If we don't act now the international trade in wildlife could wipe out two of the world's most imperiled species.
Africa's elephants are being poached to near extinction for their ivory. Fewer than 100,000 forest elephants and 400,000 savannah elephants are thought to remain, down from more than 1 million animals just 40 years ago. Yet some ivory sales remain legal in the United States.
Pangolins, exotic-looking mammals covered with scales, once inhabited broad swaths of Asia and Africa but have been poached to near extinction in many areas. Hunted for their meat and scales, these adorably armored wonders may soon disappear due to their legal sale in Asia and the United States.
It's time for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect these rare animals as endangered and rein in the trade in their parts.
Take action -- tell the Service to protect elephants and pangolins by giving them the full protection of the Endangered Species Act before it's too late.
Protect Pangolins and Elephants as Endangered
I am writing to urge you to list seven species of pangolin (Chinese, Indian, Sunda, Philippine, tree, giant ground and long-tailed), as well as the two species of African elephants (forest and savannah), as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The trade, both legal and illegal, of these rare species is appalling.
Pangolins are the most illegally trafficked mammal in the world, with an estimated 1 million taken from the wild over the past decade. The four Asian pangolin species have already suffered severe declines -- and now the world's demand has shifted to Africa's pangolins, which have also begun to sink toward extinction. Some pangolin trade remains legal in the United States, and seizure records suggest that a sizable market exists.
Africa's elephants are also facing an unprecedented poaching crisis, fueled by demand for their ivory. The United States remains the second-largest market for ivory. And while ivory sales are restricted, the existing legal market continues to provide cover for the booming sale of illegal ivory.
The United States has long been a world leader in wildlife conservation, so I urge you to take a stand for these desperately imperiled animals. Please do everything possible to restrict the U.S. market, and protect pangolins and Africa's elephants as endangered.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
