Illicit animal trade

I applaud the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for planning to implement further restrictions to try to save elephants and rhinos from extinction.

The United States is a substantial market for both legal and smuggled elephant ivory. It continues to have a role as a consumer and transit point for illicit ivory and rhino horn.

Other countries, such as Vietnam, Thailand and Japan, are legal and illicit consumers and marketeers of animal parts. China has possibly already eradicated its own wild tigers for medicinal uses. We must not allow the continued decimation of elephants, rhinos, tigers, and other animals because of these governments’ policies.

If we hope to have these magnificent creatures alive for even another generation, then we must boycott wildlife consumer countries and all of their products.

This story was originally published July 9, 2014 at 1:00 AM with the headline "Illicit animal trade."