Trophy Hunting Pushing Marco Polo Sheep Toward Extinction
A rare species of sheep discovered by Marco Polo in the 13th century is edging closer to extinction due to increased trophy hunting in Central Asian countries, new research reports.
The species, once prominent in the Pamir Mountains on the border of China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan, now numbers around 10,000, according to George Schaller of the Science and Exploration Program of the Wildlife Conservation Society.
While political and economic troubles in the area have put the sheep at risk, researchers believe hunting by European and North American trophy hunters has put the species on edge. Unfortunately for the animal, they’re donned with enormous and ornate horns that make them a target of wealthy hunters. Companies like Alaska Hunting Safaris sell trips to kill the sheep for $35,000.
The companies advertising the hunts only pay around $6 for a permit to hunt the sheep and take advantage of notoriously corrupt agencies in charge of regulating the permits. The trophy hunters are well-aware that the species is near extinction, but seemingly do not care.
[Via: Young Turks]
How deplorable that these endangered sheep are hunted solely for the purpose of having its head or other body parts on someone’s trophy wall. What’s even sicker are the companies who profit from such unnecessary killing, all in the name of money.
You don’t know what you are talking about. these hunts provide much needed income for the local people. Instead of the locals killing the sheep indescrimatly for food they now protect them and the habitat because they now have become much more valuable. it’s just like in Africa– the countries that don’t allow sport hunting of elephants have none left or very few. Where there is sport hunting the numbers are growing and are healthy– check the facts.
OOh my god I kill so beatuful beast! (((
JUST READ A STORY ABOUT MARCO POLO SHEEP. IT SEEMS THAT THE LOCALS ARE ALREADY RESTRICTING THE HUNTING UNTILL THE HERDS BUILD BACK UP. FUNNY HOW THEY DID THIS WITHOUT GV’T FUNDING OR HELP FROM THE TREE HUGGERS.
What an absolute travesty!