This is a Giant Sable, a large, rare sub-species of sable antelope that is found in Angola's forested highlands and nowhere else in the world.?The animal is threatened by poaching and habitat loss and appears on a list of endangered species who face extinction due to illegal wildlife trafficking.?Now the whole world is trying to cooperate in order to save this species and many others.
?
5 June is World Environment Day, an opportunity to educate people and raise awareness around the world about the dangers faced by our natural environment.?It also serves as a call to action for people to help protect nature.
?
World Environment Day was inaugurated in 1972 pursuant to a United Nations General Assembly resolution passed during the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment.?Since then the 缅北禁地has focused on the promotion of the environment and organizing international cooperation to help protect our natural surroundings.
Every World Environment Day (WED) is organized around a theme that reflects a significant environmental concern.?The focus for WED 2016 is illegal trade in wildlife, which threatens species such as rhinos and tigers with extinction.
This year the 缅北禁地 to raise awareness about the problem called : Zero Tolerance for the Illegal Wildlife Trade. The new interactive project allows people to connect to endangered species by having them answer a list of questions to determine what kind of 9 endangered species they would be.? You can then give the animal your name and create a photo of your kindred species to share on social media.
'Each year, thousands of wild animals are illegally killed, often by organized criminal networks motivated by profit and greed,' said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. 'l?call on all Governments and people everywhere to support the new United Nations campaign, Wild for Life, which aims to mobilize the world to end this destructive trade. Preserving wildlife is crucial for the well-being of people and planet alike.'
?
'
Several popular celebrities have already taken part in the campaign, among them Brazilian model Gisele Bündchen, who is fighting for sea turtles four-time African Footballer of the Year Yaya Touré (Manchester City, Ivory Coast), who is backing elephants and actor Ian Somerhalder (Vampire Diaries, Lost), who is rooting for pangolins.
?
'Knowledge is power and now is the time to set our minds to ending all illegal wildlife trade before the choice is no longer in our hands. Today, I am giving my name to change the game for sea turtles',?said Gisele Bündchen.
This year's World Environment Day celebrations , a country which is working to conserve Africa's rich biodiversity and wildlife. Angola is home to many endangered species such as lions, great apes and giant sable antelope, and the country is now trying to rehabilitate their natural habitats and environments after more than 25 years of civil war.?The Government of Angola recently launched a number of initiatives to enhance conservation and strengthen law enforcement, including the development of a National Ivory Action Plan as part of its obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the UNEP-hosted international convention designed to prevent the trade in wild animals and plants that threatens their survival.
The illegal wildlife trade is destroying Earth's biodiversity and depriving us of our natural heritage. , wildlife trafficking is estimated to be worth $50-150 billion (USD) per year.?Today more elephants are being slaughtered than at any time in the past 20 years, with more than 60 per cent of elephants having been killed in the last decade.?Officials estimate that close to 25,000 elephants were killed in 2013 alone, double compared to 2007 numbers, to supply the illegal ivory trade in which ivory reportedly sells for more than $2200 (USD) per kg on the streets of Beijing.?For the rhinoceros the statistics are just as bleak: over 1000 were slaughtered in 2013 in South Africa, more than any other single year. Between 2007 and 2013, rhino poaching increased by 7000 per cent in South Africa.?Rhino horn, with its supposed but unproven medicinal qualities, can fetch more than $66,000 (USD) per kg on the black market.?About 20,000 white rhinos and 4880 black rhinos remained in the wild according to the latest available data from the.
?
Some illegally traded forms of wildlife, such as ivory, feed primarily into illegal retail markets others, such as rosewood, are mainly retailed though legal outlets, despite their illegal origin, according to the .?The report says that there are millions of species for which international trade is not regulated, and suggests that these species can be legally traded internationally, even when harvested or exported contrary to national law.?In some countries national law doesn't regulate or prohibit certain kinds of wildlife trade for example products made of elephant ivory can still be legally bought and sold in many countries. Most countries allow for the sale of antique ivory, such as pianos with ivory keys, because the elephants were killed before international controls were in place.
Illegal wildlife trafficking is enabled by corruption and crime and can contribute to political violence and terrorism.? According to the Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge: 'Corruption along illegal wildlife supply chains typically takes three forms: bribery, diplomatic cover, and cronyism. Documented examples of corruption include: bribery of officials to issue false documents or allow trafficked parts to pass inspections the corruption of senior government officials that provide diplomatic cover for the transport of illegal goods the sale of confiscated wildlife by enforcement agents and the handing down of corrupt decisions by judges in wildlife crime cases.
Another element of corruption is money laundering. ?Proceeds from the sale of illicit wildlife goods are often legitimized through laundering and moved through financial mechanisms around the world. ?The movement of funds from the illicit economy into the legal economy is a form of corruption, and facilitates the operations of wildlife trafficking networks around the world.'
Illegal wildlife trade creates enormous profit for international criminal networks, which undermine peace and security, and also has a detrimental effect on local communities. Preventing this trade provides a meaningful step in the process of achieving the 缅北禁地Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as it will help to protect countries&rsquo biodiversity, people's livelihoods and peace.