Animal Conservation: Illegal Poaching, Elephants, Animals, Ecosystem And New Species

In the story of Noah's Ark, only two of each kind of animal were permitted to board the giant boat. Now, many animals are reapproaching those frighteningly low numbers. Thanks to illegal poaching and animal poaching, the endangered species list is climbing. This loss of biodiversity threatens ecosystems and dims the light of the world. To stop the process that will surely lead to extinction, organizations form for the purpose of animal conservation. Animal conservation seeks to protect the earth's endangered creatures and to promote the survival of the next generation of endangered species.
One of the most grave forms of illegal poaching is that of elephant poaching. When people read about Babar or watch Dumbo, they seldom think that these mammals could soon be erased from the world. The majestic creatures are being slaughtered for their tusks, which can be used in jewelry, pianos, furniture and other finery. Aside from elephant poaching for ivory, people kill elephants for revenge. In Africa, elephants can ruin a farmer's crops, creating an economic dilemma for the farmer. Enraged because of the failure of his crops, the farmer kills the elephant.
In fact, during the period between 1970 and 1989, the elephant population declined by half. In 1977, there were 1.3 million elephants roaming in Africa, and just 20 years later only 600,000 African elephants still lived. Thanks to animal conservation and the 1990 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, which banned the sale of ivory, the population of elephants has stabilized. Illegal poaching, however, is still a problem.
The Amboseli Trust for Elephants, an animal conservation organization, is trying to protect the gentle beasts. Currently, the animal conservation program uses scientific research, training and community outreach and public awareness to help the elephant population on the African continent. The animal conservation organization intends to provide people with information about land use, wildlife education, protected area management and the dangers of human population expansion. Through donations, the animal conservation organization is able to continue research across the continent.
Another organization, the Kenya Wildlife Service, also aims to promote animal conservation through research, monitoring ecosystems, and by providing security and veterinary help, among other services. The animal conservation part of the organization works to change policy and legal matters concerning wildlife and animal conservation.
In 2001, a new species of elephant was discovered. This happened because of genetic evidence, which proved that there are in fact two species of African elephants. The smaller of the two species, the African Forest Elephant, also known as the African Bush Elephant, is distinct from the African elephant. This new species of elephants must be protected under animal conservation.
Although most Americans cannot physically stop animal poaching, they can contribute to the cause of animal conservation. By donating to the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, people can help these magnificent mammals coexist with humans and live on for generations. To make a donation to the animal conservation organization go to www.elephanttrust.org.


Sources:
"Mammals discovered in the 2000s." Wikipedia. 15 Jul 2007, 19:52 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 18 July 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mammals_ discovered_in_the_2000s&oldid=144848840.
"The Poaching Problem." PBS. 2007. 18 July 2007. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/elephants/poaching. html
"Scope and Objectives." The Amboseli Trust for Elephants. 2005. 18 July 2007. http://www.elephanttrust.org/scope_and_objectives. htm
"Conservation Services." Kenya Wildlife Service. 2007. 18 July 2007. http://www.kws.org/conservation.html