Elephants Without Borders, a nonprofit organization, recently came across a horrendous scene of 87 elephants that were poached in Botswana for their ivory. Botswana is home to about 1/3 of the world's elephant population, making it a haven to help elephants thrive and survive, but also a danger zone during poaching season.
Poaching is an issue that often reoccurs in the news, especially when poaching incidents such as the recent one in Botswana come to the media's attention.
It can be hard to wrap our heads around how horrible poaching truly is because we feel so removed from the situation, so it's good to revisit the facts in order to better understand what this all means.
What is poaching?
Poaching is best defined as "the illegal hunting, killing or capturing of animals."
Why does poaching happen?
Poaching is part of an illegal, billion dollar industry that takes advantage of wildlife and nature. In Africa, the main animals targeted by poachers are "elephants for their ivory tusks, rhinoceros for their horn, and leopards for their beautiful skins."
Why is poaching wrong?
Not only is the brutal killing of animals an atrocity that is cruel and uncalled for, poaching is also a main cause of endangered and extinct species in the world. On top of that, poaching disrupts nature, harming the environment and throwing off the ecosystem.
What are the facts surrounding elephant poaching?
Elephants are truly one of the most beautiful, gentle creatures to roam our planet. The disgusting killing of these animals is causing elephants to die quicker than they can reproduce. At this rate, some sources state that elephants could go extinct by 2030.
What can we do to help?
Take action! Support organizations that fight for animal rights, specifically organizations focused on wildlife and elephants, such as United for Wildlife, Save the Elephants, Elephants Without Borders, and even Ivory Ella if you're looking to get a cute shirt that also helps our elephants.
