The Global Community of Species

Animals do not follow national boundaries when they move about, so agreements between countries become critical to wildlife conservation. The 1975 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), for instance, ensures that commercial sales
of wild animals and plants take place in a way that does not hurt their survival. To date CITES protects some 5,000 species of animals and 28,000 species of plants. Unfortunately, the wildlife trade continues to decimate populations in countries that have not signed the treaty. A second major international attempt at wildlife preservation is described in the following sidebar “The Biodiversity Treaty.”

Currently 11 countries share 20 of the world’s largest preservation sites: Algeria, Australia, Brazil, Chad, China, Ecuador, Greenland, Italy, Saudi Arabia, United States, and Venezuela. South Africa, Kenya, and Namibia provide some of their preserved land for ecotourism, a segment of the travel industry that gives people an opportunity to see wildlife in their natural habitats. Ecotourism serves as an educational tool to raise awareness of endangered animals, and it puts money into local economies. Sadly, poachers and the illegal animal trade care little for ecotourism dollars and continue to make their income at the expense of wildlife.