[easy-social-share buttons=”facebook,mail” morebutton=”1″ counters=0 fullwidth=”yes” query=”yes”]
When authorities in Madagascar recently responded to a complaint about an overwhelming odor coming from an abandoned house, they discovered nearly 10,000 critically endangered radiated tortoises crawling in their own feces and slowly succumbing to dehydration. The surviving tortoises were taken to a rescue facility managed by the Turtle Survival Alliance, which has valiantly stretched its scarce resources as it attempts to restore the thousands of abused reptiles to health. The incident is just one example of the rampant problems caused by the worldwide scourge of wild animal trafficking.

Although illegal wildlife trafficking has long been a problem, recent years have seen a spike in trafficking activity that is decimating countless endangered populations. Some victims of this grisly international business are well-known species like elephants, rhinoceroses, and lions. Others, like the radiated tortoise, are much less famous but no less in need of protection from poachers and international trafficking networks.

Many trafficked animals are killed for body parts, like the majestic elephants and rhinos gunned down for their tusks and horns. Or, as is the case with many endangered marine animals, they are used to make food delicacies popular in certain countries. Finally, some endangered species are illegally snatched from the wild for the pet trade, condemned to lives of captivity for which they are ill-suited.

One of the great tragedies of the trafficking crisis is the vast majority of products made from illegally killed animals serve little or no important purpose. A classic example is elephant ivory, used mainly to make expensive trinkets valued by collectors. Though the international sale of ivory from recently-killed elephants has been illegal for years, the ban proved difficult to enforce because most countries still allowed the sale of older ivory products made before the ban went into effect. In practice, it may be all but impossible to distinguish legal from illegal ivory, a situation that fuels poaching by allowing traffickers to pass their products off as legal. In the last few years, countries including the U.S., U.K., and China have taken steps to ban the sale of all ivory. While this will likely help stem the tide of elephant poaching, more governments need to join the growing international movement to eliminate the trade in elephant parts altogether.

Other animal parts are sold to fuel markets based entirely on fictional claims. Products like rhino horns and the scales of pangolins (adorable, armored mammals native to Africa and Asia) are reputed to have medicinal properties according to myths prevalent in China and some other Asian countries. As a result, two of the world’s five rhino species are critically endangered, while pangolins have become the most-trafficked mammal in the world. As the comparatively well-off middle class has grown in places like China, increasing numbers of consumers have been able to afford expensive animals “cures,” adding to demand for trafficked parts. In fact there is no evidence of medicinal properties in products made from rhinos or pangolins.

It’s easy to blame other countries for creating markets for animal traffickers. However, U.S. consumers can be equally at fault, especially when it comes to animals illegally sold into the pet trade. Trade in many species that appear in pet stores is poorly regulated, and it’s sometimes difficult or impossible to tell if an animal was bred in captivity or taken from the wild. Species like the tokay gecko and green python, both from Indonesia, are routinely (and illegally) taken from the wild and sold as pets in countries like the U.S.

If you decide to keep an exotic animal as a pet, it’s extremely important to research the species first and find out if the individuals sold in stores frequently come from the wild. If so, you should not buy it. Don’t rely solely on pet stores themselves to tell you whether an animal was bred in captivity; they may give you inaccurate information, whether deliberately or (more likely) because they themselves have been misled by their suppliers. The EcoHealth Alliance has a useful database that can help you determine if a pet species is likely to have come from an endangered wild population.

A good rule to follow is that if you don’t know for sure where an animal comes from and that it was bred in captivity under humane conditions, you should not purchase it. This also applies to products made from animal parts (of course, if you are a true animal lover, you presumably won’t want items made from needlessly killed wildlife anyway). If you witness the sale of what you believe to be illegally trafficked animals, alive or dead, you can report it using WildLeaks, a secure website for blowing the whistle on wildlife crimes.

Finally, make sure your elected representatives know you support strict, enforceable policies to protect animals from traffickers. After years of making progress toward ending the trade in endangered animal parts (the ban on most ivory being an example), the U.S. is in danger of backsliding. Outrageously, the Trump administration recently lifted a ban on importing trophies of several imperiled exotic animals–including elephants and lions–into the country. Write or call your members of Congress and state legislators, and ask them to support banning the trade in animal parts.

The keys to eliminating animal trafficking include an educated public who know how to avoid contributing to the wildlife trade; laws at all levels of government to ban practices that make trafficking possible; and a culture of enforcement, where poachers and traffickers know they will be held accountable for violating the law. By informing ourselves, making our voices heard, and reporting suspected animal crimes each one of us can contribute to ending the trafficking crisis.

Photo credit: Belinda Cave

Wait, there’s one more step:

Over 1,483,780 Animal Shelter Meals Donated So Far –

Upgrade to a Premium Membership to get a free No Excuse For Animal Abuse shirt, feed shelter animals with the Educational Series and Meal Wheel, sign 100’s of petitions with one-click, remove ads, and promote your favorite petitions to millions!

7 day money-back guarantee for new members. Zero risk.

Premium Membership comes with the following perks:

• Get a free No Excuse For Animal Abuse shirt.
• Feed shelter animals by spinning the Meal Wheel.
• Sign 100’s of petitions with one-click.
• Feed shelter animals with the Educational Series quizzes.
• Remove ads and vote on which petitions are displayed to millions of people.

Our Guarantee:

Cancel your subscription for any reason within 7 days and we’ll refund 100% of your money, as long as you’re a first time member.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How are the animal shelter meals donated?

We donate shelter meals through Rescue Bank because they research all shelters, maintain equitable distribution, and track the meals from their facilities all the way to the rescue groups. This ensures that the donation will be utilized in the most efficient and impacting way.

Why don’t we just donate meals without providing any perks like the Meal Wheel?

We’ve been at this since 2008 and have learned that to really make a difference, we need to get people excited and engaged. Our mission is a serious one, but our methods are playful and educational. We’re serious about doing good, but also want to make it fun.

Who are we?

We are a family of sites that works to protect animals, the environment, and more. Our sites include AnimalPetitions.org and ForceChange.com. We’ve been at this for over a decade and are dedicated to protecting and defending animals and the environment. If we can have some fun and improve the world, then we’re accomplishing our goal!

Try Premium!

We’ve Been Doing This for Over a Decade and Others Have Taken Notice:

7 Day Guarantee!

Testimonials:

“Thank you SO much for the premium feature of being able to sign multiple petitions with one click. Many of us go for hours at a time signing each and every petition and crying as we read them. I have often wished for a way to sign my name on every petition because I passionately support them and they all need our voice. This is the best thing – thank you very much!” -Karilyn K., Premium Member

“This is just the most amazing wonderful service that makes me so happy! To be able to feed shelter pets is just the greatest feeling. Thanks again for this, and for all you do for the most innocent and helpless among us, the animals. I’m lovestruck.” Sandra Z., Premium Member

“I love the upgrade option and I am so glad I did it.....it enables me to stand with you and many others to fight for the justice these precious souls deserve! We are their voice!!!! And....I adore helping to feed them as well! The spin the wheel game is fun....and I like doing it everyday to help! Keep up the wonderful work....and I know....every click makes a difference!” Dorothy B., Premium Member

“I am so excited to become a Premium Member and to have one-click signing, as I was spending countless hours signing petitions...not that I mind doing it, but my goodness, there sure are a lot of them. I always hope that my signature somehow helps, because these people that abuse/torture animals, need to be put away. As you can tell, that is my passion, I have such a heart for animals, and I want to be their voice.” Darlene R., Premium Member

“Thank you so much! I love being a premium member and spinning that wheel every day, especially when I land on 4 or, best of all, 5 meals. Thank you for all you do, we are all so grateful for you.” Sandy T., Premium Member

“With deepest Aloha, You have no idea how grateful I am for you!” Jan L., Premium Member

“Thank you for the Premium Membership option. I really appreciate that I can sign multiple petitions with one click. It's great! Thank you for the work you do.” Ashley H., Premium Member

“I absolutely love the Educational Series!” Yvonne L., Premium Member

"I am a premium member and religiously sign every petition. THANK YOU for this platform. I also vote for the petition nearest my heart, sometimes voting globally, sometimes I am caught by an individual animal's plight. What gives me great pleasure is noting that almost always, the percentages have no more than a 6-7% spread. It means that, overall, everyone cares about all of the petitions ALMOST EQUALLY! LOL, I also spin that wheel, and when I get 4 or 5 meals, I dance around the room! I have long maintained that what someone does to a helpless animal, they will do to a weaker human if they think that they can get away with it. Those who abuse, no matter how many legs their victims have, should be punished to the fullest extent of the law." Rebecca E., Premium Member

"I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Premium Membership! Everything and anything I can do to help animals and contribute to justice in the world makes me very happy!" Jan L., Premium Member

"Thank you, I love what you do. My friends and I love the membership because we can sign so many more petitions that we may never had heard of. Keep up the good work." Virginia G., Premium Member

---

Still have questions? Email us: animalpetitions@forcechange.com

[easy-social-share buttons=”facebook,mail” morebutton=”1″ counters=0 fullwidth=”yes” query=”yes”]