Within a day of arriving on the Mediterranean island of Malta on their southbound migration last August, three of 18 white storks were shot and killed by poachers. Less than two weeks later, just one of the birds was left alive. By Aug. 29, 19 days since the flock arrived, all of the birds had […]
Tag: illegal wildlife trade
‘The most intellectual creature to ever walk Earth is destroying its only home’
During my years studying chimpanzees in Gombe national park in Tanzania I experienced the magic of the rainforest. I learned how all life is interconnected, how each species, no matter how insignificant it may seem, has a role to play in the rich tapestry of life – known today as biodiversity. Even the loss of […]
China Just Reversed a Ban on Using Tiger Bones and Rhino Horns
Conservationists are expressing extreme concern and disappointment over a controversial announcement from China’s government that it will be reversing a ban on the use of tiger bones and rhino horns in research and traditional medicine. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), China has had a ban on the use of tiger bones and rhino […]
Illegal cheetah trade continues through Instagram, 4sale, YouTube
Cheetahs continue to be illegally traded through social media platforms, according to a new analysis published by theCheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), a non-profit research and lobby organization based in Namibia. Between February 2012 and July 2018, a total of 1,367 cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) were offered on sale through 906 posts on social media, the analysis […]
‘Terror being waged on wildlife’, leaders warn
Humanity is waging a war of terror on wildlife across the globe, according to the head of a world-leading research institute who was previously a counter-terrorism expert for the UK government. Dominic Jermey, director general of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), also spent years in Afghanistan supporting the fight against terror, until leaving his […]
In protecting songbirds, Indonesia ruffles owners & breeders’ feathers
JAKARTA — Songbird owners in Indonesia are up in arms over the recent inclusion of hundreds of bird species in the national list of protected animals. The owners plan to protest outside the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in Central Jakarta on Aug. 14, according to the Indonesian Songbird Fan Club (FKMI), a coalition of owners’ […]
Why Whistleblowers Are the Answer to Global Wildlife Trafficking
Whistleblowers are the number one source of fraud detection across the world. In fact, whistleblowers are such an incredibly valuable tool in fraud detection, that the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC) give out millions of dollars in monetary rewards every year through their dedicated whistleblower programs to whistleblowers who […]
POLL: Should South Africa strictly enforce its anti-poaching legislation?
It’s been one delay after another in the case against South African alleged rhino poaching kingpin Dumisani Gwala and his two co-accused. The reported reasons run the gamut—changes in venue, changes in magistrates, changes in defense counsel, and requests by Gwala’s defense attorney for more time because of a lack of preparation. The trio was […]