Elephant Poaching: The Real Value of Ivory

When I was a very young, I thought wild animals, like lions and rhinos, were very
frightening because they arent as cute and friendly as dogs and cats. However, my view on wild
animals changed when my family and I went to a zoo in Thailand when I was 8 years old. It
started with my first encounter with an elephant. I remember, being a little 8 year old girl, I was
intimidated by the massive size of the elephant I interacted with. I thought it would run me over,
but I was surprised of how gentle it was. It nuzzled my cheek and tickled my nose; ever since
then, Ive been in was in awe of elephants. Although I knowfind elephants areto be sentient
creatures, many people do not share this knowledge, thinking thatshare the same view as me.
Many people view elephants, or animals in general are, to be void of thought and reason, and
thus have no rights to be treated well. <<maybe here would be a good place to mention
speciesism and use Ryders name (or Singer/Dawkins)--would add scholarly credibility>>
Until human perceptions have been changed,Because of this perception on animals, elephants
will beare poached for their ivory without any consideration that theyelephants are a keystone
species, necessary for the well-being of an entire ecosystem. In addition,Because of this
perception on animals, the ivory trade, as well as terrorism funded by the ivory trade, will still
continue on.