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WHY ARE THEY ENDANGERED?
Majestic Bengal Tigers, wild dogs, sarus cranes, ancient turtles and Asian elephants - these are just some of India's
animal species in danger of extinction. Consider the largest land mammal, the elephant.
The elephant's ivory tusks are very much in demand. Japan is one of the largest users of ivory, and there is similar demand
in China, where ivory chopsticks are still popular. How has the demand for ivory had an especially adverse effect on the Asian
elephant?
Some time ago The Times of India explained: "Unlike African elephants, only males among the Asian pachyderm, and
just a few of them, have tusks. So adult tuskers are the main targets. According to the official figures, about a hundred
(males) are killed each year in India, leaving the male-female ratio skewed." Such killings have threatened the very
existence of this species.
For a Compact Mass of Hair
Consider also the rhinoceros, the second-largest land mammal alive today. India and Nepal are the last areas of protection
for the one-horned rhino. Yet, Pobitara Wildlife Sanctuary in the northeastern Indian state of Assam is only some 38 square
kilometres in size, a relatively small area to hold rhino. So the animals tend to wander into the agricultural lands nearby,
where they may be shot or poisoned.
Man has invented a clever way of felling a rhino. Above the Pobitara Sanctuary sun two high-voltage cables. The poacher
hooks a wire on these cables using a long bamboo pole, and the wire hangs down close to the ground. Wildlife biologist Vivek
Menon in explains what happened when a rhino came in contact with the wire: As the massive bolt of electricity charged through
its body, it wheezed twice and with an amazing hastiness crumples. The huge beast lay on its side, dead in less than a second.
Sadly, the giant animal is killed for its relatively little horn, which weights a mere kilogram! The enormous commercial
value of the horn - a compact mass of hair much like human nails- has placed the rhino in great danger.
For the Love of Shahtoosh Shawls
The Tibetan antelope, or chiru, produces a type of wool called shahtoosh. It is so fine that a shawl made from it can
be pulled through an index-finger ring. Such a shawl may cost up to $16,000, making it among the most expensive in the world.
But what does this mean for the antelope that wears the wool?
"One shahtoosh shawl meant at least (the) lives of five chirus," says The Indian Express. About 20,000 chirus
from the Tibetan plateau are said to be poached each year. This occurs even though the animal is supposed to be protected
under various endangered species acts. Moveover, in 1979 a ban was placed on trade in shahtoosh wool. Yet, since then, the
number of chirus has continued to diminish.
For Skin and Bones
The survival of tiger and other wild cats in India is also under threat. Elsewhere, some subspecies of tigers, such as
the Caspian, the Java, and the Bali, are thought to be extinct already. At the beginning of the 20ty century, about 40,000
tigers roamed India's forests. Over the years their numbers have dwindles. This is because their habitat has progressively
been destroyed and because they have been hunted for their skin and certain bones that are thought to have healing powers
in Chinese medicine.
Concerning the effect of the lack of proper habitat on tigers, the book. The Secret Life of Tigers says: "Populations
of tigers can only increase when the area of forests that they live in increases. When this does not happen, tigers control
their own population by fatal disputes amongst themselves over food and territory."
How do other wild cats fare on Indian soil? At a zoo in Junagadh, Gujarat, a visitor came across an empty cage. The sign
outside the cage had a picture of an Asiatic cheeeta and a message written in Gujarati, which read: "The cheetah became
extinct in India in the 1950's"
What Does The Future Hold?
The future for India's endangered creatures does not appear bright. The evidence is overwhelming that humans have been
selfishly ruining the earth, which has included the destruction of much of its magnificent wildlife.
Information researched from the AWAKE magazine by Katie
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