Tigers and clouded leopards are two of Southeast Asia’s most threatened and enigmatic big cat species. With the numbers of both in sharp decline across the region, leaving their remaining populations small and fragmented, it’s unsurprising that scientists know very little about basic things — such as what they eat. But now, a new study […]
Tag: illegal wildlife trade
A Cuban Crocodile Gallops Like a Horse in Pursuit of a Man in a Florida Theme Park
Just a few weeks ago, an image of a handbag made of crocodile skin on exhibit at the London Zoo drew the attention of many on social media. Instead of a live Siamese crocodile inside the glass enclosure, the zoo has chosen to display the handbag with a placard that reads: “This bag used to […]
Pangolin Rescued From Poachers Enjoys A Fun Day In The Water
We sometimes hear about dogs or cats getting rescued, but this is perhaps the first time that we talked about a pangolin getting rescued. As it turns out, it happened to Dithlong (Ditsi) the pangolin and she is now enjoying life at the Manyoni Private Game Reserve in South Africa. When rescuers first found Ditsi, […]
Turtle DNA database traces illegal shell trade to poaching hotspots
A hawksbill turtle’s protective shell is in some ways its greatest weakness. Exquisitely patterned and thick enough to sculpt, hawksbill shells are the most popular type of tortoiseshell, a material coveted for centuries to make all manner of objects, from jewelry and trinkets, to spectacle frames and an entire genre of Japanese handicrafts called bekko. […]
Myanmar wildlife trade remains opaque, despite focus on border hubs
Lying at the nexus of South Asia, Southeast Asia and China, Myanmar hosts an extraordinary mix of ecosystems that represent some of the last refuges of an ever-lengthening list of imperiled species: tigers, leopards and pangolins to name a few. But the combination of teeming biodiversity and notoriously lax law enforcement also makes the country […]
Indonesian official charged, but not jailed, for trading in Sumatran tiger parts
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia — Authorities in Indonesia have charged three men, including a local political leader in Sumatra, with selling body parts from a Sumatran tiger, a critically endangered and protected species. Ahmadi, 41, the former head of Bener Meriah district in Aceh province, was arrested by provincial police along with two alleged accomplices while […]
Young Orangutan Kidnapped and Forced to Live in Chicken Coop is Given Second Chance
Baby orangutans are prized possessions on the illegal black market, where many other critically endangered species are trafficked. Aman is just one of many infant orangutans who were stolen from their mothers in the past couple of years, but his story highlights the extent of the illegal wildlife trade and the trauma that young orangutans […]
Cambodia: Development threatens a last refuge of wildlife rescued from illegal trade (commentary)
For over 20 years the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center (PTWRC), run by the Cambodian Forestry Administration and supported by the international NGOs Wildlife Alliance and Free the Bears (covered by Asia Sentinel in 2018) has served as the only place in Cambodia which will take all species of wildlife confiscated from poachers and the […]