I literally just announced that I was going to take a short break from blogging, then I made the mistake of checking Twitter. Here is what I saw at the top of my feed:
This is nuts. During a time when poaching for the inane traditional Chinese medicine trade is driving the declines of species like rhinos and tigers, China decided to roll back protections for these animals. As Panthera’s press release states, legalizing the use of rhino and tiger parts in traditional Chinese medicine is legalizing these species’ extinctions.
There is no evidence that potions made from the parts of animals like tigers and rhinos cure the wide range of symptoms they are reputed to treat – or increase the sexual prowesses of old men.
If the Chinese government has any self-respect, it will follow Panthera’s advice to reinstate the bans on the uses of tiger and rhino parts. It will also do more to protect these remarkable creatures from poaching.
To be fair, however, if a certain other government has any self-respect it will reverse nearly every decision it has made in the past two years regarding the environment. For entirely unrelated reasons, I would like to remind my American readers to get out and vote on or before November 6.
I will now attempt to resume my temporary hiatus: hopefully for longer than three hours this time.
Click Here to Read Panthera’s Press Release about China’s Horrible Decision
The Jaguar 
Absolutely despicable! What a shame. 😕
LikeLiked by 1 person
My thoughts exactly!
LikeLike
This is so disappointing! :( :(
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s incredibly disappointing, and infuriating.
LikeLike
What in the world 😨 why would they do that. 😬
Seriously though why would they want to derail the process of conservation 🤦♀️
“I will now attempt to resume my temporary hiatus: hopefully for longer than three hours this time.”
Lol, but somethings are just to disturbing to walk away from.
I can see why your hiatus was very short lived.
LikeLiked by 2 people
“why would they do that”
Money…unfortunately. :(
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think it’s more selfishness and their traditional medicines then it is money.
It is quite unfortunate 🙁
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s all of the above. China has private tiger farms that have wanted the government to overturn the ban for years, so that they can make more money. But there would be no market for tiger or rhinoceros parts if it weren’t for China’s traditional medicine beliefs, and the people who believe that buying products made from tigers and rhinos increases their social status.
LikeLiked by 3 people
This whole issue with the Chinese is like an iceberg with a false bottom.
I just find it ironic that their “traditional medicines” have ingredients that involve killing animals that traditionally never belonged to them in the first place.
This just rubs me up the wrong way.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh trust me, this rubs me the wrong way too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve given up on outrage in reaction to these monsters. I’m using my skills, talents and extra dollars to bring awareness to solutions. You’re already doing this! Your work and reporting awaken me to activities I didn’t even know I would care about. This is how we win – not through policy-making but awareness! Without positive reinforcement humans slowly move away from undesirable behavior. So enjoy your rest – but know your words made a difference to Jaquars et al and the people you’ve written about.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Hi Mel! Thanks so much for your wonderful words! I’m glad that you’ve been able to learn something from my posts! Hopefully, over time, all of our work will make a difference.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Are you serious??? Why would they do this??
LikeLiked by 1 person
I suspect it has something to do with creating a bigger market for all of the tiger farms – yes, they farm tigers – in China. Rolling back protections for rhinos makes absolutely no sense to me though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Tiger farms? :( That’s horrible.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep, here’s a Nat Geo article on the topic:
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/02/wildlife-watch-tigers-chase-drone-farm-china/
LikeLike
:(
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t understand Asia’s lack of interest in preservation. Truly, I don’t. It’s not like they don’t know better.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ironically, China had been doing a good job of taking conservation more seriously up until now; establishing new protected areas and the like. This decision does not fit with a generally positive trend – at all.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Have they? I must have missed that. The negative does seem to make it to the top of our news feed more often. I hope they come to their senses again soon, then.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yea, the good news tends to be less emotionally gripping. China had been establishing new protected areas and launching social media campaigns to discourage people from buying products made from endangered animals, but it seems like they’ve completely changed directions regarding that issue. As you say, hopefully they’ll come to their senses.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So upsetting and angering. I wish there was some kind of worldwide environmental ethic that everyone respected and upheld for the sake of our planet. the fact that I live all the way over here makes me feel like I can’t protect the tigers all the way over there, but I think there needs to be a definitive stop to abusing animals.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There absolutely does need to be some sort of worldwide environmental ethic – both for wildlife conservation and climate change (among other things). These are global issues that affect everybody, and the bad decisions of a few powerful governments should not be able to cause potentially irreversible harm to the rest of the world.
LikeLiked by 1 person