More African elephants are being killed for ivory than are being born, despite poaching levels falling for the fourth year in a row in 2015. The new data, released on UN world wildlife day on Thursday, shows about 60% of elephant deaths are at the hands of poachers, meaning the overall population is most likely […]
Tag: endangered species
POLL: Should ‘canned’ lion hunting be banned?
The documentary Blood Lions exposes South Africa’s controversial “canned” lion hunting industry. In canned hunts, captive-bred, often hand-reared lions are confined in enclosed spaces on private hunting reserves, guaranteeing marksmen easy trophy heads in exchange for fees of up to $50,000. With approximately 8,000 “ranch” lions to draw on, South Africa’s hunt operators can make […]
Maryland officials search for killer of 13 bald eagles found in field
Wildlife officials have said 13 bald eagles found dead in Maryland last month did not die from natural causes. A hunt for whomever killed the birds is under way. The bodies of the 13 eagles were found in a field in Federalsburg, Maryland on 20 February. It was first thought the birds may have fallen […]
Yellowstone’s Grizzly Bears Should Not Be Hunted
Touted as one of the greatest wildlife comeback stories in history, the recovery of Yellowstone grizzly bears reached a milestone this week. In a much anticipated, though highly controversial, move, the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service announced its intent to remove long standing federal protections for the bruins that make their home primarily in and around […]
POLL: Should the Louisiana black bear be kept on the endangered species list?
The Louisiana black bear, the animal credited with spawning the phrase “teddy bear”, is to be removed from the federal list of endangered wildlife following a two-decade conservation effort. The US Department of the Interior said the “conservation success” of the bear meant it no longer required the protection of the endangered species act, which […]
Saving the Blakiston’s fish owl
It’s not easy studying an endangered species few people have ever heard of: it’s difficult to raise money, build awareness, or quite simply get people to care. But still, Jonathan Slaght – one of the world’s only experts on the massive, salmon-eating, frog-devouring Blakiston’s fish owl – insisted there are upsides. “I had a conversation […]
POLL: Should the wildlife trade on Facebook be stopped?
From the Malayan sun bear to a blood python, Malaysians seem to have found a booming marketplace for wild animals on Facebook. Much of this online trade is carried out in closed Facebook groups, and involves live, high-profile and threatened species for which trade is strictly prohibited in Peninsular Malaysia, a five-month investigation by wildlife […]
POLL: Should the international trade in slow lorises be stopped?
In 2014, the Telegraph ranked slow lorises as one of the “top 10 internet superstar pets”. Unfortunately, the rising online popularity of slow lorises (Nycticebus spp.) as exotic pets is fueling the illicit trade in these animals. Japan, for example, is emerging as a major black market for illegally obtained slow lorises, researchers found in […]