|
|
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
| Wildlife
trade: Pushing species to the brink of extinction |
| |
 |
As
we near the year 2000, there is a spurt in
illegal wildlife trade. Attempts are also
increasing to smuggle wildlife and their products
out of the country. |
|
| The global
wildlife trade, estimated to be $25 billion annually,
has a major percentage originating from our country.
India has indeed become
a conduit for the illegal wildlife trade. The trade
in wildlife products includes the highly endangered
species such as the tiger, rhino, musk deer, bear,
elephant, and falcons, besides the commonly found
parakeet and other birds. The trade is reportedly
next in value only to the narcotics and illegal
arms trafficking |
| |
| To
the Brink |
| |
| Wildlife trade
has pushed several species to the brink. Tiger is
one such precious animal hunted all over its range
for its skin, bones and other parts,besides finding
use in trophies. In fact, every part of the animal
is used in one way or the other. Its bones find
their way into traditional oriental medicine, though
there is no scientific evidence of their efficacy.
Most consumers of tiger parts are from South-East
Asia (China, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan). In
India, tiger skins have a ready market and sell
for anything between Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 10,000 each.
|
| |
| The killing
of the Tibetan antelope, or chiru, to extract its
underwool for making Shahtoosh shawls is perhaps
the most dastardly of all crimes. It is estimated
that about three to four antelopes are slaughtered
to make a single shawl, considered to be one of
the finest natural fibres in the world. |
| |
| Another highly
endangered animal, the one-horned rhino, is hunted
for its horn. These horns are smuggled to South-East
Asia for use in traditional medicine, falsely believed
to be useful as an aphrodisiac and for the treatment
of blood pressure, paralysis, and brain fever. |
| |
| Musk or Kasturi,
as it is popularly known in India, is yet another
commonly traded product. Derived from the musk pod
of the highly endangered musk deer, a high altitude
Himalayan species persecuted in most of its distribution
area, it is considered to be a natural perfume fixative
and used in the Aryuveda, Tibetan and Unani systems
of medicine. |
| |
| The poaching
of the Asian elephant for ivory has severely depleted
its population. Male tuskers are the main quarry
of poachers. The killings have adversely affected
the animalŐs sex ratio. During 1994-1998, more than
100 cases were reported from the Southern States
of India alone. Several other species such as the
pangolin and civets are killed for their parts to
be used in tribal medicine. |
| |
| In the last
category, several more species such as the Peregrine
and Saker Falcons are regularly smuggled to West
Asia, to end up with wealthy Sheikhs, who use them
for hunting the Houbara bustard. Several hundred
bulbuls end up in "bulbul fights" in Uttar Pradesh
and Bihar, which are then said to be released. Birds
are also used in black magic and for their supposedly
medicinal properties. The horned owls, hornbills,
egrets, and hoopoes belong to this group. Following
the ban on exports, traders have resorted to the
bird release business. Several sects and communities,
including the Jains and Sindhis, buy birds and free
them as an act of doing good. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Share
4 Nature
|
|
|
| - Wild Fact |
| - Green Tip |
| - Quiz |
| - Atricle |
| - Campaign |
| - Wild Photos |
| - Your Experience |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
