Rhinos, giraffes, cheetahs and other endangered species face a new threat in Zimbabwe’s Hwange national park: Chinese mining companies. Zhongxin Coal Mining Group and Afrochine Smelting have received permission from the government to begin environmental impact assessments for drilling, land clearance, road building and geological surveys at two proposed sites inside the park, which is […]
Tag: elephants
Petition: Ban ALL Ivory Imports to the United States
Although importing ivory to the U.S. has banned since the 1989 moratorium, there is a legal exception; sport-hunted trophies. The legal loophole permits Americans to shoot elephants and import the ivory into the USA. And it isn’t just the ivory. Safari hunters bring back elehant hide and the leather makes belts, ladies purses & gun […]
Thousands of elephants in Asia ‘beaten into fear and submission’ for tourists
Scrubbing behind the ears of a docile Asian elephant at a sanctuary outside of Kandy, Sri Lanka, I should have realised this wasn’t normal behaviour for a wild animal to allow me so close. At the time, back in 2009 and thousands of miles from home, it seemed harmless. I was also told the experience […]
Game guide killed after being gouged by elephant in Kruger Park
A young man who worked as a guide at the Thornybush River Lodge has died after an elephant gouged his leg and chest on Tuesday. Sheldon Hooper, 27, was in the field doing routine inspections at the lodge, which is inside the Kruger National Park, when he and a co-worker came across a family of […]
Life After the Tourist Trade for Thailand’s Elephants
Thailand has a total population of 5,000 elephants. But of that number, 3,000 live in captivity, carrying tourists on their backs and offering photo opportunities made for social media. With the corona crisis, tourism revenues have plummeted, and those who make a living from elephants’ tourism appeal are struggling even to cover their costs. A […]
A taste of honey: how bees mend fences between farmers and elephants
Watchtowers in trees, tripwire alarms, radio collars, chilli smoke and beehive fences: scientists and conservationists across Asia and Africa are coming up with safe and humane ways to keep elephants at bay and reduce conflict with humans. In early June, the agonising death of a pregnant wild elephant that ate an explosives-filled pineapple in India […]
Petition: Strengthen Animal Cruelty Laws in Sri Lanka to Protect Elephants
Have you ever scrolled through social media feed and seen a picture of someone riding an elephant, a video of an elephant painting, or some kind of post that included a wild animal in an unnatural environment? While these posts may seem cute or exciting, the reality for these wild animals tells a different story. […]
Calls for swift action as hundreds of elephants die in Botswana’s Okavango Delta
Nearly 400 elephants have died in Botswana’s Okavango Delta since March, in what wildlife experts say is one of the largest elephant mortality events ever recorded. Conservationists have criticized the government’s handling of the matter and are urging them to speed up investigations. Botwsana’s environment ministry registered the first of these unexplained elephant deaths in […]
