The great Indian bustard may become the first bird to go extinct in India since the country gained independence in 1947. In 1960 the bird was already recognized as a legally protected endangered species, but its population was estimated to be just 1,250 individuals – and dropping fast. Fearing that the species would decline even […]
Tag: poaching
Petition: Support the Wildlife Conservation and Anti-Trafficking Act
A new piece of legislation has been proposed that could mark a monumental step in wildlife protection and change the landscape and availability of illegal wildlife trade. The Wildlife Conservation and Anti-Trafficking Act of 2019 was proposed by Congressman John Garamendi and co-sponsored by Congressman Don Young at the end of January. The act was […]
Outrage over trophy hunter who paid $110,000 to kill rare mountain goat
An American man reportedly shelled out $110,000 to hunt and kill a rare mountain goat while on a recent expedition trip in Pakistan’s northern Himalayan region of Gilgit-Baltistan.. Bryan Kinsel Harlan, a trophy hunter from Texas, was photographed on Tuesday kneeling and smiling behind the butchered goat. “It was an easy and close shot,” Mr […]
Hotspots of exploitation: where are species under greatest threat?
By now, almost everyone knows that many rhinoceros species around the world are threatened with extinction because of commercial overexploitation for their horns, which are sold on the black market. Likewise, all pangolin species have been pushed to the brink of extinction, particularly by hunting for their meat and scales. Unsustainable exploitation is the greatest […]
Suspected totoaba poachers shot by authorities in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez
Three suspected totoaba poachers were reportedly shot yesterday by Mexican marines following a confrontation over illegal gillnets that had been confiscated. According to local news outlet Fronteras, the governor of the Mexican state of Baja California, Francisco Vega, has confirmed that three people were injured in a shootout between suspected poachers and Mexican marines early […]
POLL: Should the culling of elephants in Botswana be allowed?
CHOBE NATIONAL PARK, Botswana — As we travel by jeep through the mainly mopane scrub of northern Botswana, along the Linyanti River, signs of the significant presence of an iconic heavyweight are evident. Knocked-over trees litter the earth, many with the bark stripped off their trunks. This is the work of the African savanna elephant, […]
POLL: Should the Zambian Government be allowed to slaughter 2,000 hippos?
The Luangwa River will soon be awash with hippo blood. Apologies for that disturbing mental image, but it’s important that everyone understand the gravity of Zambia’s upcoming plan to cull about 2,000 hippos. The country claims its current hippo population of 12,200 hippos is unsustainable. As such, the government has rescheduled a long discussed plan […]
Nicaragua crisis takes an environmental toll with plunder of turtle eggs
Some 2,000 sea turtle nests were raided and at least six turtles killed in La Flor Wildlife Refuge on Nicaragua’s Pacific coast during the summer of 2018, according to a conservation NGO. Environmental and scientific organizations have condemned the scale of the raids, which were much larger than the usual episodes that occur on the […]