US national arrested in South Africa on wildlife trafficking, weapons charges

US national arrested in South Africa on wildlife trafficking, weapons charges

A U.S. national has been arrested in South Africa on wildlife trafficking and firearms charges, South African authorities have announced. Derek Lewitton, a Texan, was arrested Dec. 22 following a raid on his Harmony Gate Estate ranch in Limpopo Province by the South African Police Services’ Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) units. Limpopo Police […]

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Petition: Demand Australia Enact a Ban on the Domestic Trade of Elephant Ivory and Rhino Horn

Petition: Demand Australia Enact a Ban on the Domestic Trade of Elephant Ivory and Rhino Horn

Canada’s recent landmark ban on the domestic trade of elephant ivory and rhino horn is a breakthrough for wildlife conservation. This bold move throws the spotlight on Australia, where despite strict compliance with international agreements, there’s a glaring inconsistency within the country’s borders. Australia’s states and territories each have their own set of rules regarding […]

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Southern White Rhinos to ReWilded after Purchase from Private Operation

Southern White Rhinos to ReWilded after Purchase from Private Operation

Two thousand captive southern white rhinos were purchased by the non-profit conservation organization African Parks in September of 2023. These southern white rhinos, which had been living in captivity as part of a breeding operation, represent between 12 and 15 percent of the remaining population of white rhinos in Africa. Their purchase represents an amazing […]

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The world's remaining rhinos are mostly in Africa [File: Daniel Irungu/EPA]

Malaysian nicknamed the ‘Godfather’ jailed in US for rhino horn trafficking – Video Investigation

Teo Boon Ching, a Malaysian wildlife trafficker known by a range of aliases including the Godfather, has been jailed for 18 months in the United States for smuggling hundreds of kilos of horns from endangered rhinoceros. Ching, 58, was arrested in Thailand on a US extradition request in June 2022, after a covert operation exposed […]

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African Parks to rewild 2,000 rhinos from controversial breeding program

African Parks to rewild 2,000 rhinos from controversial breeding program

On Sept. 4, African Parks, a multinational nonprofit conservation organization, announced that it had purchased Platinum Rhino, John Hume’s controversial intensive rhino breeding operation, and intended to rewild the more than 2,000 southern white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum simum) that came with it. The news was universally welcomed by those Mongabay has spoken to in South […]

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