A new BBC program hosted by Aldo Kane called Tigers: Hunting the Traffickers, is an in-depth look at the tiger farms in Southeast Asia. Less than 4,000 tigers exist in the wild and yet these farms exist to feed the illegal black market tiger trade. Kane travels through China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam to explore […]
Tag: poaching
Burning and bullets: Forest fires push Bornean orangutans into harm’s way
PONTIANAK, Indonesia — As the forests of Indonesian Borneo burned during fires last year, a female orangutan was forced to leave her burning home. When she was rescued from a small farm, experts found signs of recent pregnancy and wounds on her body. The orangutan, later named Epen by her rescuers, was found foraging at […]
Petition: Ban Trophy Hunting Around Hwange National Park Where Cecil the Lion Was Killed
Hwange National Park is Zimbabwe’s largest national park. For those not familiar with it, they likely heard about it after the tragic death of Cecil the lion. Cecil was being observed by scientists at a conservatory near the park and was a beloved lion. An American dentist paid $50,000 to kill Cecil. His death caused […]
Petition: Save Rare Clouded Leopards From Extinction!
Since 2015, it has become known that tigers and lions weren’t the only big cats being threatened by poachers. Because tiger populations have dropped so much, poachers are turning to another big cat to drive to extinction — the clouded leopard. The animals are killed for their skin and bone for the leopard bone trade. […]
Mountain gorilla census reveals further increase in numbers
The outlook for eastern Africa’s mountain gorillas is growing brighter, as a recent census released on Dec. 16 shows that the subspecies’ numbers have risen since 2011. Scientists believe there are now at least 1,063 mountain gorillas living in the wild. Tara Stoinski, the CEO and chief scientific officer of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, […]
Botswana cancels hunters’ licences for killing elephant
Botswana has cancelled the licences of two professional hunters who shot dead a research elephant. Michael Lee Potter and Kevin Sharp had voluntarily surrendered their hunting licences, a government statement said. Botswana lifted a ban on elephant hunting in May, citing growing conflict between humans and the animals. However the elephant, which was shot last […]
A Philippine conservation park juggles funding needs with animal welfare
ILOILO, Philippines — A pig growled in pain. I walked up to the enclosure of sharp, rusty metal grill to see a Visayan warty pig (Sus cebifrons), known locally as baboy talunon, crouched on the ground, with another pig biting its back. The wounded pig squealed again and ran around the enclosure. “The wounded pig […]
British troops move black rhinos to Malawi
British troops have helped to move a group of critically endangered black rhinos from South Africa to Malawi to protect them against poaching. Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles moved 17 of the animals, which are hunted for their horns, in the hope they can be better protected. They were transported by air […]