posted by Catherine on Apr 9
Would You Buy A Tiger Cub?
The trade in live animals and animal parts is one of the most active in the world – and only people like you can stop it by refusing to buy any animal parts or any live animals – and by reporting anything you see that is suspicious to the WWF
Live Animals:
Even if it is legal to import live animals into your home country – why would you do so?
They will no doubt be live caught (with parents and siblings often killed to collect them) and will have been badly handled and possibly smuggled in tiny spaces to you or your seller. The rates of survival on these journeys are very low, so for every animal that arrives, huge numbers could have died along the way.
As the animal is not endemic to your country, it may well need imported foods or specific diets and nutrients that you may be unaware of, equipment to maintain the correct humidity and temperature (which you might not even know yourself) and no doubt any illness or disease it has already got or may pick up from your end may not be treatable by a local vet as they have no experience or the veterinary equipment and medications to treat it.
And most obviously, if you brought one, then someone else might want one therefore creating or increasing the numbers caught and traded. You are perpetuating the cycle of death and destruction of species and habitat.
Stuffed Animals:
For the same reason – be wary of buying stuffed animals that are endangered species.
We all know that the rarer something becomes – the more it is worth, so by buying even a really old stuffed animal that has since become endangered you are letting that vendor know that there is a demand for whatever it was. It may well encourage him to find someone to supply him with another one……
Traditional Medicines:
There is no scientific proof that traditional medicines are effective against disease or can increase your fertility. It’s like your bank manager telling you how to make loads of money with shares and investments – when if he knew how to make loads of money – why is he still working in a bank rather than in a big mansion on a desert island?
However, most traditional medicines are made with animal parts – and many of these animals – like tigers – are endangered. There is no need for you to try any of these treatments as you are very likely encouraging illegal poaching and trapping.
And as with most ‘natural’ remedies that sound to good to be true – they probably are. Surely if there really was a part of an animal that really did prevent disease almost 100% of the time – do you not think that medicine would be available worldwide rather than in some tiny backstreet store outside of town??
Any Unidentified Animal Parts:
If you really want to do everything you can to avoid encouraging illegal wildlife poaching, then avoid buying anything made of or by any animal.
Just as the sale of leather from cows is a by-product of the beef and dairy industry, so the sale of teeth, bones and fur, feathers and quills can be the by-products of other trades.
It is a minefield out there, so you need to be quite broad with your shopping choices no matter how pretty or ‘amazing’ that souvenir is – because it would look a lot better if it was still alive!
And remember no matter how bad the trade is – if you buy it – they will make more. Just look at McDonalds!!!
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