March 2020 marked a somber anniversary. Three years ago, the Trump administration announced its so-called “energy dominance” doctrine, which, as the name implies has put energy development as the priority for our public lands. Since then, the administration has tried to lease a whopping 24.5 million acres of public land—land that is meant to be […]
Category: News
Malaysian authorities seize record 6 tons of African pangolin scales
Customs authorities in Malaysia have made one of their biggest ever seizures of African pangolin scales, recovering 6 tons of the contraband in a container at the country’s busiest port. Officials at Port Klang found the scales hidden beneath 63 sacks of cashew nuts on April 1. The shipment had been labeled as only containing […]
How Rearing, Hunting, Trading, Killing, Dissecting and Eating Animals Leads to Zoonotic Diseases like COVID-19
Two weeks ago, a friend greeted me with a bow and heartfelt “Namaste.” Three days later, a family member taught me how to “footshake.” In the face of COVID-19, people worldwide are ditching traditional handshakes, kisses, or nose-to-nose greetings in favor of touchless gestures with the Indian “Namaste” emerging as a global favorite. The speed […]
Poachers Kill More Rhinos as Coronavirus Halts Tourism to Africa
The past few weeks have not been easy for Nico Jacobs, founder of Rhino 911, a nonprofit that provides emergency helicopter transport for rhinoceroses in need of rescue in South Africa. That’s because times are much worse for the rhinos. Since South Africa announced a national lockdown on March 23 to limit the spread of […]
In Sri Lanka, gillnets targeting tuna claim dolphin lives
COLOMBO — For Nilantha Kodithuwakku, a naturalist involved in whale and dolphin-watching operations, it’s always a spectacular scene to witness pods of playful dolphins jumping and spinning in the air. But occasionally the scene he encounters is of dolphin carcasses, either floating or washed ashore, with the tail flukes missing.Charles Anderson, a marine biologist based […]
Whooping Cranes Need to Socially Distance, Too, According to New Report
Standing five feet tall and with a wingspan of nearly eight feet, the charismatic Whooping Crane is the tallest bird in North America. It also looms large as a conservation symbol. More than 800 Whooping Cranes survive in North America today—a monumental increase from a low of 16 in the 1940’s, when the population plummeted […]
Coronavirus: Putting the spotlight on the global wildlife trade
Conservation experts say the coronavirus pandemic, which likely originated at a market selling wild animals in China, is a watershed moment for curbing the global wildlife trade, which can drive extinction and spread disease. When Adam Peyman walked into a restaurant in Vietnam to order a meal he was shocked to find wild animals, including […]
Botswana Elephants Win a Reprieve as Virus Keeps Hunters at Home
Botswana’s controversial plan to resume elephant hunting has been largely thwarted by the global coronavirus pandemic, winning many of the 277 animals earmarked to be shot this year a reprieve. The country, which has the world’s biggest population of the animals, last year enraged conservationists by lifting a hunting ban that had been in place […]