In
Vietnam, we wanted to learn about an important issue: why is there poaching, or
illegal killing, of certain endangered animals?
To
find out, we went to
ENV (Education for Nature Vietnam).
Animals are trafficked (bought and sold)
illegally in Vietnam.
Many animals are
also hunted in Vietnam, and sent to China because there is demand there.
Why
would people buy and sell animals illegally?
Here are some examples:
- Many animals -- such as rhinos, macaques, or tigers -- are
killed and used to make traditional medicines.
- “Wildlife restaurants” serve exotic dishes to locals and
tourists – such as porcupines, mouse deer, monitor lizards, civets, snakes and
even bears
- Animals are kept illegally as pets – monkeys, for example.
- Some animals are stuffed or hung on the wall as trophies,
or status symbols – like shiny lacquered marine turtle shells, or stuffed
tigers.
- Some animals are kept in cages as attractions to bring tourists
into restaurants or hotels.
Vietnam’s
Rhino: Extinct
The
impact of this illegal demand for animals and animal products is huge. One example is the Javan rhino, which has
been extinct in Vietnam since 2010 (a small population of only 50 Javan rhinos
still exists, in Sumatra).
It’s
bad enough to kill a rhino, but the really sad thing is that the rhino is just
left there – it isn’t even eaten or used for any other purpose except its horn.