As a clear morning dawned on May 18, 2021, a baby was born. She was a gorilla, born to the Mapuwa family, one of 10 gorilla families in Virunga National Park, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. A month later, news broke that another gorilla, Mafuko from the Bageni family, was born on June […]
Tag: illegal trade
Fake it till you save it? Synthetic animal parts pose a conservation conundrum
Twice a year, thousands of members of South Africa’s Nazareth Baptist Church clothe themselves in spots and walk to their holy grounds in KwaZulu-Natal province to take up a dance. Following the swell of horns and the pounding of a drum, more than 1,500 male dancers move together, their stamping feet and upraised arms swinging in […]
Stop the Illegal Wildlife Trade: Animal populations fall by 62% where wildlife trade occurs, study reveals
A major analysis of hundreds of species of animals has revealed the huge toll the world’s booming wildlife trade is taking on the natural world. Without urgent action, the world is facing “rampant trade-induced declines” of mammals, birds and reptiles, the authors of the research said. In places where the wildlife trade is active, species have […]
Ivory by any other name: Illegal trade thrives on eBay, study finds
Two miniature sculptures sold on eBay in December 2020: a tiny egg with a chick hatching through the shell, and an intricately carved man in traditional Japanese dress with a rat perched on his shoulder. The egg sold for $195 and the figure for $1,345. But there’s a problem. Both objects are made from a […]
Tackling illegal killing, taking and trade of birds in Sub-Saharan Africa
As part of our effort to curb the devastating damage wreaked by the bird trade, BirdLife has embarked on a study to compile all existing information about bird killing, trapping and trade in Sub-Saharan Africa. We’re inviting you to get in touch with any information that can help us fill in the gaps. A bustling […]
Brazil’s blue macaws, golden lion tamarins back in traffickers’ sights
Experts at two of Brazil’s leading wildlife conservation bodies are on high alert following a spate of seizures of hyacinth macaws and golden lion tamarins from alleged traffickers in recent years. The illegal wildlife trade was what drove the hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus), the world’s biggest flying parrot species, and the golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus […]
Petition: 32 Chimpanzees Stranded and in Desperate Need of Shelter!
The animals need care and four organizations have stepped up to help them. The partnering sanctuaries include Chimp Haven in Louisiana, Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest in Washington, Center for Great Apes in Florida, and Primarily Primates in Texas. Any donation goes to supporting the Waystation chimpanzees and to support their ongoing care and living spaces. “The chimpanzees […]
Petition: Protect Chimpanzees from Poachers and Traffickers
Chimpanzees are highly intelligent and social animals. Sadly, many are used in terrible lab experiments, kept in captivity, and cruelly exploited by humans in a variety of other ways. There are only around 200,000 of them left and experts project that in the next 30-40 years, their population will decline by 80%, leaving only 40,000 […]