Demand EXTREME penalties for trafficking animals / parts

Punishments for trafficking animals illegally across international borders are many and varied around the globe, whether the animal is dead or alive, endangered or not.

One thing you can be sure of though is that these penalties are not nearly severe enough for such cold callous cruelty committed in the a name of greed and the pursuit of big bucks.

Worse, there is a complete disregard not only for the sanctity of the life of that creature, but also its family, its community and its environment. The poachers, hunters and smugglers stick two big fingers up at the rest of us, the whole world, and say "We REALLY don't give a shit."

I would urge you to find online and read an article in The Independent from 06/03/2011. It gives you the depressing reality about goings-on that you know happen but you just don't know how bad it is.

You can find it by searching theindependent.co.uk/environment/nature/the6bn

It tells how animal trafficking funds terrorism and militia groups, is topped only by the drugs and arms trades, resulting in many species being brought to the edge of extinction for vast profits.

One Amazon parrot for example, the beautiful ocean-blue Indigo or Lears Macaw can be traded for $90,000! Bird conservationists report that for the first time in 5 years there are now over 250 of them due mainly to greater efforts in protection.

Other facts: 20 - 30,000 elephant are killed EACH YEAR for their ivory.

In 2009 a kilo of rhino horn went for $34,000.

A tiger skin fetches $20,000.

Tiger bone 'wine' considered a health tonic (really?!) sells for $40-100 a bottle.

China is a major problem here where their "industrial-scale appetite for animal parts" attracts ruthless killers to satisfy a market based on myths and fantasies and where herbal and other alternatives exist.

Bear bile is a whole other story - check out Animalsasia.org/media and watch/read the piece about the young singer/songwriter Su Dan on Chinese TV's equivalent of ''The Voice' who sang about the plight of the moon bears and is becoming a star. Success! The AnimalGods will bless her forever!

Those who have been caught smuggling animals/parts have been given paltry jail terms and trivial fines when you consider the enormity of their actions and the money the trade generates.

In Thailand for example you can get the death penalty for drug crimes including possession of marijuana yet animal trafficking merely gets fines UP TO $800 and/or jail UP TO 4 years.

In the UK you may get up to 2 years or a 5000 pound fine or both. In certain circumstances it can be up to 7 years but it depends on the charge.

There needs to be an urgent review of all this worldwide to deter the criminals with extreme penalties that reflect the World's abhorrence at the nature of these crimes. We need consistency.  I hope you agree.

Please support this petiton, spread the word, urge others to do the same.

For the animals, thank you.

Update #19 years ago
Well its been a month or so and i have 700 plus signatures - thank you so much for that. But i need to get at least a thousand to make even a small impact. Please share this on all social media - for the animals. Thank you. Simon
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