Stop budget cuts that will leave more wildlife dead

South Africa: Don't Cut Funding for Game Reserves Sign Now Dear friends, Just last month, South Africa passed a law to legalize the domestic trade in rhino horns, a slap in the face to conversationists and wildlife lovers everywhere. Now, it looks like they're doubling down on driving iconic species to extinction. The government's proposed budget cuts the operational budgets at state-run game reserves by 40 percent. That's a gift to poachers, who will certainly take advantage of the parks' strapped resources to kill more wildlife. If these cuts become reality, you can forget about hiring new rangers to make sure parks are patrolled more often. Heck, you can even forget about using patrol cars. Some park officials say that budget cuts this big means they won't even be able to afford gas. These cuts aren't only a disaster for wildlife, but also for people. Wildlife tourism is a major and thriving industry, but it relies on actually having wildlife for tourists to see. Allowing rhinos, elephants, leopards and more to be poached to extinction will lead to job losses as well as the end of critical species the world adores. Tell the government: Don't let up in the fight against wildlife poachers. Fully fund the game parks. Thank you,   Emily V. The Care2 Petitions Team