Tigers, elephants, rhinos and other endangered wildlife graced the side of the U.S. Department of State building on March 2, the eve of World Wildlife Day. The images came from the documentary “Racing Extinction,” and the event was a collaboration among Discovery Communications, Vulcan Inc. and the department to combat wildlife trafficking. The animals appeared to roam between government officials’ office windows:
From its whiskers to its glorious striped coat, nearly every part of the tiger is sold on the black market.
Elephants have been hunted for their tusks, either for trophies or for ivory carving and jewelry making.
Rhino horn is in high demand on the global black market, falsely thought to cure rheumatism, gout or even cancer.
Lions are threatened by loss of habitat and illegal hunting.
As consumers worldwide become aware of the poaching crisis, and international cooperation against trafficking increases, demand for ivory is dropping. Find out what you can do to save wildlife.
