Demands from southern African countries to allow international trade in elephant ivory are extremely dangerous. Proponents are trying to create the impression that wild populations are growing to problematic numbers when, in fact, the species remains in decline across the continent and is threatened with long-term extinction. Couched in the language of sustainability, arguments made […]
Tag: ivory
Botswana condemned for lifting ban on hunting elephants
Conservationists have reacted with outrage and concern to a decision by Botswana to lift its ban on elephant hunting. The southern African country said the move was justified by an increase in population and its impact on farmers’ livelihoods. “The whole world is turning away from hunting. It is increasingly seen as an archaic practice. […]
‘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 […]
Nearly 90 Elephants Found Poached in Botswana
Conservationists are mourning the loss of 87 elephants whose bodies were discovered during an aerial survey in Botswana. The elephants were discovered during a months-long aerial census being conducted for the government by Elephants Without Borders, which called the discovery an “unprecedented” level of poaching in the country. “I’m shocked, I’m completely astounded. The scale […]
‘You will never run from death’: shot by poachers in Uganda
The bullet that pierced the shoulder of Ugandan ranger Samuel Loware had already taken one life and could easily have added his. The shell was fired by a Sudanese poacher trying to flee back over the border with contraband meat from the Kidepo Valley national park. Loware had been tracking the fugitive – one of […]
The appeal acquittal of Feisal Mohamed Ali: A victory for rule of law, a process corrupted, or both?
Could it have come at a worse time for Kenya’s Tourism and Wildlife Ministry? With Kenya still stinging from the humiliation and embarrassment over the translocation-related deaths of 11 rhinos, a Kenyan court declared on August 3 that convicted ivory trafficker Feisal Mohamed Ali was to be set free. Lady Justice Dora Chepkwony ruled that […]
POLL: Should there be a total ban on the sale of all ivory products?
An undercover investigation has found it is easy to access illegal ivory in Europe, despite supposed strict import bans on freshly harvested ivory products. The research, conducted by the global pressure group Avaaz, saw undercover agents buy 109 items of ivory from across 10 European countries and then have them tested via radiocarbon dating. Those […]
POLL: Should Facebook block “Illegal Wildlife Trafficking” advertisements?
While Mark Zuckerberg was testifying before Congress about Facebook providing user information to Cambridge Analytica, additional disturbing news about his company was making headlines. Facebook has been making a profit by selling ads on pages that are operated by illegal wildlife traffickers. The pages sell the body parts of endangered animals, according to a complaint […]
