Poached Not Scrambled Trivia Quiz

Answer: Pangolin

The pangolin's scales are made of keratin, the same material as human fingernails. The scales are sharp and hard, and the pangolin is able to curl into a ball when it is in danger, using its scales to protect the softer parts of its body. As well as scales, the pangolin has some other impressive features - its sticky tongue is longer than its body, and (like the skunk) it can produce a noxious secretion from its anal scent glands when threatened. Pangolins live in Asia and Africa and are hunted in both of those places, mainly for their meat, but also for their scales which are believed by some cultures to have medicinal properties.

(Question and information submitted by emiloony)

Answer: Palm cockatoo

The palm cockatoo is also known as the Goliath or great black cockatoo and is only found in the far north-east of Australia and New Guinea. Why they called it black is anybody's guess - because it isn't. Instead, it is a large greyish blue bird, with a very big beak and patches of red on both sides of its face. That beak enables it to break open the hardest of nuts, but is also used for a unique ritual possibly related to courtship. This takes place when the palm cockatoo breaks off one-inch-thick sticks and then beats them on the trunk of trees to produce a loud drumming sound that can be heard one hundred metres away. Incredible. Scientists are unsure why this Ringo Starr behaviour occurs but believe it is either to warn other birds away from its territory, OR to prove the tree is hollow enough for any female to create a nest and lay her eggs. Unfortunately for the world, this unique bird only lays one egg every two years, hence its endangered status - and its irresistible lure for those most despicable of creatures - poachers.

(Question and information submitted by Creedy)

Answer: Elephant tusk

According to an article in 'The Economist' and based on data gathered between 2011-2014, rhino horn sold for an astonishing $60,000 per kilo (compared to gold's price of $35,000 per kilo). Tiger bone sold for $29,000 per kilo. Whole bear gall bladder sold for $2,500 per kg in China, but as much as $100,000 per kg in Japan.

Elephant tusk can be used in Chinese medicine, but is mainly sold for decorative ivory. One of the cheaper illegally traded animal parts, this went for up to around $2,000 per kilo.

(Question and information submitted by VanCoerte)

Answer: Saola

Saola were only discovered in 1992 and so not much is known about these rarely seen mammals. They have an average height of 33 inches at the shoulder, with chocolate brown short fur, distinctive white facial markings and two short horns on both male and female. They are called 'Asian unicorn' due to their rarity, and not because they resemble a mythical one-horned creature.

Belonging to the subfamily Bovinae, these small cattle are on the critically endangered list due to poaching. Although not sought after themselves for medicine, fur pelts and meat, they are victims of other poaching practices. It is estimated a few dozen to a few hundred saola are still alive today, and these numbers are dwindling as they often walk into snares set out to trap other animals such as wild boar, civets and muntjac deer. Rangers successfully recovered well over 7,800 wire snares between October 2012 and March 2014 from the Phou Sithone Endangered Species Conservation Area in Laos, but other areas are targetted and it is an uphill struggle to get the poaching under control.

(Question and information submitted by Plodd)

Answer: Sea turtle

There are laws protecting sea turtles in most countries, but the illegal trade of eggs, meat, and shells means that turtles are still being poached. The trading of turtle eggs is very profitable and breaking the law is no deterrent to the poachers. Where the sea turtle is used for its shell and skin, the poachers make them into jewellery and trinkets for sale to tourists.

As the trading occurs across borders, monitoring the poaching and enforcing the law is difficult. This coupled with a lack of public awareness essentially means that the poaching of sea turtles, especially in more remote areas of the world, continues virtually unchecked.

Conservation programmes are now beginning in the hope that communities can be educated to see the benefits of a live sea turtle. They hope to convince the poachers and traders that the live sea turtles will be a tourist attraction. The conservation programme is also designed to heighten everybody's awareness of the plight of the sea turtle so that the buying of jewellery made from the shells will be perceived in the same way as buying products made from ivory.

(Question and information submitted by marym0901)

Answer: Dying giant pandas pink

Rhinos are often poached for their horns, which are believed to have medicinal properties in some Asian countries. The poison which is injected into the horn also contains a pink dye, so that poachers will be aware that the horn is poisonous and, therefore, unsuitable to be ground up into medicines.

The ploughshare tortoise, a native of Madagascar is poached for its beautiful shell. Carving letters and numbers into the shells allows conservationists to identify individual tortoises, as well as making the shell unattractive to poachers.

Individual elephants have had their tusks trimmed, to prevent them being targeted by poachers who want the valuable ivory. However, tusk trimming is somewhat controversial, and not practical for widespread use as a method of combating poachers.

(Question and information submitted by emiloony)

Answer: Coral

Coral reefs are important in providing habitats for many species of fish, arthropods, molluscs and other animals and marine plants. They are being put at risk through a variety of human activities including coral extraction for tourism and hobbyists.
While both plankton and krill are important food items for many species, neither is at risk through human intervention. Both fresh and dried jellyfish are consumed by humans in Eastern Asia, but not to the extent of endangering the wild population.

(Question and information submitted by Charlesw321)

Answer: More than twelve hundred

Despite a revival in numbers in the last twenty years, the rhino mostly survives within protected areas and sanctuaries. They are found almost entirely in four countries: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Namibia. The huge revival in poaching in recent years again threatens the survival of an animal that used to be numbered in the millions. (Source: WWF website)

(Question and information submitted by fallingman)

Answer: Helmeted curassow

Numbers of these magnificent birds are rapidly decreasing particularly in Colombia, due mainly to poaching. Within their Andes habitat, there are few birds of greater presence: the male bird weighs in at about 8 lbs whilst the female is slightly smaller. Their preferred diet consists mainly of fruit and insects, but they will also hunt for small mammals.

The other birds given as options are not found in South America. Blakiston's fish owls breed mainly in parts of Russia, China and Japan. As its name suggests, the Philippine eagle frequents mainly the forests of the Philippine islands, whilst the bearded vulture is found throughout the mountainous regions of Europe, Africa and Asia.

(Question and information submitted by moonraker2)

Answer: Gall bladder

The gall bladders are exported to Japan, Korea, Australia, Canada, and the US to be used in Chinese medicine. Bear bile is believed to be useful in treating conditions including sprains and fractures, conjunctivitis, hepatitis, and delirium. Ursodeoxycholic acid (more abundant in the bile of bears than in any other mammal) is found in the gallbladder. This substance can be useful in treating some liver disorders, but has been manufactured synthetically for years.

The population of moon bears (also known as Asiatic black bears) has decreased by approximately 40% over the past few decades. They are listed among the most critically endangered species on the International Union on Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.

(Question and information by sally0malley)