“Lions and tigers, oh my!” Some know that animals like these are scary; other people believe that these animals are a beautiful creation of the Earth. Whether you fear powerful beasts or are simply in awe of them, it amazes many people when they realize how few of them are still alive. Rhinos, elephants, leopards, tigers, African lions and many other creatures are all considered endangered species and we are the reason they are considered so. The one thing all these animals have in common is their value. Rhinos are prized for their horns; Elephants for their tusks. Lions, tigers and leopards are all sought after for their skin. These magnificent beings are some of the main sources of poachers. Before diving headfirst into the many cruelties of poaching itself, there is one question to answer: why would anyone want to get involved in this practice of illegal animal hunting? Believe it or not, some see benefits to joining this “profession.” To explain these possible benefits, elephants and rhinos will be the main animals used in poaching. Referring to the details above, elephants are hunted for the ivory contained in their tusks. The cost of ivory has skyrocketed, and the price of ivory has risen to an exorbitant $1,000 a pound on the streets of Beijing, China, where ivory trading activity is more than double that of Europe and North America combined. The price of rhino horn has also increased dramatically to nearly $30,000 a pound because many residents in Asia believe that ground rhino horn is a cure for several deadly diseases such as cancer. These high prices that people are willing to pay create a great incentive for the paper people of the world willing to fight and take action against these actions, hope will always remain. The hope that all animals can live without fear of becoming obsolete due to man. Works Cited Gettleman, Jeffrey. “Elephants dying in epic frenzy while ivory fuels wars and profits.” The New York Times. The New York Times, September 3, 2012. Web. March 14, 2014. .Underwood, Fiona M., Robert W. Burn, and Tom Milliken. “Analysis of the Illegal Ivory Trade: An Analysis of Ivory Seizure Data.” Ed. Alejandro Raúl Hernandez Montoya. PLoS UNO 8.10 (2013): E76539. Press."The International." Continued poaching will lead to the degradation of fragile ecosystems —. Network. March 16. 2014. .