13 Scary Facts About Wildlife
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Born Free USA
October 2014

In the spirit of Halloween, Born Free brings you 13 scary facts about wildlife...

The Scariest Thing You’ll Read This Halloween... 

Sadly, the world can be a very frightening place for animals. So, in the spirit of Halloween, I bring you 13 scary facts about wildlife. [For more details about any of these issues, please visit BornFreeUSA's website]:

1. There are more tigers in captivity in Texas than there are in the wild worldwide.

2. The U.S. is the second largest ivory market in the world, after China. New York is likely home to the largest ivory market in the U.S.

3. An estimated 35,000 to 50,000 elephants are poached every year for their ivory.

4. Approximately 10,000 bears are confined to farms in China, Korea, and Vietnam where they are brutally "milked" for their bile.

5. Lions could become extinct in our lifetime. Approximately 35,000 African lions remain in the wild, declining more than 50% since 1980.

6. 28 states allow canned hunting: more than 1,000 captive hunts. African antelopes and lions are bred and hunted in Texas; wild red foxes are caught, released, and chased down by dogs in Virginia; and elk in Colorado are born, raised, and shot in a pen.

7. Since 1990, more than 200 people—including dozens of children—have been injured by captive primates in the U.S.

8. 99% of primates who are imported into the U.S. are used for research—while sanctuaries are not allowed to import any primates.

9. 54% of National Wildlife Refuges allow cruel trapping. These lands are not safe havens for humans, wildlife, or pets.

10. Only six northern white rhinos are left on the planet, and rhinos in South Africa are being poached in greater numbers every year to supply horns to Asia.

11. Born Free USA has recorded 228 captive exotic animal incidents in the U.S. alone since 2013. These cases underscore the dangers of interacting with exotic animals.

12. Six states do not require a license or permit to own exotic animals.

13. 90% of foxes raised on farms are killed for the fur trim market. The number of animal pelts used for trim may soon outnumber those used for full-length coats.

I ask you to take a moment this Halloween to think about the cruelty and fear that so many wild animals endure in the name of 'entertainment,' 'fashion,' or 'companionship.'

Together, we can make the world a much less frightening place for wildlife.


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