There may be a glimmer of hope for the extremely rare vaquita porpoise, the world’s smallest cetacean, a group that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. The vaquita is also the most threatened marine mammal in the world, nearly extinct because of entanglement in fishing nets. The latest expeditions to survey the mammal in the northern […]
Tag: illegal trade
Study Finds That the Wildlife Trade Affects One-Fifth of Vertebrates on Land
All animals with a backbone are called vertebrates. These include mammals, bird, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. A recent study found that a devastation one-fifth of vertebrates that live on land are bought and sold in the wildlife trade. More than 30,000 species of mammal, bird, amphibian and reptile were surveyed. The study, published in Science […]
29 Cheetah Cubs Rescued From Wildlife Smugglers
Twenty-nine cheetah cubs, destined to be sold as pets, have been rescued from an illegal smuggling trade in Somaliland. Four Paws, a global animal welfare organisation and the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) said in a statement, that the orphaned cubs were confiscated in Somaliland, the main transit route for cheetahs trafficked out of East Africa. […]
Poachers Are Invading Botswana, Last Refuge of African Elephants
In September, conservationists in Botswana discovered 87 dead elephants, their faces hacked off and tusks missing. Poaching, the researchers warned, was on the rise. The news had international repercussions. Botswana had been one of the last great elephant refuges, largely spared the poaching crisis that has swept through much of Africa over the past decade. […]
Petition: Ask Myrtle Beach Safari to Stop Exploiting Animals on Social Media!
Myrtle Beach Safari is under fire for exploiting animals on their social media accounts. A video went viral of one of their chimps scrolling through Instagram. At first glance, it might appear funny or adorable, but it’s actually quite terrible. There are multiple reasons why this kind of post is dangerous. Firstly, it’s the exploitation […]
New project tackles illegal trade in vulture body parts
In Nigeria and across Africa, vultures are being killed so that their body parts can be used for various belief-based practices, including traditional medicine. This is a severe threat for a group of birds already beleaguered by poisoning and habitat loss. But on the 8th of May, scientists, officials and community members gathered at Lekki […]
Suspected totoaba poachers shot by authorities in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez
Three suspected totoaba poachers were reportedly shot yesterday by Mexican marines following a confrontation over illegal gillnets that had been confiscated. According to local news outlet Fronteras, the governor of the Mexican state of Baja California, Francisco Vega, has confirmed that three people were injured in a shootout between suspected poachers and Mexican marines early […]
Chinese ‘Queen of Ivory’ sentenced to 15 years in jail for tusk trafficking
A Tanzanian court has sentenced Yang Fenglan, a Chinese national dubbed the “Queen of Ivory,” to 15 years in prison for smuggling the tusks of more than 350 African elephants over several years. Yang, 69, was arrested in 2015 and charged with trafficking 860 ivory pieces, which, according to authorities, were worth at least $5.6 […]
