From ‘What We know That Isn’t So’ by Thomas Gilovich

It is a great discredit to humankind that a species as magnificent as the rhinoceros can be so endangered. Unhappily the rhinoceros is not alone. Some years ago 600 bears were killed in the Great Smoky Mountains for their gallbladders – thought to be an effective aid for indigestion in Korea. To understand the severity of the slaughter it should be noted that the entire bear population in the Great Smoky Mountains is estimated to be about 600. The Chinese green-haired turtle has been trapped to near extinction in part because the Taiwanese believe that it can cure cancer...

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