11 Photos That Prove Animals Need Our Help On World Wildlife Day

<p> Courtesy of IFAW </p>
<p> Courtesy of IFAW </p>

Every 15 minutes, an elephant is killed for its ivory to be carved into trinkets no one needs.

Poaching of rhinos in South Africa has increased nearly 10,000 percent since 2007 for unproven medicinal uses.

100 million sharks are killed each year for their fins – only so the elite can enjoy soup at luxurious banquets.

Less than 4,000 tigers remain in the wild in part because their bones and pelts fetch high prices for dubious medicinal purposes and decorations.

By 2050, if nothing changes, polar bear populations will decline by two-thirds, mostly due to climate change, but exacerbated by the fact that some sport hunters think a polar bear head on their wall makes for good décor.

34,000 whales have been killed despite a global ban on commercial whaling.