Wildlife across the planet is in a crisis. The last decade has been the most disasterous for the wildlife, especially the flagship and exotic species. Tragically, in India—despite major global efforts to protect the tiger—the planet’s most powerful predator continues to slide towards an uncertain future and even extinction, if the illegal trade and poaching continue at the present rate.
Several initiatives by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for conservation and protection of tigers and wild animals have not made much difference. According to NTCA , 83 tigers were killed in just eight months in 2016. An average of 10 tigers every month.
Wildlife is a state subject and often it appears that the Centre and the states don’t see eye to eye. Ultimately, wildlife suffers. Effective policies need to be in place and implimented with sincerity. The Centre needs to work together with the state forest departments, experts, scientists and the NGOs in the field.
According to the latest reports from TRAFFIC at the International Wildlife Conference in Hanoi, over 110 tigers are being killed on an average by poachers globally every year to fuel the illegal trade in their bones and skin. That’s almost two tigers every week. The report is a worldwide analysis of data recovered over 16 years.
Another startling revelation is that almost 30 per cent of these come from breeding farms in South East Asia, namely Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.
According to estimates, over 200 cubs are born on an average at breeding farms every year. Even if there is a 50 per cent mortality rate, where are the cubs? For every cub that is born, another fully grown adult is pushed into the illegal trade belt. The demand for bushmeat, bones and skin is escalating at an alarming rate. Thankfully, there is a move to close down these dubious breeding centres.
Similarly in Africa, the elephants are being wiped out in shocking numbers. Over 120,000 of them were killed by ivory poachers in the last three years. That’s almost an average of one hundred everyday.
The proportion of illegally killed elephants has risen from 25 per cent to over 65 per cent. A level of poaching that the slow-breeding elephant will not be able to keep up with. This will lead to the species’ decline and finally extinction of the majestic African Elephant.
Illegal hunting of monkeys in South America over the last 20 years has wiped out almost 93 per cent of the primate population. An estimated 10 million are killed for meat and souvenirs in the Amazon basin every year. Smoked and salted primate meat is sold openly in markets. There has never been a voice of protest at the international forums.
Almost all trafficked wildlife finds its way to China’s open market.
Lack of political will, unity and poor management have resulted in serious fragmentation of the system, jeopardising wildlife across the world.
We will be greatest losers if the earth loses its wildlife biodiversity, especially the largest and strongest land animal, the elephant, and the most powerful apex of the food chain, the tiger.tigersdomain@gmail.com