Hippo by Ralph Steadman and Ceri Levy
Hippopotamus - Earth
Humans, overall, make terrible neighbours for much of the world’s wildlife. As our numbers grow, we demand an increase of land and habitat to create settlements, crops and roads tailored to our needs. This invariably means pushing out existing species in the name of progress. This loss of habitat is problem number 1 for the mighty hippo, the third largest land mammal in the world, after elephants and white rhinos. But persecution can take many forms and for the hippo this also means hunting for meat and its ivory teeth. Sadly, the strengthening of ivory laws and bans designed to protect wildlife, has not included hippo teeth leading to a potential increase in ivory poaching in hippopotamus communities. The conservation status of this creature stands as vulnerable, which means it is receiving less concern than it would if it was considered endangered or critically endangered. Why do we have to consistently let things get so far out of hand before reacting to help a neighbour? Baffling.
Fact: WildAid works to raise awareness about the critical threats to animals and their habitats, reduce consumer demand for wildlife products like ivory, and help governments strengthen enforcement efforts to tackle the illegal wildlife trade across the globe.
