Highest Rated Comments


ECooperConsulting62 karma

I love the work, but it is very difficult to stay positive. There is so much bad news about global wildlife conservation it gets disheartening. I am constantly reminding myself of the successes to keep motivated. If I didn't think I was making a difference I would do something else a bit easier...

ECooperConsulting57 karma

LOL! You couldn't have planned out my career path! As a kid I decided to become a biologist when I was 8 years old. I originally planned to be a herpetologist but ended up going into marine biology when I got to university. I eventually started working in the research dept. at a public aquarium, researching the early life histories of larval marine fish and inverts. While working there I was offered a side contract to identify wildlife products detained by Canada Custome for CITES enforcement...and my career took a huge left turn! I was eventually offered a job with the Canadian government as a wildlife inspector. So I was a biologist first, and then moved into the world of enforcement and criminology...

ECooperConsulting28 karma

Well, not as far as I can tell. The belief in Traditional Chinese Medicine is ingrained in Chinese (and other) culture. It is exceptionally difficult to diminish the market for medicinal products, even if there is no evidence that they don't work.

ECooperConsulting27 karma

Thank you. I would very much like to see other countries emulate the Mexican approach. I was thinking about that yesterday. Poaching and smuggling of Brazilian tarantulas is a real problem. They are protected by Brazilian law, but of course there is great incentive to circumvent the law, and limited resources for Brazilian authorities. I was wondering whether a regulated captive-breeding program like the Mexican UMA program could be used to help reduce smuggling...

ECooperConsulting25 karma

Yup, been there. Look for opportunities to volunteer to gain experience. Be willing to do the tough unpopular jobs to gain experience. When I first started it was very difficult to get work in biology. I worked in labs "picking bugs" (sorting benthic samples) and did a lot of field work...living in tents and working in the pouring rain. If you can afford it, do some volunteer work overseas, that shows clear commitment on your part and helps to make connections.