Posts tagged as:

traditional medicine

Mammalthon 2: Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia)

by JR Kinyak on May 3, 2008

in Carnivores,Mammalthons

click image to enlarge

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Here’s the first of several mammals requested by my dad for this second 24-Hour Mammal Marathon. A nice start, this furry and beautiful animal, don’t you think? Snow leopards live in the mountains of central Asia and are very endangered. They’re hunted for their coats, used in traditional Asian medicines, and killed when they prey on livestock. Then there’s the ubiquitous habitat destruction, not only of the snow leopard’s habitat but also that of its prey, which means it has trouble finding food.

The ‘thon is on!

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via FoxyTunes

Tagged as: cat, endangered, threats, traditional medicine

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Saiga Antelope (Saiga tatarica)

by JR Kinyak on December 19, 2007

in Ungulates

Check in throughout the day on Saturday, December 22, to see 24 Mammals in 24 Hours!


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I just love these guys; sadly, saigas are severely endangered, owing to habitat destruction and, especially, widespread poaching—their horns are a valuable ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. In fact, their numbers have plummeted almost 95 percent in less than 20 years, a rate that is unheard of and very alarming.

They live on the steppes of central Asia. Some think their strange proboscis helps filter out the dust; others think it heats up the air they breathe before it reaches their lungs.

I came snout-to-snout with a stuffed saiga specimen at the Wagner Free Institute of Science in Philadelphia. I hope I can see a live one someday. I hope it’s even possible.

The saiga is number 62 on the EDGE list of 100 evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered species.

Saiga conservation in Russia

Tagged as: antelope, endangered, humans, threats, traditional medicine

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