Poaching of Gangetic river dolphins in India



A Gangetic river dolphin



There are River dolphins in India and Bangladesh also. These dolphins are called Gangetic river dolphins. Their scientific name is Platanista Gangetica Gangetica. These dolphins have a long beak, and a triangular ridge for a fin.

Gangetic river dolphins are poached.

But what are the Gangetic river dolphins poached for?

These dolphins are killed by poachers for their fat which is made into oil for lamps.

 In India there are 2,000 Gangetic river dolphins. It is said that the Gangetic river dolphin population has declined by 50% over the last five decades.

These dolphins sometimes are accidently caught in the nets of fishermen.

A few months back, four Gangetic dolphins were killed and poachers were suspected. Later on, an investigation revealed that the poor dolphins had been trapped and then beaten to death. The proof was that the dolphins had several marks on their necks and heads.

Another problem for the Gangetic river dolphin is that the Ganga is getting polluted. The fish they eat are contaminated.

Poor dolphins! With all this they surely are getting extinct.

If you want to know more on the problems of the Gangetic river dolphin have a look at this link http://www.ecologyforchildren.com/wildlife-tales.html You will find an ecological tale about the Gangetic river dolphins here.

Elephant poaching in India

Ivory

Elephants exist in India.

So, of course they are poached in India also.

But why are elephants poached?

Well, they are poached for their ivory and sometimes meat. I never knew that elephants are sometimes poached for their meat! Do you think elephant meat tastes good?



A poached elephant

 Ivory is prized for its close-grained texture, mellow colour and pleasing smoothness. It is also a wonderful material to carve.

Did you know how many elephants are left in the wild?

There are about 50,000 elephants left in the wild in India.

And I forgot to tell you this earth shattering fact!

In India only male elephants have tusks and are poached, there for  there are more females then males, and this will give problem for the breeding of elephants. Poor elephants! Poaching gives them lots of trouble.

Do you know who is Veerappan?
He was a bandit or robber in Karnataka (india).
He poached 200 hundred elephants and smuggled ivory.
Orrisa was famous since the time of king Ashoka for its big number of elephants. But the sad thing today is that Orrisa's number of elephants has reduced, soon it will stop being famous for its elephant population because of poachers.

If you want to help elephants don't buy ivory.

Rhino poaching in India

Did you know rhinos are being poached for their horns? 



The Indian rhino of Assam

Yes, Of course!

Rhinos also live in India. They live in Assam.

But what are rhinos poached for?

For their horns, of course!

But what are their horns used for? As such they don’t look very beautiful.

Their horns have been prized for ten centuries for their beautiful colours when carved. It is believed that rhino horns cures fevers, stomach ailments and other diseases.

Did you know that rhinos in India might soon become extinct? 

Did you know that rhino horns are valued at 37000 US dollars?

And did you know that in 2008 18 rhinos wer killed and in 2009 14 rhinos were killed. And this year 10 rhinos were killed.

Here is a little information you need to know on the poachers who poach the rhinos in India.

These poachers travel in groups of just three to five people. They come from Nagaland to Assam, to kill the great one horned rhino. There is one local person who is familiar to the region, he is the helper. There is a person who carries the provision, (he often is local to the place).

It is illegal to hunt rhinos in India but still they are poached.

Sad, isn’t it? Who would want rhinos to get extinct from India? If you want to know more on rhino poaching visit this link  http://www.rhinoconservation.org/2010/05/13/indias-rhino-poaching-gangs-a-closer-look/



A rhino that has been poached







Tiger poaching in India



tiger skin

Poor tigers! Only 1411 of them are left in India.

Did you know that tigers are poached for their whiskers, tail, claws, bones, canines and skin?

Here is the list of tiger products.

1. The canine of a tiger is used to make ornamental jewellery.
2. Tiger claws are often inlaid in gold. This is used to make pendants for necklaces.



3. Tiger whiskers are believed to have magical powers.

4. Tiger bones are used to make medicines.

5. The paw sole of a tiger is used for ritual purposes.

Tiger products are used to make many more things. If I narrated the list of them you would get dead bored.

Poachers often set snares to trap tigers. Before the poachers set the snares, investigation trips are often conducted to choose sites to place the snares in. The poachers look for signs of tigers like tracks. They also choose places that have lots of prey for tigers.

Tiger poachers rarely use guns to kill the tigers. This is because they don’t want to spoil the gorgeous skin of the tigers.

If you want to know more on tiger traps click here.

Peacocks are being poached for their meat and feathers

Did you know that peacocks are being poached for their meat and feathers?

Yes, of course!

It is illegal to poach peacocks but still the poachers manage to poach the poor peacocks secretly without anyone knows. They poach the peacocks for their meat and feathers. Isn’t it cruel?

As the poachers don’t want the feathers of the peacock to become bloody, they break the unfortunate peacock's legs. Then they take away the peacock's feathers.Then they kill it. Horrid, isn’t it! And the poor peacock must be having lots of pain. Isn’t it extremely cruel?

And to make things worse farmers are using pesticides in their fields. As the peacock eats the grains that are coated with pesticide the unlucky peacock gets poisoned and dies. Poor peacocks!

With all this the population of peacocks is dwindling. Very sad, isn’t it? And the peacock is the national bird of India and it is getting extinct.

Who would like to see these beautiful birds getting extinct?