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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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I disagree with many of Cragman's views but, in a tight situation, I definetly would want to have him at my back.
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High Fructose Corn Spirit
Gym climber
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re: Cragman... I definitely would want to have him at my back. -donini
Ditto. Times 10.
As I've said to him many times in the past.
Yet we can still debate OT-based (Old Testament, ie) ideology,philosophy, morals.
It's a free world after all. (At least over here.)
Tolerance reigns!
re: Cragman... actually has done more than most people for unwanted orphaned children. -ghost
So true that.
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Stewart
Trad climber
Courtenay, B.C.
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High Fructose Corn Spirit: Please accept my apologies for misreading your comments.
cragman: Apparently I've misread you as well, since it appears as though in your own way, you are attempting to be part of the solution to this issue, so I also offer you an apology for your lack of hypocrisy.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Stewart, Cragman is the epitome of the old west straight shooter.....hypocrisy and satire aren't part of his behavioral repitoire.
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Bob D'A
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Yes, missionaries have done wonders for the indigenous populations around the world.
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StahlBro
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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Glorifying images of death and destruction is one of the reasons mankind is so f*cked up.
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philo
climber
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SATURDAY, AUG 1, 2015 01:29 PM MDT
6 endangered animals poachers are hunting into extinction
JESSICA PHELAN, GLOBALPOST
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6 endangered animals poachers are hunting into extinction
Cecil the lion in Hwange National Park, in Hwange, Zimbabwe. (Credit: AP/Andy Loveridge)
This article originally appeared on GlobalPost.
Global PostDo you want the bad news or the even worse news?
The bad news you probably already know: Cecil the lion, one of Zimbabwe’s best loved wild animals, was slain last week at the hands of unscrupulous safari guides and, it’s claimed, a crossbow-happy dentist from Minnesota.
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Cecil’s death, sadly, is only the tip of the iceberg — and unlike the real icebergs we’re so intent on melting, this one ain’t shrinking, it’s growing. Each year humans deliberately kill thousands of the animals we’re privileged to share the planet with, even the ones we nominally call “protected.” Not content with destroying their habitats and compromising their food supply, some members of our species hunt and slaughter creatures that are already struggling to survive.
It’s not just humans who want to shoot something. More often it’s organized criminals who want to cut up animals and sell them to different humans who think they’ll make them live longer or look good on a wall. Other times it’s impoverished people looking for ready cash, or even a meal.
Whatever poachers’ motivations, they’re threatening to wipe some of the most vulnerable species off the face of the earth. Here are six animals that, like Cecil, poaching might rob us of forever.
1. Elephants
An elephant and her calf graze at Amboseli National Park, southeast of Nairobi.
TONY KARUMBA/AFP/Getty Images
Right now, poachers are the single biggest threat to elephants’ survival. After decades of decimation of elephant populations for their ivory, the international trade in “white gold” was banned in 1989. Yet people’s persistent willingness to hand over bigger and bigger sums of money for dead elephant tusk — in China, $2,100 per kilo on average as of last year — has made it more tempting than ever for profit seekers to kill elephants illegally. The most comprehensive survey to date stated that 100,000 African elephants were poached across the continent between 2010 and 2012. According to those figures, in 2011 alone poachers killed roughly one in every 12 African elephants.
Sometimes elephant poachers, like Cecil the lion’s killers, use bows and arrows as their weapon of choice. Sometimes they tip the arrows with poison, like the people who last year slaughtered one of Kenya’s most famous elephants, Satao, and hacked off his magnificent 6.5-foot tusks. Other hunting expeditions have seengangs turn grenades and AK-47s on entire herds, even within the supposed shelter of national parks.
Asian elephants, considered an even more vulnerable species, are also hunted for their tusks, body parts, meat and hide. Unlike their African cousins, only male Asian elephants have tusks — a fact that makes the consequences of poaching even more devastating, since the selective killings of bulls creates a gender imbalance and thereby reduces reproduction in the remaining population.
2. Rhinos
Two male rhinoceros lock horns at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya, December 10, 2010.
ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images
Rhinoceroses, like elephants, suffer the misfortune of having an external protrusion that humans arbitrarily place a crazily high value upon. Crazy, crazy high: rhino horn was reported to be selling for$65,000 per kilo in 2012, making it more expensive by weight than gold, diamonds or cocaine.
The demand comes from Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam, where some people believe that consuming rhino horn — approximate nutritional value: human fingernails — will cure everything from cancer to hangovers to a dull night out. The black market demand for rhino horn has led to a surge in poaching of the critically endangered black rhino and the more numerous southern white rhino across southern Africa since 2008. This is especially the case in South Africa, where illegal killings hit another record high this year at 393 in the 12 months till April. And that’s not counting legal deaths. Trophy hunters can pay more than $100,000 for the “right” to kill a rhinoand keep its horn, under a government scheme that allows hunters to shoot one rhino a year with the proper permit. Many suspect it’s open to abuse by people who’ve come for the horn, not the hunt. Either way, the rhino ends up dead.
Finding themselves faced with more and more mutilated rhino carcasses, horns hacked off sometimes while the animals were still alive, authorities are resorting toincreasingly drastic methods to try and protect the rhinos that remain, from drone surveillance to a rhino DNA database to even poisoning rhinos’ horns. So far, it’s not working. The western black rhinoceros went extinct in 2011. The rest of Africa’s wild rhinos could follow suit within 20 years.
3. Tigers
An endangered Sumatran tiger is placed in a transport cage in Banda Aceh on April 26, 2010 to be relocated to a safari park in Jakarta.
Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP/Getty Images
Fact: humans are the worst thing ever to happen to tigers. We’d hunted them down to just 5,000 and 7,000 individuals worldwide by the late 1990s. That was considered a dangerously low number then. By 2014, it had halved. Some estimates say fewer than 2,500 mature tigers currently exist in the wild.
The problem is our passion for every part of them: Tiger skins, bones, teeth, claws, tails and even whiskers find a place on the black market as decorative items or ingredients in traditional Asian remedies. The illegal trade is further fuelled by tiger farms in China and Vietnam, where large numbers of the animals are bred for their body parts. Depressingly, as many as three times more tigers exist on such farms than in the wild. Elsewhere, tigers are reared to be killed in “canned” huntsby trophy seekers.
Even in the wild, we’re killing tigers faster than we can destroy their habitat. The most haunting proof that poaching is the greatest threat to tigers? “Empty forest syndrome”: Roughly 620,000 square miles of what should be tiger habitat currently lies unoccupied.
4. Sea turtles
A hawksbill female turtle makes her way up the sandy beach in one of the Seychelles outer islands as she looks for a place to nest her eggs, November 25, 2009.
ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images
Don’t imagine that poachers only ransack the land. Oh no, they find plenty to kill in the sea, too. One of their most popular targets is the hawksbill, the tropical turtle whose beautiful yellow-and-brown shell provides the commodity known as tortoiseshell. Millions of the animals have been killed over the past century to feed the fashion for tortoiseshell jewelry, glasses, ornaments, instruments and other items, with the result that the species is now critically endangered. The international trade has been banned for almost 40 years, but a black market continues to thrive in Asia, notably China and Japan, and in the Americas.
Hawksbills are also killed for what’s under their shell — their meat. Either it’s eaten by humans, or used as bait to catch sharks. Other parts of their body are used to make leather, perfume and cosmetics, or stuffed whole and displayed as “decoration.”
For all sea turtles, including the leatherbacks and green turtles that also find themselves on the receiving end of poachers’ deadly attention, poaching is potentially catastrophic. The animals take so long to reach breeding age — more than 30 years, in some cases — that many are killed before they ever have the chance to reproduce.
5. Lemurs
A lemur sits in a tree in Antananarivo, Madagascar, July 21, 2014.
David Rogers/Getty Images
There are no mammals on earth more endangered than lemurs — and yet, we’re still hunting them. Over 90 percent of all species of the big-eyed primates — found only on the island of Madagascar — are considered vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered.
Deforestation and climate change are largely to blame for their decline. Buthunting lemurs for their meat, which has reportedly increased in the chaos that followed Madagascar’s 2009 coup, is also diminishing their tiny numbers. Despite legislation that makes killing them illegal, lemurs are poached either to be sold to restaurants or simply to be eaten by impoverished locals desperate for food.
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The tragic irony is that a lemur in the hand is worth much less than two in the bush. Like lions in Zimbabwe, lemurs are a huge tourism attraction for Madagascar and will always make more profit for more people alive than dead. Not to mention the fact that NO ONE SHOULD BE KILLING LEMURS ANYWAY.
6. Gorillas
Gorillas move through Virunga National Park on August 6, 2013 in Bukima, DR Congo.
Brent Stirton/AFP/Getty Images
Still clinging on to a scrap of faith in humanity? Prepare to drop it, quick. We humans are slaughtering the greatest of our fellow great apes, the gorilla.
Gorillas used to be protected from our murderous appetite by the huge tracts of unspoiled forest in Central Africa that they lived in. But then — oopsy! — we spoiled it. Logging, new roads and the migrations caused by successive wars brought people within firing range of gorillas. You can guess what happened next. What began as subsistence hunting quickly grew into an illicit commercial trade in gorilla meat that sees the animals butchered, transported and sold on. An increasing number of them make it as far as cities, where restaurants serve up “bushmeat” to wealthy clientele who like their dinner endangered.
If that weren’t enough, poachers have begun to target gorillas for their body parts, to be used in folk remedies or simply as trophies. Heads, hands and feetare said to be particularly popular.
Other gorillas are casualties of other crimes in their protected habitat. In the Democratic Republic of Congo’s historic Virunga National Park, mountain gorillas have been found shot through the back of the head, execution-style, in attacks blamed on traders who illegally harvest wood to make charcoal from the protected forest.
All species of gorilla are suffering, including the critically endangered western lowland gorilla. Combined with habitat loss, climate change and disease, numbers are now so low and reproduction so limited that the deaths of even a few animals at the hands of poachers stand to have a major impact on the population. According to theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature, by the middle of this century we may well have wiped out more than 80 percent of all western gorillas in just three generations.
Good job, humankind
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Q- Ball
Mountain climber
where the wind always blows
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Philo,
Maybe you should thank Americans, the reason many of those species are still around, and in increasing numbers for some. Don't forget that small point.
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philo
climber
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That small point is so small it is nearly insignificant.
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Q- Ball
Mountain climber
where the wind always blows
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Philo,
It is hard to simplify the demise of all the species and genera you listed above...
As for a learning approach lets look at the aforementioned species/genera compared to the 1970's (40 years ago)
Elephant- East African populations have declined. Southern African (Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, populations have expanded to the point that culling or hunting is necessary to prevent a collapse of the habitats.
Rhino, arguably extinct in North and eastern Africa. In the 70's both White and Black Rhinos were functionally extinct in the wild. Through private herd breeding and conservation from hunting the population expanded to be able to release these farmed Rhinos throughout southern Africa and establish herds in many National arks from which they had been extirpated
Lemurs (endemic to Madagascar and comprise many species)- Many species are critically endangered with several extinct. With conservation measure put in place since the 70's several species have rebounded a few new ones to science have been described. Some species are quite common within their limited ranges
Sea Turtles, As for North and South American populations they have rebounded significantly from their lows in the 70's (ie Loggerhead, Leatherback, Kemp's, and Olive Ridley, Hawksbill, and Green). As for the rest of their cirumtropical distribution and plight it has improved for the most part (nesting females). Some areas are still rampant to poaching, none in the USA.
Tigers- number continue to decline outside of some Russian, Indian and Nepalese populations. Overall their situation is very alarming. Don't worry American trophy hunters have nothing to do with the declines.
Gorillas- I don't really care for Apes. Populations have been lost recently but new populations have been found in Gabon (lowland species). The mountain gorillas have a limited range and are protected fiercely by conservation groups and local governments.
Lions- which are not on your list, have declined dramatically since the 70's. North and western population are thought to be nearly extirpated, eastern populations have declined outside of protected reserves. Southern populations have in general increased. Within private holdings many lions are exported to protected areas or to hunting reserves to aleve the pressure in the closed systems they live.
Just some quick facts/thoughts from me.
Disclaimer I have never worked with wild Tigers, Lemurs or Gorillas. But spent a bunch of time researching, Elephants, Lions, seaturtles, and Rhinos and many more endangered species.
-Q-ball
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Norton
Social climber
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what is your point, Qball?
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rbord
Boulder climber
atlanta
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Cragman is a standup guy no doubt. I expect he'd be just about perfect if he could learn a little humility.
But that's a tough nut for us greatest among men/sinner types to crack. And our human lack of humility ... well ... :-) ... sometimes it doesn't inspire us lords of the jungle, lions among sheep, to such admirable beliefs and behaviors. Often it's just completely pathetic, to coin a phrase. Is that on topic in our off topic kind of way?
But I guess I don't mind being called pathetic or laughed at by someone with such misguided notions of reality, if that's what it takes him to do the good that he does. Beats shooing lions, kind of. Wishing us well.
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Q- Ball
Mountain climber
where the wind always blows
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Norton-
American trophy hunters have nothing to do with the demise of any species. Pretty simple point but seems to be hard to get across. Prove me wrong!
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zBrown
Ice climber
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I have never been able to comprehend the joy some people get out of killing animals.
Do folks that work in the stockyards feel it?
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philo
climber
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People Hunt Endangered Animals, So This Woman Hunts Poachers
April 8, 2015 by Amanda Froelich
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A group of retired US vets have just landed in Africa, and their mission is to deter poaching before it contributes to the elimination of endangered species.
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The effects of poaching are not to be taken lightly. According to the African Wildlife Foundation, rhinos, elephants, and other types of African wildlife may go extinct in our lifetime. Take, for example, the Black Rhino: populations of this magnificent animal have decreased by 97.6% since 1960. It’s very clear that unless some heavy force and invested interest is given to help reduce rates of poaching, the entire planet will suffer from loss of biodiversity and the greed that is causing it.
One way activists in the United States are supporting an end to poaching is by enlisting retired vets to take part in an organization that puts their years of combat training to work overseas. The non-profit VETPAW (Veterans Empowered To Protect African Wildlife) is focused on protecting African wildlife from illegally being hunted and captured.
And a recent addition to that group is Kinessa Johnson, a US Army veteran who served for 4 years in Afghanistan. At the end of March, she and a team arrived in Africa to take on a new mission: According to her, “We’re going over there to do some anti-poaching, kill some bad guys, and do some good.”
Credit: @KinessaJohnson
Credit: @KinessaJohnson
Johnson and her team of fellow Vets arrived in Tanzania on March 26th, quickly getting down to work. She has already noticed a decrease in poaching activity in her team’s immediate area because their presence is known.
…And if you take a minute to look at the build and confidence just Johnson exudes from years in dangerous territory, you likely can understand why. Her team’s primary focus at the moment will be to train park rangers and patrol with them to provide support.
Credit: @KinessaJohnson
African park rangers are in serious need of assistance, as she mentions, “they lost about 187 guys last year over trying to save rhinos and elephants.” The training they will provide includes marksmanship, field medicine, and counter-intelligence.
Kinessa joined VETPAW because she loves animals, and because protecting endangered species is a cause that speaks to her heart. Because Africa experiences the highest rates of poaching in the world, it made sense for her to volunteer her strength and skill to help protect some of the wildlife who are too easy of a target for poachers. Another incentive is because revenue made from selling parts from slaughtered endangered species usually goes to fund war and terrorism in Africa. So helping to combat the first act of violence will hopefully help to reduce other aspects of conflict elsewhere.
According to Johnson, “After the first obvious priority of enforcing existing poaching laws, educating the locals on protecting their country’s natural resources is most important overall.”
Taking to social media, Ms. Johnson is helping to raise money and awareness for the cause. She now has over 44,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram. And if you take time to check out her profiles, you’ll discover amazing photos of exotic African animals and updates on what her team is accomplishing.
Credit: CDN
Credit: @KinessaJohnson
You can also support Johnson and her team by donating to VETPAW and sharing their mission. Soon you’ll be able to watch Johnson and her team on a new show, as their efforts are being captured by the Discovery Channel!
When asked if her or her team had killed any poachers yet in a Q & A forum on Reddit, she stated, “We don’t operate with the intent to kill anyone.” The African poachers would be well advised not to test this All-American bad-ass on that though.
Read More: http://www.trueactivist.com/people-hunt-endangered-animals-so-this-woman-hunts-poachers/?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=fb&utm_campaign=antimedia
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philo
climber
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New Report: Economics of Trophy Hunting in Africa Are Overrated and Overstated
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Washington, DC
A new report released today analyzes literature on the economics of trophy hunting and reveals that African countries and rural communities derive very little benefit from trophy hunting revenue. The study, authored by Economists at Large—commissioned by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW www.ifaw.org), The Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International and Born Free USA/Born Free Foundation—comes amid consideration to grant the African lion protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA).
“The suggestion that trophy hunting plays a significant role in African economic development is misguided,” said economist Rod Campbell, lead author of the study. “Revenues constitute only a fraction of a percent of GDP and almost none of that ever reaches rural communities.”
As a portion of any national economy, trophy hunting revenue never accounts for more than 0.27 percent of the GDP. Additionally, trophy hunting revenues account for only 1.8 percent of overall tourism in nine investigated countries that allow trophy hunting, and even pro-hunting sources find that only 3 percent of the money actually reaches the rural communities where hunting occurs. While trophy hunting supporters routinely claim that hunting generates $200 million annually in remote areas of Africa, the industry is actually economically insignificant and makes a minimal contribution to national income.
“Local African communities are key stakeholders for conservation, and they need real incentives for conservation,” said Jeff Flocken, North American regional director, International Fund for Animal Welfare. “Non-consumptive nature tourism–like wildlife viewing and photo safaris–is a much greater contributor than trophy hunting to both conservation and the economy in Africa. If trophy hunting and other threats continue depleting Africa’s wildlife, then Africa’s wildlife tourism will disappear. That is the real economic threat to the countries of Africa.”
Many species suffer at the hands of trophy hunters including the African lion. The number of African lions has declined by more than 50 percent in the past three decades, with as 32,000 or fewer believed remaining today. The steepest declines in lion population numbers occur in African countries with the highest hunting intensity, illustrating the unsustainability of the practice.
“Trophy hunting is driving the African lion closer to extinction,” said Teresa Telecky, director, wildlife department, Humane Society International. “More than 560 wild lions are killed every year in Africa by international trophy hunters. An overwhelming 62 percent of trophies from these kills are imported into the United States. We must do all we can to put an end to this threat to the king of beasts.”
Listing the African lion as endangered under the ESA would generally prohibit the import of and commercial trade in lion parts, and thus would likely considerably reduce the number of lions taken by Americans each year.
“The U.S. government has a serious responsibility to act promptly and try to prevent American hunters from killing wild lions, especially when the latest evidence shows that hunting is not economically beneficial. Listing the African lion under the Endangered Species Act will help lions at almost no cost to African communities. Government inaction could doom an already imperilled species to extinction through much of its range,” said Adam Roberts, executive vice president, Born Free USA.
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WBraun
climber
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Modern science has no clue what life really is.
They are just plain guessing and shouting those guesses into thin air.
They'll rubber stamp themselves as "Scientists" and all the fools will bow down and worship them as high priests.
Blind leading the blind .......
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