| The native people of Laos, China and other Asian | | | | A rapid development and growing affluence create |
| nations have taken advantage of the new road | | | | demand for more commercial hunting and trapping; an |
| intrastructure to escalate the demise of jungle | | | | increase in international trade; the emergence of |
| creatures big and small. Their partners in "crimes" | | | | increasingly sophisticated smuggling networks; an |
| against nature are European nations and the USA | | | | influx of weapons and technology; and easier access |
| consumers the buy and consume or wear the | | | | to wilderness areas because of road building by |
| harvested black market bushmeats and products in | | | | extractive industries. The opening of the Laotian |
| large quantities. | | | | economy like other native economies around the |
| According to United Nations, global trade in frog meat | | | | world, put a price on the heads of virtually all animals, |
| has soared in the past 20 years. France and the | | | | ranging from river insects to tigers. |
| United States are the two largest importers, with | | | | Overexploitation of wildlife for trade, must be |
| France importing between 2,500 and 4,000 tons each | | | | addressed in a respectful sensitive, effective and fair |
| year since 1995. Indonesia exports more than 5,000 | | | | honest manner for local people. This is a great |
| tons annually, mostly to Europe. Frogs' legs are also | | | | delicate educational and economic challenge that has |
| very popular in Asian cuisine. | | | | the potential to open the way outside investment |
| Until twenty-five years ago, hundreds of tigers | | | | that has recently become a flood. Like other |
| roamed large swaths of relatively untouched jungle in | | | | forest-dependent people, rural Lao long relied on |
| Laos. But in recent years particularly in the last | | | | hunting to supplement their rice-dominated diet with |
| decade development, deforestation, and a booming | | | | protein. But the opening of the economy put a price |
| traffic in wildlife have reduced Laotian tiger population | | | | on the heads of virtually all animals, ranging from river |
| to 50 or fewer individuals, according to Johnson and | | | | insects to tigers. This along with the lack of wildlife |
| other scientists. The main driver of the rapid | | | | education and preservation, combined with an |
| depletion of tigers and scores of other species of | | | | abundance of left over weapons from years of war, |
| birds, animals, and reptiles is the growing affluence of | | | | gave hunters the incentive and the tools to convert |
| neighboring Thailand, Vietnam, and especially China, | | | | rich biodiversity into cash. |
| where a vast new market for wildlife products has | | | | This scenario has been repeated around the world |
| arisen. | | | | many times a day and the result both on land, sea |
| Laos is the latest front in the struggle to rein in an | | | | and in the air are world has become poorer as these |
| underground global trade that every year kills tens of | | | | animals, plants, insects, birds, reptiles and amphibians |
| millions of wild birds, mammals, and reptiles to supply | | | | go silent because we have chosen this consumer |
| multi-billion dollar markets around the world. | | | | mentality, but we can make and are making better |
| The U.S. and Europe rank among the largest buyers | | | | choices. |
| of elephant ivory and tiger parts and frog, monkey | | | | Everyone can help. |
| and game animal (commonly referred to as | | | | Refuse to buy, eat or wear products or use |
| bushmeat.) along with the exotic pet/medicine trade | | | | cosmetics made from wild animals at the expense of |
| takes a heavy toll on wildlife not just in Laos, but | | | | the biodiversity of our beloved planet. |
| around the world in Southeast Asia, the Russian Far | | | | Yes, we can save our world. |
| East, Africa, and even North America. | | | | |