In a historic victory for whales and dolphins, France just passed legislation that animal advocates hope will ultimately bring their captivity to an end. The new legislation bans captivity of whales, dolphins and porpoises, with exceptions for bottlenose dolphins and orcas who are already being held in aquariums, including those at Marineland Antibes, but it […]
Tag: captive breeding
POLL: Should travel companies stop supporting zoos?
In a win for animals, online travel agency company Responsible Travel has pledged to stop promoting zoos. The company will instead be working to support better ways for consumers to learn about and appreciate wildlife. Facilities that keep animals in captivity have continued to use education and conservation as major justifications for continuing the practice, […]
POLL: Should all tiger farms in China be closed down?
In China, around 6,000 captive tigers are raised on “farms,” often under inhumane conditions, and their pelts sold for hefty sums in a poorly regulated market upheld through legal loopholes by the Chinese government. Breeding tigers on these farms is legal, but sale of their parts is not — something that may be about to […]
Rare Philippine eagle chick born in captivity; boosts hope for the species
On December 7, a tiny Philippine eagle hatchling was born at the Philippine Eagle Foundation’s (PEF) conservation center in thePhilippines. This is the twenty sixth eaglet born at the center in 23 years, and the first offspring of a female named Go Phoenix and a male named MVP Eagle. “This hatching is a big breakthrough […]
California bans captive breeding of SeaWorld killer whales
The California Coastal Commission on Thursday approved a $100 million expansion of the tanks SeaWorld uses to hold killer whales in San Diego — but it banned breeding of the captive orcas that would live in them. Animal rights activists praised the decision as a death blow to the use of killer whales at the […]
Syrian bald ibis may be down to a single bird
The eastern population of northern bald ibises (Geronticus eremita) has likely fallen to a single breeding bird, reports conservationists monitoring the dwindling flock. The population had believed to be obliterated starting from 1989 until a small group was discovered in 2002 in Syria. However, it now appears that this last group is vanishing one-by-one despite […]
Rhino populations in Sumatra, Borneo should be combined to save Sumatran rhino from extinction
A new study argues for treating endangered Sumatran populations in Borneo and Sumatra as “a single conservation unit”, lending academic support to a controversial proposal to move wild rhinos from Malaysia to Indonesia. The paper, authored by an international team of rhino experts and published in the journal Oryx, says that genetic differences between the […]
World’s rarest duck on the rebound in Madagascar
After a final sighting in 1991, the Madagascar pochard was thought to have vanished for good. But this diving duck was rediscovered in 2006 when a flock of 22 individuals was found on Lake Matsaborimena in northern Madagascar by conservationists during an expedition. Soon after Madagascar pochard eggs were taken and incubated in a joint […]