"Soon To Be Rhinosaurs"
The article I read was called, "Experts Say Poaching Could Soon Lead to a Decline in the Rhino Population" by Louis Lucero II and was published on November 22nd 2013. It can be found on the NY times website under science and environment. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/23/science/experts-say-poaching-could-soon-lead-to-a-decline-in-the-rhino-population.html?ref=endangeredandextinctspecies
This article talks about the rhino populations that are slowly decreasing and the fact that something has to be done about it. Rhinos are being killed faster than they can repopulate. Two rhinos are being killed everyday in South Africa alone. This is highly concerning because experts say that there are only around 30,000 rhinos left in the world.
The only Rhinos species that are not extinct are the Javan, Black, White, Indian and the Sumatran rhinos. The least populated species are the Javan, there are only 44 rhinos of this species left on the Earth. The Javan rhino used to live in 10 countries, but after many years of being hunted, they only exist in the Ujung Kulon National Park located in Indonesia. The most threatened species of rhinos are the Sumatran species with only around 100 left. The species that is threatened the least are the White rhinos. Even though there are 20,040 White rhinos left, they are still close to the "near threatened" list.
This article reminds me of 5th grade when we had to learn about endangered species and I thought it would be a good idea to deepen my knowledge and share some what I learned with people around the world. I learned so much precious information on this topic that I didn't know before.
Why are rhinos poached so much? Their horns, ounce for ounce, is worth more than gold that is being sold on the black market. Another reason rhinos are being poached so much is the fact that the Chinese use their horns for reducing a fever, but nowadays people use them to help get rid hangovers. I bet these are a few things people didn't know about rhinos horns.
As Ms. Ellis stated, “There’s a need for the international community to put pressure on Mozambique to help South Africa strengthen its borders,” she said. “The South African government has implemented so many promising measures, but until that influx of poachers sneaking back and forth from Mozambique can be stemmed, the problem promises to just keep getting worse.” What Ms. Ellis is saying is that poaching will not be adequately controlled unless certain countries take action and enforce their laws and have stricter border control.
I totally agree with this article that rhino populations are going to steadily disappear if we don't do something about it. I feel that extinction of species is a big issue in the world because more and more species are becoming extinct and we have found no reliable way of stopping poachers. What I think is a good way to stop poachers would be to have stricter border controls and harsher punishment if you have intents of poaching certain species illegally. I also feel like the United Nations should take control of the situation by making new and improved laws to protect our endangered wildlife. Who do you think would be the most influential person or group that could help to protect our wildlife?
Awesome title. Very witty. I loved you article and it was extremely informative. I never knew the things that the rhinos horns were used for and that they were worth more than gold. It is extremely sad the decline of such a magnificent beast. I am glad that people are starting to put a stop to the poaching because soon there may be no rhinos left. I just wish people could leave them alone but it will take time. Great photo and informative and not boring post. Great blogging.
ReplyDeleteI love the title Matt. This was a very important article because it is raising awareness of the fact that rhinos will go extinct. Also, it has a lot of good information in it. I did a little reading on this a year ago and found that poachers are sneaking into national parks so that they can poach rhinos. I don't understand why they can't leave rhinos alone. It is obvious that they are going extinct. why hunt them to extinction. You did a great job keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very well written summary with a very clever title that grabbed my attention right off the bat. I believe that these people who poach rhinos for their horns should be stopped until the rhinos can repopulate and I don’t think anyone really wants to kill off the last of these great animals. You were right in saying that people didn’t know what rhino horns were used for and I was completely shocked and I want to know how they are possible. In addition to your solutions I would also say to have a sanctuary for the rhinos where they can live and repopulate and then be released into the wild. This was a job well done.
ReplyDeleteYour great title caught my attention, and the rest of your post is very well written. I was shocked to hear that on the black market, rhino horns were worth more per ounce than gold! This really helped me to understand why poachers were in the business despite the ethical and legal conflicts. When you're desperate for money, you'll find it any way you can. It's also interesting that rhino horns can be used to cure hangovers. I wonder how much truth there is to this fact, as some other herbal medicines aren't always reliable. Also, who would want to (drink?) rhino horn when there are other, better proven cures for a hangover available? I hope that as much action is taken to stop the poaching of rhinos for their horns as elephants for their tusks, although rhinos typically aren't as endearing.
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