Customs authorities in Malaysia have made one of their biggest ever seizures of African pangolin scales, recovering 6 tons of the contraband in a container at the country’s busiest port. Officials at Port Klang found the scales hidden beneath 63 sacks of cashew nuts on April 1. The shipment had been labeled as only containing […]
Tag: illegal wildlife trade
Coronavirus: Putting the spotlight on the global wildlife trade
Conservation experts say the coronavirus pandemic, which likely originated at a market selling wild animals in China, is a watershed moment for curbing the global wildlife trade, which can drive extinction and spread disease. When Adam Peyman walked into a restaurant in Vietnam to order a meal he was shocked to find wild animals, including […]
Petition: Illegal Wildlife Trade Moves Online During Coronavirus Pandemic
Even with the temporary ban on wildlife trade in China, criminals have now moved animal trafficking online. According to Al Jazeera, e-commerce sites are now under pressure from activists to help enforce the temporary ban on trading wildlife. Animal activists continue to ask China to make a temporary ban permanent and are asking the government […]
Chinese government reportedly recommending bear bile injections to treat coronavirus
The government of China is reportedly recommending a coronavirus treatment that includes bear bile. The London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) reported today that a list of recommended treatments for the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19 published by the Chinese government earlier this month includes injections of a traditional medicine called “Tan Re Qing,” which contains bear […]
Petition: 51 Endangered Star Tortoises Saved From Smugglers and Released in the Wild!
Recently, fifty endangered star tortoises were saved from smugglers and released into the wild with satellite tags on them to track their survival. The amazing rescue mission is a result of efforts by the Forest Department and Wildlife SOS. The animals were smuggled from India to Singapore Chief Wildlife Warden of Karnataka and a representative […]
Petition: Coronavirus Update: Vietnam Bans Wildlife Trade
On the heels of the coronavirus spread, conservationists have been pushing for a ban to the international wildlife trade. Vietnam is now drafting a plan to end the wildlife trade in the country, following conservationists’ request. Scientists believe that the coronavirus began in an exotic animal market in Wuhan, where it was passed from an […]
Illegal pangolin trade may have played a part in coronavirus outbreak
The death toll from the novel coronavirus outbreak, the disease now called COVID-19, crossed the 2,362 mark this week as confirmed cases surpassed 78,000, but it remains unclear how the virus arrived into human populations. Bats are widely believed to be the source of the new virus. Some findings suggest it did not jump from […]
British troops move black rhinos to Malawi
British troops have helped to move a group of critically endangered black rhinos from South Africa to Malawi to protect them against poaching. Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles moved 17 of the animals, which are hunted for their horns, in the hope they can be better protected. They were transported by air […]