the killing of elephants
Elephant are one of the longest living animals on earth along with crocodile, turtles, and whales. Elephants have always been a part of human life, using them for war, transportation, and resources. There is no doubt human beings cannot live without animals, but can animals live without humans? Such controversial questions highlight the importance animals are to humans because they are not like plants that will grow every season. Killing elephants for their ivory is wrong because they are going extinct on the planet, should not be killed to make a profit and killing them will have a negative effect on the planets environment.
Killing elephants is immoral because it is leading to their extinct on the planet.
Human beings are killing an average 25,000 to 30,000 elephants a year, which at this alarming rate elephants will no longer exist in the next decade. Humans killing elephants simply for their tusks are not necessary at all, as there are alternative resources that can be used to substitute for the usage of elephant ivory. For instance, wood and manmade plastics can be used to produce commodities such as religious statues, piano keys, and dentures instead of using ivory. Another important reason elephants are going extinct from the planet is how many countries around the globe are not enforcing international laws that ban the killing and sale of elephant ivory. Before the ban that Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) placed on poaching and the illegal trade of ivory in 1989 elephant population dropped from 1.3 million in the 1970’s to a population of only 500,000 today. It is estimated that such numbers dropped by killing an average of 200 elephants a day from 1970 to 1989 (Lowery, 1997). To help control ivory and sell into increase the population of elephants CITES approved one-time ivory sell and then again in 2008 which they tried to flood the market with legal ivory to put an end to poaching, but all
Killing elephants is immoral because it is leading to their extinct on the planet.
Human beings are killing an average 25,000 to 30,000 elephants a year, which at this alarming rate elephants will no longer exist in the next decade. Humans killing elephants simply for their tusks are not necessary at all, as there are alternative resources that can be used to substitute for the usage of elephant ivory. For instance, wood and manmade plastics can be used to produce commodities such as religious statues, piano keys, and dentures instead of using ivory. Another important reason elephants are going extinct from the planet is how many countries around the globe are not enforcing international laws that ban the killing and sale of elephant ivory. Before the ban that Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) placed on poaching and the illegal trade of ivory in 1989 elephant population dropped from 1.3 million in the 1970’s to a population of only 500,000 today. It is estimated that such numbers dropped by killing an average of 200 elephants a day from 1970 to 1989 (Lowery, 1997). To help control ivory and sell into increase the population of elephants CITES approved one-time ivory sell and then again in 2008 which they tried to flood the market with legal ivory to put an end to poaching, but all
Bibliography: Christy, B. (2012). Ivory Worship. National Geographic , 28-61. Lowery, N. (1997, December). Revisiting the Ban on African Elephant Ivory. Retrieved May 2, 2013, from American University of Washington D.C: http://www1.american.edu/ted/ice/poach.htm Safina, C. (2013, February 11). Blood Ivory. Retrieved May 6, 2013, from NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/12/opinion/global/blood-ivory.html The killing of elephants Kevin Jones Social studies Mr. Franco 5/7/13