After my previous post I have received several messages from concerned members of the Steemit community requesting that I shed more light and bring more attention to the poaching crisis that Africa is currently facing so I have decided to do exactly that. People need to know what these poor wildlife have to endure on a daily basis.

Below is a link to my previous article for those of you that may have missed it. https://steemit.com/nature/@beetroot/the-big-five-kruger-national-park

_{Image Source :lilongwewildlife.org}

Poaching in Africa has drastically increased over the past 11 years and this is mainly due to corruption and the involvement of organized criminal networks both from within and out of the continent.

_{Image Source :AfricaHunting.com}
With the involvement of such criminal networks, poachers these days are now heavily armed and have no fear for the law, leaving the targeted animals defenseless with a zero chance of survival. In a little more than a decade there has been a loss of more than 7300 rhino's due to this.

What is the main cause of poaching?

The main cause of poaching and the reason poachers hunt endangered animals is because of the money it brings. The selling of illegal animal parts on black markets around the world is a billion dollar trade. Animal parts like elephant tusks and Rhino horns are believed to have aphrodisiac properties and they are crushed in order to make these types of concoctions.

The picture above consists of elephant tusks and Rhino horns that have been confiscated from poachers. Just try and imagine how many animals have lost their lives for the horns in this picture and this is but a tiny reflection as there are tons and tons more sold on the black market each day.

What steps are being taken to protect our wildlife ?

Anti-poaching rangers are being trained as a first line of defense against poaching. These rangers patrol in close proximity to the animals in hopes to reduces the level of poaching and increase the chances of catching poachers.

However the rangers are tasked with a rather difficult and dangerous job. They risk their lives in order to protect the animals but without the proper equipment these rangers often end up getting killed doing so.

_{Image Source :img.okezone.com}

The devastating effects of poaching

Extinction is the greatest threat to animals that are victims of poaching, can you imagine a world without these wonderful animals in it? Would you like to have your children and grandchildren reading about these animals in a story book or would rather take your kids on a safari to Africa so that they can witness the majestic beauty of these wonderful animals in person?

The threat is real my friends and a world without these wonderful animals is a given if we do not raise awareness and stop this disease called poaching dead in its tracks. I know that I do not want to be the one to try and explain to my kids what a Rhinoceros was and what happened to them knowing that I had a chance to stop it and did nothing to try and change its fate. Do you ?

So what can you do to help out?

If you would like to learn more and show your support towards the cause, there are many ways that you can get involved. please check out the link below that provides ways that you can show your support and help out.

www.savetherhino.org
If you enjoyed this post, please leave comment, upvote and resteem. I would like to raise awareness of the poaching crisis that we are currently facing in Africa. The more people that are made aware of this crisis, the better our chances are of defeating poaching and ensuring that these wonderful animals are still around for many generations to come. Thank you.

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