Heavy pesticide use promised larger crops, but song birds were not deterred by the poisons. They, in turn, were consumed by the peregrines and the pesticides secondarily ingested caused eggshell thinning and early embryonic death, among other things in these raptors. In Western Europe, North America and elsewhere, it was ultimately the legislators who banned the poisons at the insistence of biologists and informed citizens. These actions have been responsible for saving peregrines and other birds of prey over much of their range. The same has been true of protecting much of the world's fragile species from trapping and over hunting.
People CAN make the difference.
In Africa, poaching has reached astronomical proportions. Hunting illegally means putting food on the table for one's family. It is for some the only way to survive. Continent-wide meetings have taken place in Africa where solutions to this problem are being sought by wildlife managers. In at least one country, a new program is emerging that seems to hold much promise for protecting animals from poaching.