"Anthony Wall - The Eden Mission (2)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wall Anthony)

human callousness. Not only do we slaughter our fellow creatures for pleasure
and profit, we also destroy their habitat and capture them for zoos, the pet
trade and vivisection ..."

The spotlight faded and another picture appeared on screen. A rhinoceros.

One of fewer than 10,000 left alive, Bellingham reported. In 1970 there were
100,000. But ruthless hunting drastically reduced the population ... and the
carnage was continuing. Poachers killed rhinos for their horn. Some of it went
to North Yemen to make dagger handles, the majority to East Asia to be ground
into medicine. The Chinese believed that powdered horn cured colds, measles,
nosebleeds, vomiting, heart weakness. The Japanese claimed it fought fever.
Certain people even swore by it as a love potion.

"Most poachers are poor. So the temptation to earn money by any means, however
risky, is very strong. They may work as farmers for ┬г400 a year - less than
they'd be paid for a single horn. A merchant will sell it to consumers for
┬г95,000 and upwards."

More slides followed.

A chimpanzee. Valued at ┬г3,300 on the black market. Much in demand for
bio-medical research, travelling acts, photography, tourist attractions and
the television and film industries.

A hyacinth macaw. Going price ┬г8,500 to an avid collector.

A peregrine falcon. Bought by Arab falconers for ┬г1,000 each. Seeing the
peregrine, Gary forgot everything else. His favourite bird! It could swoop at
over two hundred miles an hour, spot its prey more than five miles away.
Peregrines had once nearly died out in Britain through eating pigeons which
had fed on grain sprayed with pesticides ...

Bellingham's voice broke into the boy's reverie. He was talking about Amazon
dolphins. These gentle creatures, already threatened by pollution and
river-damming schemes, were being killed--their eyeballs sold as ornaments and
lucky charms in cities such as Rio de Janeiro.

Gary grunted disgustedly, and Susan's face showed her feelings.

The naturalist then mentioned another "charming practice": eating bear paws.
Considered a delicacy in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, the paws of
hunted bears are imported from China.
"The wildlife trade is a worldwide business, worth billions of pounds. There
are strict rules to control that trade. However, some countries don't agree to
them. Others say they do, but allow crooks and cheats to get away with
murder--animal murder. That's just one of the reasons why The Eden Mission is
a top priority ..."

Bellingham glanced quickly at his watch. "I see time is running out. A few