Chinese Superstar Champions End to Wildlife Trafficking

Former NBA star Yao Ming works to help endangered wildlife.

Former basketball player Yao Ming is using his superstar status to rally public support for saving endangered species.

As an ambassador for WildAid, an international nongovernmental organization dedicated to ending wildlife trafficking, Yao made his first visit to Africa in August to film a documentary on the economic importance of wildlife tourism and how this is threatened by poaching.

In his blog describing his experiences, Yao, a Chinese citizen, noted how rhino populations are being decimated for their horns, which, contrary to folklore, have no medicinal properties.

During his stop in South Africa he wrote: “It’s clear that South Africans feel the same way about their rhinos as we Chinese do about our pandas. They are a source of inspiration and great national pride as we brought them back from what looked like inevitable extinction.”

The United States government has a long-standing commitment to combating illegal trade in threatened and endangered species. In 2005, it created a partnership called the Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking that includes the World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, the Wildlife Conservation Society and WildAid. WildAid is headquartered in the United States and has offices in China, India, Canada, Ecuador's Galapagos Islands and England.

You can read Yao Ming’s blog here: Yao’s Journey to Africa.