Irrational Fears Part 2

Somewhere in here, imagine a couple thousand more sharks. (Actually, between the two images you're only seeing about 600 sharks. Please do a lot of imagining.)

Twelve people is actually a high per year, as scary as that is. The total for all shark attacks in record numbers only a few hundred. You're more likely to die from alcohol than a shark attack. As the internet meme goes, though, "I too would attack anyone wandering into my house wearing only a speedo."

Revealing swimsuits aside, shark finning is a serious issue and a major player in the wildlife trade.

Essentially, finning is the practice where boats troll for sharks, and upon finding them, lift them out of the water and cut off only what is valuable - the fins. This is equivalent to having your arms and legs cut off - you're incapacitated at best. Once this is done, the shark is thrown back into the water (no one wants the rest of it, and why keep the evidence?) to drown. Since, you know, without arms or legs, it can't really swim anymore.

This fins are then thrown into giant freezers in hot spots around the world, such as Hong Kong, where they are then sent out to the world's top restaurants. Or they are dried and cured, to be sold at a market. Regardless, they all go for consumption.

The main culprit is the infamous Chinese dish, shark fin soup. Most restaurants now only serve a prosthetic plastic version, but some restaurants still carry the real deal. A true symbol of luck and prosperity, this is a dish many are unwilling to give up. As more of the world finds itself in a position to consume things it never could afford before, demand for traditional emblems such as shark fin soup rages and roars.

If we want to save the shark species of the world, we need to get over our fear of sharks and our ideas about shark fin soup. Eating shark can't be cool anymore; it can't remain a symbol of good.

Here are some stats to chew on in the meantime.

Irrational Fears Part 1

People are surrounded by irrational fears - spiders, for example.

What is the average house spider, barely the size of your pinky fingernail, going to do to you? Life is not a science-fiction movie. He will not turn into a giant monster and chase after you. In fact, he's great pest control; he's taking care of all the bugs you don't want in your house. You're unlikely to miss those, anyways.

While some fear is instinctual, some fear is taught. An issue I have been struggling for days, after witnessing the sudden death and mutilation of a snake at the hands of man.

I don't have a very good appetite for these sorts of things. It had begun before I could say anything, and before it was over, I had burst into tears.

To me, the act I had witnessed was barbaric. To the people around me, the act I had witnessed was normal, maybe even a fun sort of intermittent entertainment.

A large Indochinese Rat Snake. Photo credits to Ecology Asia.

The snake killed was a rat snake. A perfectly harmless animal in my eyes; it isn't even venomous. Less than two feet long, the young animal had unwittingly ventured into a truck of grain, probably hunting the rats it was named for.

But why are people so afraid?

Because they are taught to be. Now, everyone has self-preserving natural instincts, but these are easily overcome by most who want to. Some people are scared of heights, and they still climb. Some people are scared of speed, and they can still drive quickly. So why can't people get over their fear of snakes?

It's a cultural thing. If Hollywood hasn't created the image of menacing monster already, than Old Wives Tales have.

If we want to see people getting over their fear of snakes, we need to teach them about the ones they should be afraid of. People don't need to run away from rat snakes - they need to run away from cobras and kraits.

Next time I see a snake, I just want it to still be alive.

Bad News

Bureaucracy has its positives and its negatives.

Due to the long and arduous process, MNI has to sadly postpone events until August of this year. On the bright side, the program will be even bigger and better!

We look forward to seeing you then.

Update

Hi everyone.

Long time, no post. Gearing up for our events in June and July has been keeping us busy! Be sure to read about those and ask us if you have any questions.

We'll get back to a more frequent posting schedule soon. :)

World Tapir Day

This is a super fun holiday!

The tapir is one of the world's most interesting mammals - they look like no one and nothing else. Their closest relatives are, in fact, horses and rhinos.

There are four species of tapir in the world: the Brazilian, Baird's, Mountain, and Malayan. Only on of these is not under threat, and here's a hint: it's not the Malayan.

The Malayan tapir is possible the most distinct of the four species, with its quickly noticeable black-and-white markings. It is also the largest of the three species.

With a wild population numbering less than one thousand, the Malayan tapir is indeed endangered. However, this species is not threatened due to the wildlife trade (eating tapir is taboo in many of the cultures inhabiting the Southeast Asian region). Many are killed due to loss of habitat, and strangely enough, while crossing the road.

On a lighter note, here's a picture from Malaysian Nature Society; they had a special guest
at Taman Negara last night!

A Sad Day in India

Today, WWF reported the death of a translocated Indian Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros in Manas National Park.

Shot by poachers, who took only her horn, the rhino left behind a 15-day-old calf, a declared conservation miracle at the time. There has been no report regarding the future of the calf.

This event highlights, yet again, the direct link between wildlife trade and the demise of world rhino populations.

This is not the first bad news of the year, however. South Africa reports almost 200 rhino killings in this year alone, a far cry of the total 13 lost only years ago. The Sumatran rhino has seen steep declines, now numbering less than 100 individuals in the wild. And for icing on a terrifying cake, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has officially declared the Western Black Rhino extinct.

Rhino horn has no scientifically-proven medicinal value, but is considered "necessary" by the China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine. (This is not to devalue traditional medicines, as some are truly effective; it is simply understood to be a major factor in the illegal wildlife trade.)

To learn more, be sure to drop by www.savingrhinos.org
Image courtesy of WWF Global.

CITES Conference A Success

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) recently finished a convention this year, 2013. Some of the topics they covered ranged from Rhino-poaching and Timber species. Let's take a look at some of the things they've agreed on:

• Manta rays proposal. At a United Nations meeting on March 11, governments voted for better international trade controls on Manta Rays. Rays are highly sought after for their gill-plates which are very valuable, as well as for meat and skin. These things are traded internationally. Sadly, Manta Rays do not produce very quickly; one pup is born every 2-5 years. Because of these factors, poaching will soon threaten the Ray population  if not confronted. However, confronting is exactly what CITES did with the problem, and a proposal from Columbia and Ecuador listed Manta Rays under Appendix II of CITES. Now, more extreme measure will be taken to prevent the trafficking of this species.
• Timber species. At this CITES convention many species of trees are now going to have better international shipping controls. Tropical species from Madagascar and Central America, as well as many more from around the world, were agreed upon as part of this decision.
• Illegal toothfish fishing. This was not an issue that was spoken about, per se... more like a topic brought up and no one spoke. Many government officials were called out for breaking promises regarding these fish. While the issue of protection rights being violated is serious, it has not been resolved by the CITES council. Action being taken to reduce illegal toothfish fishing is minimal.
• Tiger smuggling. Since 2010, a report has been being conducted about Tiger smuggling and poaching. Along with WWF, CITES launched a report called "Reduced to Skin and Bones Revisited" and results of these tiger seizure statistics are extremely shocking. They found that an average of 110 tigers were killed a year. From 2000-2012, 654 tiger part seizures were reported, these parts belonging to over 1,000 animals. CITES has decided to take more action, and some reinforcements to stop Tiger and big Asian cat trafficking in Asia and other parts of the world.
• Other issues brought up were protection of different shark species, and ivory trade control. Decisions to limit shark fin and body part capture were accepted, causing great celebration among scientists and shark activists. Although there was some protest, these decisions were not recalled and there is more work being done to stop shark trade. Governments in Bangkok decided on more measures to restrict and control ivory trade, possibly due to the record-breaking statistics of elephant poaching in Africa.

This CITES convention covered many issues about animals and wildlife trafficking, and many measures were passed regarding the prevention and control of international wildlife trafficking. I think all of nature can certainly thank CITES for all their efforts in stopping wildlife trafficking in our world!