Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, from Netflix’s Tiger King, has recently pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to launder money and conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act. These charges have rocked the world of exotic animal ownership and have once again shed light on the dark underbelly of the wildlife trade industry. Antle, a zoo owner known […]
Tag: wildlife trafficking
![The world's remaining rhinos are mostly in Africa [File: Daniel Irungu/EPA]](https://focusingonwildlife.com/news/wp-content/uploads/10494899-1695265748.jpg "Malaysian nicknamed the ‘Godfather’ jailed in US for rhino horn trafficking - Video Investigation")
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 […]
Good news: Big Cat Public Safety Act rules are now a reality
For over a decade, we have been fighting hard to prevent the suffering and abuse of captive big cats, confronting a dangerous industry and the individuals who take advantage of these animals. And we celebrated in December of last year when President Biden signed the Big Cat Public Safety Act into law. The fundamental goals […]
The Fate of 1,000 Endangered Monkeys Hangs in the Balance: What You Can Do to Help
Last year, over 1,000 endangered long-tailed macaques found themselves at the center of a US government investigation into wildlife trafficking. These juvenile monkeys are now at risk of being killed or returned to Cambodia, where they may be laundered and re-trafficked. The long-tailed macaque was elevated from “vulnerable” to “endangered” in 2022, partly due to […]
Thai Poaching Kingpin Sentenced to Prison
After years of investigations and appeals, Bach “Boonchai” Mai, the alleged leader of a major international wildlife trafficking ring, has been sentenced to five years in prison by the Thai Supreme Court. Mai was convicted of attempting to smuggle 14 rhino horns into Thailand, but his network, Hydra, has been involved in trafficking ivory, rhino […]
‘Finch-smuggling kingpin’ sentenced to prison for bird trafficking into US
A man who repeatedly admitted scheming to smuggle finches from Guyana into New York for birdsong competitions was sentenced on Thursday to a year and a day in prison. It was Insaf Ali’s second time being sentenced in a Brooklyn federal court for a crime related to bird trafficking, and he vowed it would be […]
The illegal jaguar trade is thriving online. Why aren’t governments stopping it?
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO — Purchasing illegal jaguar parts — from teeth to skins to claws — doesn’t always involve seeking out the dark, nefarious corners of the black market. Often, they can be found with a quick Google search. Or by pursuing social media sites and online marketplaces. A new report from the Wildlife Conservation […]
Major wins for sharks and other wild animals in key legislative package
There have been some massive wins for animals recently in the U.S., as the Congress acts to pass some protections we’ve been championing for years. Right on the heels of the Big Cat Public Safety Act’s resounding passage, two additional animal protection measures were wrapped into the National Defense Authorization Act, which authorizes funding levels […]