Why would anyone want a sloth? I mean aside from the cute factor they are probably one of the most boring animals.
Sloth poaching in northwestern Colombia
21–24 of 24 posts
Re: Sloth poaching in northwestern Colombia
#22Earlier quoted context omitted.
So it’s OK to be cruel to species that aren’t endangered?
> So it’s OK to be cruel to species that aren’t endangered? Then my apologies, it's an appeal to emotions + moving the goalpost. It's ok for people to do things you may disapprove of as long as it's legal.
Making something legal does not magically make it morally acceptable. Conversely, there are countless example of things that are currently legal that are morally deplorable.
Re: Sloth poaching in northwestern Colombia
#23Sloths are amazing animals and the three-toed variety seen in this article is insanely cute but unfortunately for them, their cuteness makes them a desirable object for the tourist selfie industry and people who want them as pets and therefore a target for unscrupulous poachers. And since they're too slow and low on energy to defend themselves it means they're an easy target and most likely won't survive their captor…
"I wish Colombia would make the sloth trade illegal"
I think the article spelled out that it definitely is illegal. But that when there's no real punishment or rule of law, it simply doesn't get enforced.
"In January 2015, while Bedoya was awaiting trial, local police caught him selling sloths again. They let him go, according to Tovar, who says he doesn’t know why and had no jurisdiction to intervene."
When people are poor and desperate, they'll do what they have to to survive.
Amazing how important economic development + rule of law are.
Re: Sloth poaching in northwestern Colombia
#24Why would anyone want a sloth? I mean aside from the cute factor they are probably one of the most boring animals.
Because they are super cute. People are likely just driving back from vacation on the coast and don't think it through.