After years of defending and supporting a legal domestic trade in ivory, China made a big announcement in September: It’s shutting down the trade. The United States is, too. Together, the presidents of both countries have made an unprecedented public pledge to put a stop to all ivory trading—legal and illegal. The U.S. is on track […]
Tag: endangered species
POLL: Should the trade in endangered wildlife species be banned?
Wildlife traffickers are exploiting a legal grey area to trade in highly lucrative protected lizard species at the world’s biggest reptile fair, a Guardian investigation has discovered. Endangered animals from Latin America, New Zealand and south-east Asia are being offered for sale at prices of up to €5,000 (£3,200) a pair on the sidelines of […]
Macedonia dam faces the axe over risk of Balkan lynx extinction
A controversial €100m (£71m) dam project in a Macedonian national park is expected to be scrapped after independent experts called for a halt to all funding and construction work because of risks to critically endangered species, including the Balkan lynx. A Bern Convention mission to the Mavrovo national park reported that the planned hydropower dam […]
Half of world’s rare antelope population died within weeks
More than half of the world’s population of an endangered antelope died within two weeks earlier this year, in a phenomenon that scientists are unable to explain. At least 150,000 adult saiga antelopes were buried during a fortnight in May, but scientists say the actual figure will be significantly higher as many more carcasses were […]
POLL: Should the ban on rhino horn trade be lifted?
Two South Africans who farm rhinos on game ranches appeared in court today in Pretoria seeking to overturn the country’s ban on the domestic rhino horn trade. John Hume and Johan Kruger argue that the ban, which has been in force since 2009, is unconstitutional. And they claim it has contributed to the recent sharp […]
Hunters are flying big game trophies into the UK
A hippo’s head, two leopard skulls and a pair of elephant ears were among more than a dozen hunting trophies imported to the UK within the past 12 months, The Telegraph can disclose. With the issue of trophy hunting under unprecedented scrutiny following the killing of Cecil the Lion in Zimbabwe, official records reveal the […]
POLL: Should all airlines ban the shipment of hunting trophies?
Three US airlines say they will no longer ship lion, leopard, elephant, rhino or buffalo killed by trophy hunters, in the latest fallout from the killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe last month. Delta Air Lines had a major change of heart about shipping hunting trophies, announcing on Monday afternoon that it would no […]
POLL: Should there be a ban on importing lion trophies?
Conservationists and politicians have called on the EU to ban the import of lion heads, paws and skins as hunters’ trophies from African countries that cannot prove their lion populations are sustainable. The slaughter of a radio-tagged lion called Cecil in Hwange national park by the American dentist, Walter Palmer, was described as a tragedy […]