World Wildlife Conservation Day
- World Wildlife Conservation Day falls every December 4th to raise awareness and engage conversations about species that are endangered or under threat of extinction because of poaching, trafficking and other environmental factors.
- Wildlife conservation is the act of protecting endangered and near-extinct species by preserving their natural habitat.
Wildlife Crime
- Wildlife crime includes illegal poaching and smuggling of animals.
- Additionally, it includes transporting a specific animal product by criminal groups to make a profit.
- A few examples would be rhino horns and elephant tusks.
- Wildlife crime is detrimental to the ecosystem as it causes animals to become endangered or extinct.
- Because of poaching, these six animals are at risk of becoming extinct:
- Elephants
- Rhinos
- Tigers
- Sea turtles
- Lemurs
- Gorillas
Initiatives towards wildlife conservation
TRAFFIC
- TRAFFIC is an organization that was established in 1976 by WWF and IUCN as a wildlife trade monitoring network to undertake data collection, analysis, and provision of recommendations to inform decision making on wildlife trade.
- For over 40 years TRAFFIC performed that function as a leader in wildlife trade research, as a joint program of WWF and IUCN.
The IUCN Red List
- Established in 1964, The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.
- It is a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity.
- It provides information about range, population size, habitat and ecology, use and/or trade, threats, and conservation actions that will help inform necessary conservation decisions.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
- It is an international treaty to prevent species from becoming endangered or extinct because of international trade.
- Under this treaty, countries work together to regulate the international trade of animal and plant species and ensure that this trade is not detrimental to the survival of wild populations.
- Any trade in protected plant and animal species should be sustainable, based on sound biological understanding and principles.