LIWONDE NATIONAL PARK, Malawi — Early one July morning, a helicopter with wildlife officials on board flies above the forests of Malawi’s Liwonde National Park in search of elephants. Within half an hour, a small herd has been spotted and the crew radios a support team on the ground. As the ground team gets in […]
Tag: ivory
Elephant ivory traders can evade new UK ban by disguising their products as walrus or narwhal
Campaigners have warned that ivory peddlers may continue to sell elephant tusks after a new ban if they disguise their products as walrus or narwhal derivatives. The trading in elephant teeth and tusks became prohibited in the UK on Monday, and violators could face fines of up to £250,000 or five years in prison under […]
Cash-strapped Zimbabwe pushes to be allowed to sell its ivory stockpile
HWANGE, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe’s government recently concluded a conference to attempt to rally international support for the sale of its ivory stockpile. It argues that selling some of the 136 metric tons of elephant ivory and rhino horn that it’s holding — mostly from animals that died of natural causes — could fund its conservation […]
Zimbabwe seeks backing to sell stockpile of seized elephant ivory
Zimbabwe is seeking international support to be allowed to sell its stockpile of seized ivory, saying the 600 million US dollars it expects to earn is urgently needed for the conservation of its rapidly growing elephant population which it describes as “dangerous”. Officials from the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority showed ambassadors from […]
Ivory poaching has led to evolution of tuskless elephants, study finds
Ivory poaching over decades has led to the evolution of tuskless elephants, researchers have found, proving that humans are “literally changing the anatomy” of wild animals. A previously rare genetic mutation causing tusklessness has become very common in some groups of African elephants after a period in which many were killed for their tusks, according […]
Eight men convicted in French court for trafficking rhino horn and ivory
A French court has convicted eight men including members of an Irish crime gang for trafficking rhino horn and ivory between Europe and east Asia. Four men – three Irish and one English – said to be members of the Rathkeale Rovers gang were given prison terms, though two were spared jail as the sentences […]
Namibia to sell off wild elephants in controversial auction
Despite a petition of over 100,000 signatures condemning the sale, Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT) plans to finalize a controversial auction of 170 of its wild elephants on Friday, January 29. The auction has been met with sharp criticism by some conservationists who have questioned the population data and claims of human-elephant […]
Petition: Tell Sri Lankan Officials to Protect Elephants and Their Habitats
Elephants, an endangered species, face a multitude of threats to their survival, most of which are at the hands of humans. They are trophy-hunted, pushed out of their natural habitat, poached for their ivory, neglected in zoos, exploited for various tourist attractions, and forced to perform in circuses. Now, a new threat has joined these […]