Black Market Wildlife Trade
posted: Aug 2, 03:53 PM
Most of us are aware of the many animals on our planet which are endangered. Too often we don’t know the details which can allow us to advocate in an informed manner for their protection.
Sharks, Burmese Pythons, Snow Leopards, Elephants, Rhinoceros, Crocodiles are just a few of the animals whose existence we know is at risk. Many of us are aware these animals are sought for the perceived power of their body parts, “you are what you eat”.
Apparently when a Rhinoceros mates the process continues for two hours. There are men who believe powdered Rhino horn will make them better sexual partners. These men are not alone, it is a widely held belief within certain cultures. There are chemists who encourage this lucrative belief by making the Rhino horn available to this market. And, just in case that horn doesn’t work on it’s own (it won’t) they mix it with Viagra!
Patrick Brown’s informative interviews are interesting, moving and disturbing. His empathy, for the poachers and their families who live in poverty and put their lives at risk to earn a living, is evident. Brown identifies the middle person, the man or woman who buys the animal or its body part from the poacher, and then sells to the black market, as the most logical target for correcting this trade.
I hope after reading this post you will be moved to check out Patrick Brown’s on-line documentary. His photography is beautiful and his sharing of the events which were part of researching “the third largest illegal trade in the world” thought provoking.
Gemini