This story was produced in collaboration with Bellingcat. JAKARTA — A new report by Mongabay and independent journalism organization Bellingcat has uncovered several Facebook groups selling protected species in Indonesia, one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. In a Facebook group whose Indonesian name translates to “West Bogor Animal Selling and Trading Forum,” […]
Tag: endangered species
Petition: Find Who Allegedly Killed a Protected Bald Eagle
Bald eagles are the national bird in the U.S., and have only recently recovered from being an endangered species. They are federally protected – meaning it is illegal to kill them. But that didn’t stop someone in the southern state of Louisiana from shooting and mortally wounding one of these majestic birds. Sign the petition […]
Countries Agree to New Protections for Imperiled African Hornbills
Countries agreed Wednesday to new limits on the international trade in African hornbills. The spectacular birds, which play a key role in African forest ecosystems, are threatened by the growing global sale of hornbill parts. The new restrictions were agreed to at a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species now underway […]
People Are Using TikTok to Sell Endangered Animals to Eat
Critically endangered animals are being advertised for sale as bushmeat on TikTok, a new study finds. The work, published recently in Nature Conservation, underscores the growing role social media plays in the global illegal wildlife trade. Bushmeat—meat sourced from wild animals—is commonly eaten in many African and some Asian countries. Though some people hunt for […]
Cuddling capybaras and ogling otters: the problem with animal cafes in Asia
The second floor of an unassuming office building in central Bangkok is a strange place to encounter the world’s largest rodent. Yet here, inside a small enclosure with a shallow pool, three capybaras are at the disposal of dozens of paying customers – all clamouring for a selfie. As people eagerly thrust leafy snacks toward […]
It skims the moors like a ghost, sports a wingspan wider than your outstretched arms and can drop on prey with pinpoint precision
The elegant hen harrier is perhaps the most iconic bird of prey in the uplands of northern England, but it is also one of the most endangered bird of prey in Britain. These large raptors wheel and soar above the moorland and, in late spring, perform a spectacular ‘sky dance’, exchanging tokens of their affection […]
Trump officials reveal plan to roll back regulations in Endangered Species Act
The Trump administration presented a new plan to roll back regulations in the Endangered Species Act (ESA) on Wednesday, a move experts fear will accelerate the extinction crisis if adopted. The proposed changes would allow the federal government more power to weigh economic impact against habitat designations, remove safeguards against future events – including the […]
Inside the illegal eel trade: is there a way to stop Europe’s biggest wildlife crime before it’s too late?
By 10am on the midsummer Day of the Ox, the city of Narita smells of charcoal and sugar. The cobbled road is thronged with visitors lining up to buy grilled eel, a traditional delicacy believed to cool the body and keep spirits up in the humid weather. “We’ll be so sad if it becomes extinct […]