Case Study Assignment Write a case study on a policy issue that is pertinent to the general topic. For this assignment, research a case of your choice determined through consultation with your tutor.

Rahim Mazhar Assignment 1 3

Global Threats to Wildlife

Wildlife is something as any specie of organism, either plants, animals, or from any other kingdom that lives in its natural environment without interruption by human activities (Kucuk, Guney, Evcin, & Akturk, 2017). Elephants, from higher animal groups and being largest among terrestrial environment, are old companions of man. They have been located randomly in different regions of the world hence used diversely for social, political, religious, and recreational purposes. This specie also enhances the aesthetic beauty of forests (Everett, 2016).

Despite such intrinsic value, a significant decline in their population is seen even across Africa. Central Africa and Tanzania have drastically lost more than half of its elephant population. Causes behind such a massive loss are deforestation and climate change as for any extinction, but here the addition of behavioural abuse by humans has also observed (Kopnina, 2016). These include the improper care and treatment of Zoo elephants just because it becomes expensive to care for them keenly. Circus elephants are also the victims of this social abuse; their owners treat them harshly and strictly to make them dutiful. The most astonishing fact seen for such brutal treatment was the domestication of wild elephants by an ancient tradition “Phajaan” in Karen, Thailand. Another such cause is the killing of elephants as a punishment to destroy their crops and sometimes just in fear of any damage of property (Kopnina, 2016).

s , concerned authorities have initiated numbers of conservation plans, including management, protection of their natural habitat, sufficient water resources, awareness among people of Africa, claiming that survival of this species is essential for a sustainable ecosystem (Daszak, 2000). They require to trace the chain of hunters that commit poaching, to manage the trade of ivory strictly. All of these measurements are made collaboratively across the borders.

An ethical point of view requires that human beings should respect the dignity and existence of every non-human. Nobody has the right to use any animal as their property, even in personal captivity. Due to the close interaction of elephants and humans, community conservational plans must be implemented.

References

Daszak, P. (2000). Emerging Infectious Diseases of Wildlife-- Threats to Biodiversity and Human Health. Science, 287(293), 443–449. doi: 10.1126/science.287.5452.443

Everett, R. D. (1979). The functions of wildlife and their possible use for deriving site selection components. Biological Conservation, 16(3), 207–218. doi: 10.1016/0006-3207(79)90022-3

Kopnina, H. (2016). Wild Animals and Justice: The Case of the Dead Elephant in the Room. Journal of International Wildlife Law & Policy, 19(3), 219–235. doi: 10.1080/13880292.2016.1204882

Kucuk, O., Guney, K., Evcin, O., & Akturk, E. (2017). Threat Analysis and Proposed Solutions for Elekdag Wildlife Development Area. Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, 51(53). doi: 10.5530/ijper.51.3s.56