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Graham Hedrick
David Turley
English I Honors
10 November 2016
Poaching and Endangered Animals
Poaching is becoming a huge problem all around the world, especially in Africa. Many
different animals such as the Amur leopard, the Elephant, and Rhinos are all critically
endangered because of poachers. Since the poaching epidemic in Africa started in 2008 South
Africa has lost over 5,000 rhinos. In addition to rhinos, elephants and Amur leopards are being
killed off in record numbers as well. Poaching poses a huge problem for many species and, if not
taken care of, will result in the destruction of numerous species of animals.
Elephants are being killed off for their tusks. Poachers are the single biggest threat to
elephant survival. From 2010 to 2012 about 100,000 African elephants were poached across the
continent. Elephants arent the only animals being killed for sport and money. Amur leopards are
killed for their fur and skin and sold as clothes and rugs. Since 2007 the number of poached
Rhinos has increased by 9000% from 13 animals to a record 1,215. There used to be a limited
number of poached animals. An increased demand for elephant tusks and rhino horns has caused
the number to rise. Laws protect the animals, but they are difficult to enforce. The people killing
these animals deserve to be in prison. There should be laws in place that can be enforced to
protect these animals. Conservation efforts should be increased to help save endangered animals
from going extinct.
Animals from all over the world are being pushed to extinction. In addition to the animals
in Africa, Florida Panthers, Atlantic bluefin tuna, and even polar bears are suffering because their

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habitats are being destroyed. The Florida Panther used to roam throughout the southeastern part
of the United States. Now they live in a small part of Florida representing five percent of its
former range. There are only 100 to 120 panthers left according to a study in 2011. Due to
population growth, global fisheries are collapsing. Unfortunately, the lack of global fisheries is
causing the population of fish to decrease. Fifteen percent of all protein consumed by animals is
provided by marine fish. For fisheries to become sustainable there would need to be a twenty to
fifty percent reduction in demand for fish. Yet the demand for fish is supposed to increase by
thirty five million tons by 2030. Polar bears need to swim for long distance to search for food.
They cant do that anymore because the amount of ice they need to rest on is decreasing. The
growing human population has caused global warming to melt the ice.
If something is not done about global warming, poaching, and conservation efforts then
animals will go extinct. Governments need to increase conservation efforts and enforce them.
Security should be increased in areas where certain animals are endangered. If people are found
in those areas they should be prosecuted. It is the responsibility of those countries to ensure the
safety of these wild animals so future generations can experience these animals.

"They Won't Make IT Without You." Stoprhinopoaching.com. Stop Rhino Poaching, n.d. Web.
15 Nov. 2016.
http://www.stoprhinopoaching.com/
"Poaching Statistics." Poaching Statistics. Save the Rhino International, 2016. Web. 15 Nov.
2016.
https://www.savetherhino.org/rhino_info/poaching_statistics

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Phelan, GlobalPost Jessica. "6 Endangered Animals Poachers Are Hunting into Extinction." USA
Today. Gannett, 31 July 2015. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/07/31/globalpost-6-endangered-animalspoachers-hunting-into-extinction/30932385/
"African Rhinos." WWF Conserves Our Planet, Habitats, & Species like the Panda & Tiger.
World Wide Fund For Nature, 2016. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/rhinoceros/african_rhinos/
Manternach, Trevor. "TOP 10 U.S. ENDANGERED SPECIES THREATENED BY HUMAN
POPULATION." Top 10 U.S. Endangered Species Threatened by Human Population. N.p., n.d.
Web. 15 Nov. 2016.
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/species.html