Margaret Livingstone, a Harvard University experimenter, has spent her entire 40-year career tormenting animals, including by tearing baby monkeys away from their mothers and sewing their eyes shut—or making sure they never see a human or monkey face in other ways—just to see how badly it damages their brain and visual development. Livingstone calls it […]
Tag: poaching
Trump Administration Sued for Freezing Funds That Help Protect Vulnerable Species Like Rhinos and Elephants
Environmentalists are urging the Trump administration to reverse a decision to freeze funding for important conservation work aimed at protecting iconic at-risk species, which includes anti-poaching patrols for vulnerable elephants and rhinos. The Center for Biological Diversity sent a notice of intent to sue to the administration on Wednesday over the funding cuts. “The Trump […]
Serial Poacher Somehow Gets a Lifetime Hunting Ban for the Third Time
A 34-year-old Oregon man was sentenced late last month for a flurry of game violations that included poaching a trophy-class bull elk and a trophy-class buck in Grant County. Prosectors say Travis Alexander Palmer killed both animals with a rifle during archery season. He also happened to be spotlighting from his vehicle on a public […]
Rhino horn trafficker jailed in legal first on financial charges in S. Africa
A South African court has sentenced a Democratic Republic of Congo national named Francis Kipampa to 18 years’ imprisonment for his involvement in money laundering linked to illegal rhino trade. “It is the first time an individual has been successfully prosecuted for their role in the illegal wildlife trade linked to serious financial offenses,” the […]
How to Wage War on Poaching, According to a Former South African General
For years, South Africa’s wildlife has been under attack. Some of the country’s most iconic species, including rhinos, elephants, and lions, are being systematically slaughtered by poachers, who are funded and supported by criminal gangs. These animals are killed for their parts — their horns and tusks and claws and bones — which are then […]
Leopard Population Has Nearly Tripled in the World’s Largest Conservation Area
In parts of Zambia’s Kafue National Park, a conservation organization specializing in wildcats has reported that the number of leopards there has nearly tripled. With an increase of 2.9, there are now 4.4 leopards per 100 square kilometers of terrain, which is much more than it sounds when you consider just how big Kafue is. […]
Man faces jail time after going on years-long bald eagle ‘killing spree’: ‘He hacked them to pieces’
A man who was responsible for the death of thousands of protected birds was finally caught earlier this year, bringing his murderous spree to a halt, USA Today reported. Travis John Branson pled guilty to several federal charges, including conspiracy, wildlife trafficking, and trafficking bald and golden eagles. Over several years, federal prosecutors said, Branson […]
U.S. Proposes Listing Giraffes Under the Endangered Species Act for the First Time
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has proposed that giraffes be listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) for the first time. The agency hopes listing the iconic tallest mammal on Earth will crack down on poaching, as the U.S. is one of the largest destinations of items such as rugs, boots […]