Download Endangered Species (Part 1)

Feng Shui birdcage
At the bird market in Hong Kong, people will buy birds such as blue
jays, finches or owls specifically to release. It is believed that by returning a free spirit to the wild, all bad karma will be replaced by good
karma.
Rainstick
This is an authentic Indian Rain Stick that was confiscated by USFWS.
The rain stick was used to illustrate to the gods that rain was badly
needed. They are made from wood skeletons of dead Quiso or Copado
cactus plants. These cactus have a short plant life of 70 years. When
the cacti die, artisans gather the dead wood called Normata and create
their rain sticks. Deserts are not just vast empty spaces, but are delicate
ecosystems that are teeming with life. Deserts are being destroyed by
overgrazing of livestock, off-road vehicles, military equipment, mining
and irrigation.
But the good news is...you can help!
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Become aware and spread the word.
Take action: Do not consume, trade, hunt or transport illegally
hunted bushmeat. And do not buy products from threatened or endangered species when you travel, especially abroad. Select wisely when choosing seafood, wood or other natural products.
Support local conservation efforts by volunteering your time and/or
resources. Lakewood Discovery Center (826-7335) has many
projects throughout the year in the Salina area. For refuges and
projects outside the United States contact www.bushmeat.org/
support.html.
Write letters, postcards and emails to your local, state and national
representatives expressing your concern about this issue and encouraging them to promote solutions to the crisis.
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Endangered Species
(Part 1)
Possible biofacts included: Bear gall bladder vile, snare, Colobus
Monkey pelt, snake wine, dog bell, rain stick, tiger powder, bird cage,
rhino horn
Theme ideas
1. Animals become endangered due to their use in cultural ceremonies
as well as medicines.
2. Humans are the number one cause endangering animals, but YOU
can change that.
Background Information:
Everyday between 50 and 150 plant and animal species
become extinct. When you ask yourself “Why?”
just think HIPPO.
Habitat loss
Introduced Species
Pollution
Population
Over-consumption
Background
Habitat loss
Habitat loss is the number one reason species become endangered and
extinct. Habitat refers to the place where an animal or plant species
lives. There are five elements that are necessary: food, water, shelter,
space and an appropriate mixture of these elements. All species must
have adequate habitat in order to survive.
The rainforests are being destroyed at a rate of 1 acre per second which
equals 50 football fields per minute. This destruction is caused by log1
ging, clearing for farming and ranching, mining, dams and oil development.
hunted as food since humans first evolved. It is still thought of as a
“free” source of food.
Introduced Species
When non-native plants or animals are introduced into an area, they
may disturb the natural balance of the ecosystem. Introduced spe ies
may overpopulate an area, compete for food, carry diseases for which
native species may have no immunity, drive out other species and cause
numerous other problems. They may prey on native species that have
no defenses against the invaders.
Today it is still an economically important food and trade item for both
rural and urban families. It is a status symbol for the urban elite who
are trying to retain links to the village. Urban families typically consume 2 to 3 times more than rural. In fact the demand for bushmeat is
increasing annually at a rate that far exceeds the replacement potential
of the already over-hunted wildlife.
 A bushmeat hunter with a shotgun is inclined to shoot the largest
animal he can be assured of killing because this will generate the
most profit per cartridge.
 Duikers, pigs, primates and rodents are the most commonly hunted
groups of animals in the forest with the duikers both numerically
and in terms of biomass being the most important bushmeat species
group.
 Apes are most often hunted opportunistically.
 Gorilla hands are considered a delicacy by some consumers.
 The large numbers of workers employed by logging and mining
companies eat more meat than unemployed families.
Hawaii has the greatest number of endangered species of any of the 50
states due to destruction of native species by introduced species.
Pollution
Pollution from pesticides, burning coal, oil and gas, industrial plants
and automobile emissions all impact wildlife populations.
The Bald Eagle, our national symbol, is just one example of how pollution can cause a decline in wildlife populations. Bald Eagles became
endangered largely due to the pesticide DDT. The pesticide caused the
eagles and may other birds to lay thin-shelled eggs that could not survive. This pesticide is now banned in the United States.
The bushmeat crisis is a human tragedy as well:
the loss of wildlife threatens the livelihoods and
food security of indigenous and rural populations
most depend on wildlife as a staple or supplement to their diet, and bushmeat consumption is
increasingly linked to deadly diseases like HIV/
AIDS, Ebola, and Foot and Mouth disease.
Deformed frogs are being discovered around the world. Scientists have
several theories to explain the malformations and declines in frog populations, including one implicating pollution. Damage to the earth’s
ozone layer allows increased amounts of ultraviolet radiation to enter
the earth’s atmosphere. Scientists fear that the additional UV light
could be damaging not only to frogs but to humans as well.
Population
It took the entire history of humankind for the population to reach 1
billion around 1810. By 1930, this doubled to 2 billion people. Today
there are over 6 billion people.
As the population continues to grow so does the need for space for
housing and food.
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Logging companies construct numerous survey trails and roads
which fragment the forest and open it up to hunters.
Loss of wildlife means loss of seed dispersing animals that play a
key role in determining tree composition and distribution causing
loss of many plant species, altering both the structure and function
of the forest and eventually causing irreversible ecological effects
with global consequences.
Wild animals in the United States which were formerly isolated from
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bladder and its bile is probably the most valuable on the black market.
Many times the wild bear is killed for the gall bladder and other internal
organs. But a new industry of bear farming has begun. In China alone
there were 167 bear farms housing 9,000 bears in 2000. Obtaining the
bear bile involves a daily process of 'milking'. To be 'milked', each bear
undergoes an invasive surgical procedure performed in most instances
by untrained workers with no veterinary skills. The procedure creates a
tube-like pathway to the gall bladder and commonly results in ulcerations and infections. Bile drips from this wound causing immense agony. Bile is used in wine, eye drops and tonic.
According to Chinese Medical Practitioners there are over 75 alternatives to bear bile.
Tiger powder
Tiger powder is made of the ground bones of tiger and used in ancient
medicine. The belief is that ingesting a part of the powerful tiger will
give the consumer the power and stamina of a tiger. In 2001 a single
tiger which has been illegally killed could be sold on the black market
for over $10,000.
Tiger bone is believed to have anti-inflammatory effects in the treatment of arthritis and rheumatism. Aspercreme works, tiger bone
doesn’t.
Rhino horn (do not loose!!!)
This is a piece of rhino horn from one of our rhinos. The horn is made
of keratin just like human hair and fingernails. In ancient medicine rhino horn is used as a fever reducer and not as an aphrodisiac as is often
believed. They would get the same effect if they ate their own hair or
fingernails.
The horn is also used for dagger handles in Senegal.
Colobus Monkey pelt
Have the public count the number of Colobus Monkeys killed to make
this small rug. Each white spot is a single monkey.
Colobus monkey, like many other primates, are often illegally hunted as
bushmeat. The term bushmeat refers to the wildlife that lives in the
forest or scrub lands which is often called the bush. Wildlife has been
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the public, now must cross paths with humans who have moved into
their former territories.
Over-consumption
Because of over-consumption of the earth's resources, the world is losing wild places and species as the demand for food, minerals, lumber,
and other resources increase
Many species of animals, such as rhinos, tigers and bears, are endangered due to illegal hunting for their body parts. Animals are poached
(hunted and killed illegally) and their body parts sold on the black market.
Some sources say that this black market is larger than illegal arms sales
and second only to the drug black market.
Bio fact Details
African Dog Bell
These dog bells are specifically associated with hunting. Dogs are sent
into the jungle with these bells tied around their necks and used to scare
wildlife out of the forest. The hunters will wait prepared to kill when
the animals try to escape the noisy dogs.
Snare
Snares are traps commonly used to capture wild animals. They are
camouflaged to blend in with the forest floor. As the animal runs over
it or is chased over it, the snare grabs them up into the air where they
must hang until the hunter retrieves them.
Snake Wine (docent only handles)
Snake wine is made from seven different venomous snakes. Only the
cobra is in the bottle to age the wine because the cobra is the most powerful of all the venomous snakes. Drinking the wine will ingest the
power of the cobra, making the men more virile and producing male
children.
Bear Bile (Docent only handles)
Although many parts of the bear are used in ancient medicine, the gall
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