GO WILD FOR LIFE
The
booming illegal trade in wildlife products is eroding Earth’s precious
biodiversity, robbing us of our natural heritage and driving whole
species to the brink of extinction. The killing and smuggling is also
undermining economies and ecoystems, fuelling organized crime, and
feeding corruption and insecurity across the globe.
Wildlife crime endangers iconic elephants, rhinos,
tigers, gorillas and sea turtles. In 2011, a subspecies of Javan rhino
went extinct in Vietnam, while the last western black rhinos vanished
from Cameroon the same year. Great apes have disappeared from Gambia,
Burkina Faso, Benin and Togo, and other countries could quickly follow.
Lesser-known victims include helmeted hornbills and pangolins as well as
wild orchids and timbers like Rosewood – flowers and timber are also
considered wildlife!
Huge efforts to counter the illicit trade -
including stronger policies, awareness campaigns and investments in
community conservation and law enforcement - have scored some great
successes. However, many species remain at risk and it will take a
dedicated and sustained effort by each and every one of us to turn the
tide.
How can we do it? More people need to understand
the damage this illicit business is doing to our environment,
livelihoods, communities and security. We must change our habits and
behaviour so that demand for illegal wildlife products falls. More
awareness and action pushes governments and international bodies to
introduce and enforce tougher laws and combat those still willing to
break them.
This year’s theme for WED – Go Wild for Life –
encourages you to celebrate all those species under threat and take
action of your own to help safeguard them for future generations. This
can be about animals or plants that are threatened within your local
area as well as at the national or global level - many local extinctions
will eventually add up to a global extinction! Whoever you are, and
wherever you live, show zero-tolerance for the illegal trade in wildlife
in word and deed, and make a difference.
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