PU TROM, Cambodia — The quiet life that Sambo leads today seems as distant from her past plight as the searing-hot streets she once trod as a tourist attraction in the far-off capital of Phnom Penh. “Elephants are not meant to walk on concrete,” says Jemma Bullock, deputy director at the Elephant Livelihood Initiative Environment […]
Tag: deforestation
Petition: Tell Brazil’s President to Protect the Amazon Rainforest
Environmentalists around the world were thrilled when Lula de Silva beat Jair Bolsonaro in the recent election in Brazil. Now, it is time for Lula to live up to the environmental claims of his campaign and give the Amazon Rainforest rights! Sign now to tell Lula to enshrine the Amazon’s right to exist into law! […]
U.S. traders flouting sanctions on buying Myanmar teak, report says
Vast quantities of timber from Myanmar continue to enter the United States despite sanctions on the country’s state-controlled timber monopoly, according to a new report from U.K.-based watchdog group the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). Following the February 2021 military coup and violent crackdowns on citizens, countries including the U.S., Canada, the European Union, Switzerland, and […]
Report links financial giants to deforestation of Paraguay’s Gran Chaco
Some of the world’s largest banks and financial institutions are helping to finance beef companies linked to the destruction of the Paraguayan Gran Chaco, according to a report published by rights group Global Witness. It lists investment giants BlackRock and Vanguard; lenders BNP Paribas, HSBC, Santander, J.P. Morgan and Bank of America; and pension fund […]
If Deforestation in the Amazon Continues, the Rainforest Could Become a Dry Savannah, Devastating Capybaras and Other Species
The Amazon Rainforest is one of the most biodiverse and ecologically significant regions on Earth. It is home to a staggering array of species, including the largest rodent in the world – the capybara. These adorable, water-loving creatures are an essential part of the Amazon’s delicate ecosystem, but they are now under threat due to […]
Deforestation could pose disease threat to Amazon’s white-lipped peccaries
Ongoing deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest jeopardizes multiple species, such as the white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari). It can also increase the risk of other threats like disease, potentially including spillover events from domestic animals. How this is impacting the species remains broadly unknown and understudied, according to a recent paper published in the journal Biological […]
Bear dens and ancient trees face onslaught of logging in Poland
We’re on the hunt for brown bear dens in Poland’s Carpathian mountains, on the border with Ukraine. The lairs lie within the gnarled caverns that naturally form at the base of decaying fir trees when they get to about 130 years old. Each den is slightly different – some have rocky bottoms, others have been […]
Climate Crisis and Deforestation Are Bringing Tree-Dwelling Primates Down to Earth
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance postdoctoral associate Timothy Eppley, Ph.D., was observing southern bamboo lemurs in Madagascar when he noticed something odd. Usually, these lemurs spend their entire lives in the trees. But in places where their forest habitat had been thinned by human activity, the primates would risk descending to the ground to search […]