Wildlife trade
Sure you want to eat pangolin soup?
In order to feed their economies, blood thirsty individuals will fabricate stories on the benefits of eating parts of wildlife with no concern for sapiens, wildlife or loss of biodiversity. It is vital that we unravel the root cause of coronavirus and focus on stopping wildlife trade worldwide & for good! .
Covid-19 is just a microscopic warning for a bigger and badder zoonotic disease to come.
Wildlife trafficking is a transboundary issue which is why it is so important that all governments of the world work on a global plan to ban and regulate illegal wildlife trade in order to make a significant change. 🌱 We’ve got to show the world that it is possible to live in harmony with nature and truly make a difference for the well-being of wildlife and humans. This is no longer just a conservation issue... it’s much bigger than that. Stopping wildlife trade would ultimately put an end to future pandemics like the one we face today. .
In 2020 I began creating campaigns with the intention to bring awareness to the realities of wildlife trade with depictions of mammals including the elusive Pangolin, the Tiger and the Asiatic Black Bear. I was deeply immersed in my research and poured my heart and time into understanding zoonotic diseases, how they affect our world and what we can do to bring about a change so that we never have to face epidemics like this ever again.
Today, two years later - I grappled with the zoonosis of omicron that lives inside my very body. And I question how much we are truly progressing as a species. Do masks and restrictions and lockdowns really help us or are they just another way for dishonest governments and health organisation to divide and capitalise on a fragile situation in order to gain more control and power over us?
Inadequate leadership is making sure that we turn a blind eye towards the root of Covid-19. And the fact that zoonotic diseases are caused when we tamper with wildlife and overwhelm biodiversity to the point of depletion. We are inching closer to the 6th massive extinction on earth. And when I think about how we can change this… it always brings me back to the importance of Awareness.
The awareness that the quality of our lives is determined by the health of our living planet.
Pangolins are the most trafficked non-human mammals in the world. They are little known because they are shy and nocturnal. When pangolins feel threatened, they roll up into a tight ball to protect themselves from other animals. Unfortunately, this makes it easier for poachers to catch them.
The pangolin makes for a lucrative catch. The price of a pangolin per kilo is about 350 US dollars. The meat is a status symbol and the scales are used in traditional Chinese medicine as they are believed to have “healing powers”. There is no scientific evidence to corroborate this theory.
100,000 pangolins are poached each year.
There are eight species of pangolins found within India, South east Asia and Africa. The demand for scales threatens all eight species of pangolins with extinction.
Though the virus could have spread through wildlife. It is important to understand that pangolins are harmless to humans unless traded or consumed.
A century ago, more than 100,000 majestic wild tigers roamed across Asian nations. Today, about 3,800 remain free. .
Tiger bone wine is brewed by steeping a tiger skeleton in rice wine for long periods of time. In some instances, the entire carcass may be left in the wine for years at a time.
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The Tiger is a strong, agile and energetic animal. The belief is that by absorbing nutrients from the bones, the wine will pass on the animal’s strength and vitality to the drinker. .
Tiger bones are used as traditional medicine in China and Vietnam, with the spurious assumption that tiger bones heal suffering from fatigue or other bone related ailments such as arthritis and rheumatism. Tiger Bone Wine is also used to enhance erections. 🍆 There is no scientific evidence to corroborate these theories.
Over 12,000 bears are incarcerated for decades in bear bile farms. According to @natgeo, Bile for use in traditional medicine is routinely extracted by inserting a catheter or syringe into the bears’ gallbladder - an invasive and extremely painful surgery.
Asiatic black bears, also known as moon bears, sun bears and brown bears are some of the most common species farmed for bile.
Despite scientific consensus that the cause of coronavirus was because of the wildlife trade industry, the Chinese government is promoting bear bile injections known as “Tan Re Qing” as treatment for Covid-19. Bear bile contains high levels of ursodeoxycholic acid, which is clinically proven to help dissolve gallstones and treat liver conditions. Environmental Investigation Agency @eia_news was the first to publish the shocking news. There is no scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness for Covid-19.
@animalsasia - a nonprofit organisation working tirelessly to rescue captive bears, confirm that the sick animals can be contaminated with diseases that may threaten human health.
This practice of poaching and breeding captive bears who are caged throughout their entire lifetime for bile is inhumane.
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