Shark Would you eat shark fin soup? The predator is in deep trouble due to this Chines delicacy which many people seem to love. Trading in shark fins is extremely lucrative. A single bowl of soup can cost hundreds of dollars. Although it is mostly consumed in Asia, fishing for their fins has become a global phenomenon.
Yellow-Breasted Buntings A bird that was once abundant is now in danger of extinction. Yellow-Breasted Buntings breed north of the Himalayas and spend their winters in warmer Southeast Asia, passing through eastern China where it has been hunted for more than 2, years, despite a hunting ban. African Elephant These wild beasts are mostly poached for their tusk, but they are also highly prized for their meat. It is consumed in Africa as delicacy. The meat from the trunk is considered to be very delicate and flavourful.
In some Asian cultures, it is believed that consuming an elephant's genitals can boost sexual prowess. Back to Photo listing. A cactus, for example, needs the sunny, dry desert in order to grow. A polar bear, on the other hand, would not live in a desert, because it could not find enough food and water.
Pollution can also affect wildlife and contribute to extinction. The Nashville crayfish is endangered mainly because the creek where it lives has been polluted by people. Pesticides and other chemicals can poison plants and animals if they are not used correctly. The bald eagle is one bird that was harmed by pesticides.
In the past, a pesticide called DDT was used by many farmers. Rains washed the pesticide into the lakes and streams where it poisoned fish. After eating the poisoned fish, the eagles would lay eggs with very thin shells. These eggs were usually crushed before they could hatch. Today, people are not allowed to use DDT, and this has contributed to the bald eagle being removed from the endangered and threatened species lists needed for the species' survival -- from sunlight and wind to food and shelter.
People can also endanger plants and animals by moving, or introducing, new species into areas where they do not naturally live. Some of these species do so well in their new habitat that they endanger those species already living there, called the native species. These introduced species are called invasive species. For example, when some fish are introduced into a lake or stream, they may prey upon, or eat the food of the native fish.
The native species may then have to find a new source of food or a new home, or face becoming endangered or extinct. Another way that people harm animals and plants is by taking them from the wild. Some people might catch an insect like the Mission blue butterfly for a butterfly collection. Others might capture a wild animal for a pet, or pick a flower because it's pretty. In addition, some people illegally hunt animals for food, skins, or fur. In the past, lots of American crocodiles were killed so that their skins could be made into shoes and other clothing.
This crocodile is now an endangered species. Can you imagine walking in the woods without hearing birds singing, or picture what a field would be like without wildflowers blooming? But that entrenched psychology is still resulting in the killing of wild animals.
Mr Luo, a resident we spoke to in Guangzhou, admits he eats these animals, and it would be a hard habit to change quickly. But he says the government should do more to publicise the ban on eating protected animals. But he says he ate pangolin for 10 years before he found out it was a protected animal, and the public should be clearly told what can and cannot be eaten. Birds of prey are caught in Gansu, Ningxia or Qinghai, while other birds are caught on the coasts of Jiangsu and Zhejiang in eastern China.
Bear paws are brought in from Yunnan. He says the economic gap between the two nations allow for huge profits to be made from smuggling illegal game. Five Finger Mountain on Hainan island, south China, is home to numerous wild animals and has excellent transportation links. The king cobra is an extremely rare snake, in China surviving only in the virgin forests of the sub-tropics.
But since just one of them sells for at least 2, yuan, the hunters are adept at finding them. After a quick sale, the snakes will likely be shifted to Guangzhou or Hong Kong. The hunters also place traps where the virgin and secondary forests meet. Animals are often found here as they move between the abundant fruit in the virgin forest and hiding places in the denser secondary forest. The traps are simple, but no less dangerous.
The head is of no use and is discarded. The hunters listen out for this and use their torches to spot their prey. The hunters hit their mark nine times out of The catch is skinned and dried in front of a fire before being taken home to await collection. The second link in this illegal trade takes place when the various products arrive in Guangzhou and are sold at markets.
He says that tougher law enforcement has forced the traders underground, and that outsiders are unlikely to be aware of them.
According to Hu, the biggest market in the region is the Xingfu Wholesale Market, outside the city of Conghua, about 46 miles from Guangzhou city centre. This agricultural market sells all types of poultry and livestock. And on an undercover visit, many merchants were also found to be hawking civet meat.
One stallholder said he had the meat in stock, at yuan a jin. In the snake section, live snakes writhe in cages and nets. Activity peaks at about 4am. Animals are brought in on trucks from other provinces, and taken to Guangzhou and the Pearl River Delta in vans and cars.
There used to be two major wild game markets nearer to Guangzhou. The one on Zengcha Road in the Baiyun district was once the largest in China, but is now in decline. The other was Qingfeng Food Market in nearby Foshan.
Xingfu Wholesale Market has now taken their place. But for years, new markets have been springing up following crackdowns elsewhere, and the actual trade continues unabated.
It was also being killed for food. Worse, even if these animals were saved, there is still a possibility they would end up back on the dinner table. During our interviews, many diners said that animal rescue authorities and the forestry police actually poach the animals they are meant to protect. Animals released into the wild may later be caught for sale. Other animals might be trapped under the pretence of providing medical treatment and then smuggled off to the dinner table.
Some reserve workers simply catch and sell their charges. Media reports have accused the forestry police in one Pearl River Delta city of confiscating bear paws — and then taking the paws to a restaurant to eat.
Zou Ke of the Guangdong Wildlife Rescue Centre said that, under the rules, rescued animals will always be returned to the wild if possible. If an animal cannot be saved, it may be used as a specimen at zoos or research institutes, where it might be dissected or stuffed as an exhibit.
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