Protect Rhinos

Rhino horn means big business to wildlife traffickers, and the growing demand for it as traditional Chinese medicine -- despite the fact that it has no medicinal properties --  has exploded into a poaching epidemic across Africa and Asia.  

Poachers are slaughtering rhinos, already threatened with extinction, by the hundreds every year for the payoff. Not even nursing mothers have been spared the corruption and greed, leaving their dependent calves on their own to grieve and starve.

Sadly, in South Africa -- home to 70 percent of the world’s rhinos -- trophy hunting of rhinos is legal. But now, with poaching at an all-time high, the South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs is considering a moratorium on all rhino hunting, a bold move that would at the very least give rhinos some of the protection they desperately need.

South Africa allows hunters to take horns back home as trophies, so people from Asian countries have traveled to the country as "hunters." Hundreds of horns have ended up in East Asia, almost certainly for the traditional medicine trade.

A full moratorium on rhino hunting would close any such loopholes.

Take Action and Sign Up for this cause.

http://e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=105&ea.campaign.id=12045&ea.tracking.id=e65db3ea

Stop Driving Sharks to Extinction!

Many sharks are now the victims of unthinkable violence, due to a practice called "shark finning." Shark finning is a brutal process that involves capturing sharks, cutting off their fins and tails, and then throwing the still-alive sharks back in the water.

Unable to swim, the helpless sharks then bleed to death or drown. Together with over fishing, this practice is putting several shark species at risk of extinction.

Shark finning is exceptionally cruel and completely unacceptable. Tell California Governor Jerry Brown to support Assembly Bill 376, a bill that will ban the possession, sale, trade and distribution of shark fins.

Please Take Action!

Stop Driving Sharks to Extinction!

Nearly a third of all shark species, including mighty hammerheads and graceful whitetips, are at risk of extinction; and up to 73 million sharks are killed annually at the hands of ruthless shark finners. This gruesome practice involves catching sharks, cutting off their fins and tails--usually while they're still alive--and throwing them back into the water to drown or bleed to death.

Why? The prized fins are harvested primarily to make soup.

Urge California Governor Jerry Brown to support Bill 376 that would ban possessing, selling, trading and distributing shark fins.

Please Sign The Letter!

Tell Officials: Don't Strip Great Lake Wolves of Protected Status

The gray wolves of the midwest are under attack for the third time in seven years by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The agency wishes to strip the wolves of their protected status under the Endangered Species Act. They've failed in the past, but following the legislation that has removed protections from gray wolves in the Rocky Mountains, they're trying again.

Great Lake gray wolves were hunted nearly to extinction just a few decades ago. Since then, they've been doing well but aren't out of the woods yet. They still face threats from disease and illegal hunting. Scientists have also concluded that there isn't just one species living in the area, but two, and they've been interbreeding. Biologists say it is imperative for protections to remain intact for the recovery of both species -- and the new hybrid species -- to be successful. Wisconsin plans to bring numbers down to 350, which is about half of the current population. Minnesota plans to pay officials a bounty for every wolf they kill.

The U.S. Fish and WIldlife Service is asking for public opinion on the matter. Sign the petition to tell the Fish and Wildlife Service: Wolves need protection until recovery is truly achieved and threats are diminished.


Petition

Act Now - Wild Tigers are Facing Extinction!

The world's wild tiger population has been diminishing for several years. Tigers are so endangered now that they face the possibility of extinction as early as the year 2020. So it's appalling to find out that the illegal tiger trade is still operating as strong as ever. Because of loopholes in current legislation, captive tiger owners aren't required to obtain certain permits or meet specific standards. There is no reporting system for keeping tabs on these owners' activities, which means the tigers aren't protected from abuse and poaching.

These majestic animals need protections if they are to continue to reproduce and replenish their populations. We need to close the current loopholes and require that captive tiger owners follow very specific and rigorous regulations. Sign the petition asking Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to work toward closing the loopholes and saving the one of the world's most beautiful creatures.

http://www.therainforestsite.com/clickToGive/campaign.faces?siteId=4&campaign=TigerTrade

Help Save the Endangered Giant Panda

Deforestation is the primary cause of a loss of habitat for pandas over the years. Humankind continues to log the forests in which these majestic animals live, making way for development or harvesting the trees for palm oil. There are only around 1,500 giant pandas left in the world, and the count is still declining.

China, where the majority of the world's pandas live, has set aside reserves that are designated protected areas for pandas. This is no doubt a step in the right direction, but the panda still remains in danger of extinction. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is working with China to establish reserves and helping to develop a program that will make giant strides toward securing the panda's survival.

Sign the petition in support of the WWF's work in China and its mission to save the giant panda's natural habitat.

http://www.therainforestsite.com/clickToGive/campaign.faces?siteId=4&campaign=SavethePanda