Through the campaign "Haikus against wildlife trafficking", WCS seeks to raise awareness about the threat of wildlife trafficking that threatens the biological diversity that characterizes Bolivia.
Remembering our connection with nature, through three verses and a pattern of 5-7-5 syllables, is the proposal of the "Haikus against wildlife trafficking" campaign of WCS, within the framework of the Alliance for Wildlife and Forests, a regional action financed by the European Union. Haiku is a traditional form of Japanese poetry often inspired by nature. Through this popular poetic genre, the campaign seeks to raise awareness and make an urgent appeal for the growing illegal trade of many of our most beloved species: the jaguar (Panthera onca), the red-fronted parrot (Ara rubrogenys), the blue-bearded parrot (Ara glaucogularis), among many others.
Bolivia is one of the 15 megadiverse countries on the planet. It is home to 432 mammal, 1438 bird, 386 reptile, 284 amphibian and 1100 fish species, several of which are endemic. Sadly, wildlife trafficking is a threat to this diversity. There is an illegal market that profits from the sale of wildlife species, both flora and fauna, threatening their survival. This type of trafficking also causes enormous suffering to the animals and robs them of the possibility of living free, since they are removed from their habitat at an early age and do not know any environment other than captivity, losing their ability to survive in their natural habitat.
Although the authorities have been implementing actions to address this problem and to ensure compliance with environmental regulations that safeguard wildlife, there are actions that citizens can take to help reduce the demand for these animals in illegal markets. One of these actions is to be better informed and support the dissemination of information about the risks involved in wildlife trafficking. That is why the "Haikus against wildlife trafficking" campaign aims to raise public awareness and call on poets, writers and civil society in general to get involved and become allies in the protection of biodiversity. Sharing these collective forms of expression is essential for the conservation of our natural resources.
The reception of the campaign so far has been very positive, through Facebook and the hashtag #haikuscontraeltráficodevidasilvestre several poems have been published, some of them by renowned poets in the country, as is the case of Homero Carvalho. Similarly, the campaign has been amplified in other social media by journalists committed to the defense of wildlife.