Poaching can happen anywhere. When we think of poaching, Africa, South America, even Asia comes to mind. The truth is, poaching can happen anywhere. Even in our back yards.

The Tapir

Usually, the hooves and snout will be sold at relatively high prices as reputed cures for epilepsy and heart ailment. This animal was probably three or four years old when killed. The lifespan of a mountain tapir in the wild has not been documented, partly because poaching is so common that collared tapirs as well as uncollared animals are usually killed before they have a chance to live out their full span. Several captive mountain tapirs have been documented to ages of 25-30 or more years.

This killing of the tapir (pictured above) was discovered by my (Craig C. Downer's) assistant Armando Castellanos-Penafiel, of Quito, Ecuador, who also took the picture.

His investigations traced this poaching, to an expedition by a well-known ecotourist guide from Ecuador who has been mentioned in National Geographic magazine and films. But it is questionable whether the guide knew what the porters did when he and the ecotourists were trying to climb the Sangay volcano.

At any rate it indicates the poor respect both for the endangered species protected in Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru, and for the prohibition against killing any plant or animal within the national park.

This is all too common when it comes to the endangered mountain tapirs, whose numbers have probably dwindled to less than 2,000, making them one of the Earth's most endangered species.

Please, if you could spare some donations for Mr. Downers research and help the Tapir's, send to:

Craig C. Downer,
Andean Tapir Fund
P.O. Box 456
Minden, NV 89423 USA

The Tiger

The number of tigers in the 1900's --over 100,000 -- dropped to 4,000 in the 1970's. Simply put, tigers are disappearing. The most critically endangered is the South China or Amoy tiger whose numbers have plummeted from 4,000 in 1949 to fewer than 50 today. Perhaps none survive in the wild, and their chances of recovery are remote.

Bali tiger -- extinct in the 1930s
Caspian tiger -- extinct in the 1970s
Javan tiger -- extinct in the 1980s

Even though it is illegal to kill a tiger, wild tigers are still being poached today because their bones, whiskers and other body parts can be sold on the black market for a lot of money. Tiger parts are used in traditional Chinese medicine because some people believe that tiger parts have special powers.

While the exact number of tigers being poached is unknown, some sources have estimated that one tiger a day is being killed in India.

India claims two-thirds of the tiger population of the world. Of the eight subspecies of the tiger, three -- the Caspian, Bali and Javan tigers – are already extinct. The position of the South China subspecies is perilous; the Siberian, Sumatran tiger population is very low; and the Indo-Chinese and Bengal tiger habitat is so little in some areas that they face the threat of inbreeding and subsequent genetic disorders.

The Gorilla

Gorillas are one of the most feared animals in the world, thanks to movies like King Kong and Congo . While it is true that they are large, powerful creatures, they are also gentle and affectionate. Mountain gorillas are easygoing vegetarians who lead a peaceful, playful life. Large males patiently allow young gorillas to climb all over them without a murmur of protest, and they are not aggressive toward humans unless they are threatened.

Mountain gorillas are one of the most endangered animals in the world. Scientists estimate that there are about 600 individuals, living in 2 populations of about 300 each, separated by about 20 miles. Their entire world consists of 285 square miles of high-elevation rain forest in east-central Africa. They are endangered from habitat loss, poaching, and war.

Despite their endangered status, until recently mountain gorillas were one of conservation's brightest success stories. Decades ago they were on the brink of extinction, when conservation measures reversed the decline and started them on the road to recovery. Today, they face a new threat -- the aftermath of a tragic civil war that erupted in Rwanda in the early 1990s, claiming the lives of 500,000 people, and creating refugee camps with 750,000 people living in destitution on the borders of the gorillas' reserves. Continuing political unrest threatens to undo almost 20 years of remarkable conservation work.

Beginning early in the 20th century, collectors and hunters from Europe and the United States began to capture or kill mountain gorillas. In 25 years over 50 mountain gorillas were taken as trophies or for collections. Carl Akeley of the American Museum of Natural History shot five gorillas in 1921, but he was so impressed with these animals that he convinced the Belgian government, which at that time ruled what is now Zaire, to establish Africa's first national park for them in 1925.

The gorillas were relatively protected until 1960, when civil war broke out and park protection disappeared. Poachers set out snares to capture animals for food, and gorillas were caught in the snares. The gorillas also were killed intentionally for their meat and parts; gorilla hands and heads were sold as souvenirs to tourists.

In addition to being killed and captured, the gorillas have lost large amounts of habitat to agriculture. The countries in which they live have some of the highest human population densities in the world. Every acre that is not protected is farmed. In 1968, 40 percent of the remaining forest was turned over to a European-sponsored agricultural scheme.

The Elephant

Prior to the ivory trade ban in 1989 over 2,000 African elephants were being slaughtered each week, poached mainly to supply the insatiable demand of the world's ivory markets. EIA investigations revealed the involvement of international crime syndicates, governments and the military world-wide, and it was courageous enforcement officers who found themselves in a brutal, front-line battle to save the elephants from total destruction, often against incredible odds.

Recognising that the poaching of elephants to supply the ivory trade was the major cause of the decline in elephant populations prior to the 1989 ivory trade ban, and that all efforts to regulate or control the ivory trade have in the past failed, the EIA will actively monitor and track international trade in ivory to ensure that an international illegal trade does not once again pose a threat to the conservation of the world's elephant populations.

The impact of poaching can also have devastating effect on the structure of elephant populations. As poachers sought out the oldest elephant to obtain the largest tusks they succeeded in wiping out most of the mature animals. This has profound implications for the reproductive ability of elephant herds. Male elephants generally do not mate until they are about 30 years old and since most older males have already been killed, the rate of reproduction is very low. Poaching has also been shown to cause severe disruption to the stability of herds, and this in turn has a negative impact on the elephants' ability to breed.

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