildlife. A number of organizations, such as the Environmental Research Agency and the International Anti-Poaching Foundation, also have the capacity to voluntarily combat poaching. Donations to organizations that finance the establishment of foresters and nature reserves and educate local communities can be useful. This forces the extinction of species and conservationists to take decisive action to protect the remaining animals. Shibuya killed three rhinoceroses for poachers in 2016, although this time the poachers were not eaten alive. Sign petitions and encourage them to take action to protect endangered species through laws and regulations. I’ve come a long way from being the executive director of a non-profit organization that runs marathons, rock climbing, hiking, canyons and kayaks, to being bedridden and staring at the wall for 15 hours a day.