Poaching is a deadly illegal wildlife crime that is a known major factor of hunting many animals to extinction. Few poachers are ever caught or punished for their crimes.
The illegal wildlife trade is worth $70-213 billion each year negatively affecting many developing countries that depend on tourism for income and comes in second after the drug market.
Tragically many amazing animals are already facing steep declines from poaching like the African elephant who once numbered around 3 to 5 million in the last century but were severely reduced to its current numbers of around 415,000 today with around 110,000 elephants killed in the last decade. Lions, tigers, rhinos, sea turtles, and pangolins are some of the examples that are still being poached today.
China is the world's largest exporter of ivory with many animals like the Vietnamese javan rhino and the western black rhino becoming extinct due to poaching for its horn. The northern white rhino is functionally extinct with only 3 animals in the world living today.
The illegal wildlife trade is worth $70-213 billion each year negatively affecting many developing countries that depend on tourism for income and comes in second after the drug market.
Tragically many amazing animals are already facing steep declines from poaching like the African elephant who once numbered around 3 to 5 million in the last century but were severely reduced to its current numbers of around 415,000 today with around 110,000 elephants killed in the last decade. Lions, tigers, rhinos, sea turtles, and pangolins are some of the examples that are still being poached today.
China is the world's largest exporter of ivory with many animals like the Vietnamese javan rhino and the western black rhino becoming extinct due to poaching for its horn. The northern white rhino is functionally extinct with only 3 animals in the world living today.
POACHING STATS
An estimated 30,000 to 38,000 elephants are poached each year for their tusks
There are fewer than 900 mountain gorillas still alive in the world
Black rhino populations have declined by around 97.6% since 1960
Parts from a tiger can cost around $50,000 on the black market
In 2014, the price of rhino horn can cost up at least $60,000 per kilogram while elephant ivory can fetch up to $2,142 per kilogram
About 70% of illegal ivory goes to China where they sell up to $1,000 per pound on the black market
1,215 rhinos were poached in South Africa in 2014, meaning that one rhino is killed every 8 hours
Over the last 20 years, an estimated 30-50% of the lions population have been illegally killed leaving only about 32,000 lions left in the wild ( there were 200,000 lions in the last century )
An estimated 100 African elephants are killedd every day continuing their decline
An elephant is poached every 15 minutes meaning with the current rate, elephants will be extinct in 20 years
Today, 60% of China's residents use poached animals for medicine
About 73 million sharks are killed each year
There are fewer than 900 mountain gorillas still alive in the world
Black rhino populations have declined by around 97.6% since 1960
Parts from a tiger can cost around $50,000 on the black market
In 2014, the price of rhino horn can cost up at least $60,000 per kilogram while elephant ivory can fetch up to $2,142 per kilogram
About 70% of illegal ivory goes to China where they sell up to $1,000 per pound on the black market
1,215 rhinos were poached in South Africa in 2014, meaning that one rhino is killed every 8 hours
Over the last 20 years, an estimated 30-50% of the lions population have been illegally killed leaving only about 32,000 lions left in the wild ( there were 200,000 lions in the last century )
An estimated 100 African elephants are killedd every day continuing their decline
An elephant is poached every 15 minutes meaning with the current rate, elephants will be extinct in 20 years
Today, 60% of China's residents use poached animals for medicine
About 73 million sharks are killed each year