Save wildlife, save humans

Wildlife crime is a big business. Illegal wildlife trade is said to be the world’s fourth largest international trade. People are exploiting millions of globally threatened plants and animals to make quick buck, ignoring how depletion of wildlife and plants can have profound consequences on future generations. The spike in wildlife trade globally has put years of conservation efforts hugely at risk. And the world is struggling to deal with the scourge.

In Nepal,  wildlife poaching  and  smuggling their parts,  particularly  Asian  big cats,  is  a  major  concern.  The Environment  Investigation  Agency  (EIA 2004), described  Kathmandu  as  a  “staging   point”  for regulating  illegal  skin trade   from  India  to Tibet in the report “The  Tiger  Skin  Trail”.  Although  Nepal  is not the  hub  for  skin  trade  anymore as it used to be in  the  early  1990s  (EIA 2004),  the country is being used  as  transit  point  for  illicit  trafficking  of  wildlife  and  its  derivatives to international black markets.

Though Nepal has made strides in conservation of wildlife, poaching is yet to come to an end. Recently a one-horned rhino was killed by poachers in Chitwan National Park. Nepal has introduced stringent laws to combat poaching and wildlife trade. Nepal is also a signatory to the Convention  on  International  Trade  of  Endangered  Species to  ensure  that  international  trade  in  specimens  of  wild  animals  and  plants  does  not  threaten  their  survival.

TRAFFIC,  a monitoring  group,  claims  that most  of  endangered  species that need to  be  protected  end  up  as  trophies,  special  restaurant  menu  or  as  traditional  Asian  medicines. Apart  from  these,  food  supply,  poverty,  collection  by  museums  and  individuals,  healthcare,  clothing  and  ornaments  and  sports  are other  major  causes  of  illegal  and  extensive  wildlife  trade. Misconception and belief on spiritual value about trophies and the myths that they have curative power also fuel wildlife trade.

Apart from humans, animals, plants, land, water and atmosphere are planet Earth’s natural assets. Saving these natural assets will mean saving the humanity.  Loss of wildlife means losing agriculture diversity, without which we cannot build a secure food system to feed the planet. Yet another benefit of wildlife conservation is it provides us opportunities. Let’s observe the World Wildlife Day on March 3 this year with a commitment to make concerted efforts to protect wildlife.