A woman accused of being one of the world’s most wanted traffickers of tiger body parts has been arrested in India, officials have said. Yangchen Lachungpa, who was detained earlier this week, is accused of playing a critical role in building trafficking corridors leading out of the country to smuggle tiger parts out of the […]
Tag: illegal trade
How Pangolins Became the World’s Most Trafficked Mammal
Pangolins, often described as walking artichokes or modern-day dinosaurs, are extraordinary creatures that have roamed the Earth for millions of years. Despite their unique evolutionary adaptations and gentle nature, these remarkable mammals now face an existential crisis. Each year, tens of thousands of pangolins are poached from the wild, pushing all eight species toward extinction. […]
The growing exotic pet trade drives illegal sales online and a push for tighter rules
A growing exotic pet trade has conservationists calling for stronger regulations to protect the reptiles, birds and other animals in the wild that are increasingly showing up for sale on internet marketplaces and becoming popular on social media. The two-week Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora is scheduled to […]
We need a North Pole Marine Reserve to secure a healthy future for Arctic waters (commentary)
In the 1990s, a single moratorium announcement wiped out an entire industry, leaving 37,000 people unemployed overnight. The ecological collapse of the Canadian Grand Banks Cod Fisheries is the most famous historical example of a collapse in fish stocks due to overfishing. Not only were cod stocks severely depleted, it was the largest layoff of […]
Rare bird spotted in Ohio for potentially the first time
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A rare bird was spotted in Ohio, being documented in the Buckeye State for potentially the very first time. The Ohio Division of Wildlife shared photos on social media of a lazuli bunting officials say was spotted in Meigs County, about three hours from Pittsburgh. “This is very likely the first documented […]
Leopards Each Have Their Own Unique Roar, Study Finds
Each leopard can be identified by their own unique roar, the first large-scale study of its kind has found. Using a combination of camera traps and recordings, the research team was able to identify the vocalizations of individual leopards with 93.1 percent accuracy, a press release from University of Exeter said. “Discovering that leopards have […]
No signs of slowdown in wildlife trafficking in 2024 as demand persists
Wildlife trafficking remains a pressing threat to the survival of countless species, with sharks, pangolins, rhinos, birds, big cats and others among the hardest hit. Mongabay’s extensive reporting aligns with the 2024 U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) World Wildlife Crime Report, which highlights these species as prime targets of a $20 billion per […]
Thousands of birds seized in massive Indonesian bird-trafficking bust
Authorities in Indonesia have rescued more than 6,500 wild birds being trafficked from the island of Sumatra and destined for Java, in what’s been hailed as the single largest seizure of its kind in the country’s modern history. Quarantine authorities at the port of Bakauheni in Lampung province, the main crossing point from Sumatra to […]