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SCMP Reporter

I am deeply concerned about the extent to which human beings are contributing to the extinction of several species in the animal kingdom.

 Poaching is rampant in countries like India and also in many countries on the African continent.

 Elephants are mercilessly hunted down for their ivory, rhinos are killed for their horns and a creature as magnificent as the tiger faces a grim future, because some human beings happen to like its skin.

 I am also concerned about the plight of the Tibetan antelope. About three to four Tibetan antelope have to be killed in order to obtain wool for one shahtoosh shawl.

 What makes this whole thing even more hideous is the fact that the Tibetan antelope is said to be near extinction.

 An entire species faces the threat of being wiped off the face of this planet, because of the vagaries of human beings.

 Illegal fur-trading has been going on for many years now and this has placed many kinds of animals in great peril.

 Many of these creatures face an agonising and untimely death at the hands of human beings.

 The techniques used to annihilate these animals are despicable.

 Often, the objective is to kill the animal without scarring it and to prevent causing damage to its valuable skin.

 These animals silently endure this agony just to satisfy the whims of an opulent few who want to wear furs as a status symbol.

 They act without conscience and what these people are doing is immoral.

 Many countries have prohibited trading in fur, but a lot remains to be done.

 Efforts to conserve wildlife have to begin at the grassroots.

 Those advocating conservation have to persuade people that fur looks good where it belongs - on the animal. Poaching has to be banned and such bans have to be strictly enforced.

 Trade in endangered species or the products of endangered species must also be banned as the poachers depend on this trade.

 However, for all these measures to succeed, ordinary people all over the world have to decide that they will stop using such animal products.

 It takes more than 10 voiceless animals to make a fur coat, but only one dumb one to wear it.

 GAURI VENKITARAMAN Lam Tin 



Animals suffering to satisfy selfish elite