The orangutan is one of our planet’s most distinctive and intelligent creatures. It has been observed using primitive tools, such as the branch of a tree, to hunt food, and is capable of complex social behaviour. Orangutans also played a special role in humanity’s own intellectual history when, in the 19th century, Charles Darwin and […]
Tag: poaching
Karma? Lions Eat Suspected Poacher in South Africa
A year ago, three male lions were killed not far from Kruger National Park in South Africa. Poachers poisoned them, then cut off and took their heads and paws. Last week a pride of lions in the nearby Umbabat Private Nature Reserve mauled to death and then devoured most of a man who was illegally […]
POLL: Should the trafficking of Hippo Teeth be banned?
Tanzania is auctioning off nearly four tons of hippopotamus teeth today, raising concerns among conservationists that legally purchased teeth may end up on the black market, where demand for hippo “ivory” is already threatening their long-term survival. The teeth are from hippos that died naturally or were killed because they had dangerous encounters with humans, […]
Everyday Extinction: An Instagram Campaign Raising Awareness of Species Extinction
The current rate of biodiversity loss has thrust the world into a sixth extinction event and much of the blame falls on humanity, as does the responsibility for combating the severe losses. Raising public awareness on the rapid extinction of species is one of the most important actions we can take. In response to this […]
China’s Ban on Domestic Ivory is Finally In Effect
It’s estimated that 96 elephants are killed each day by poachers for nothing more than their tusks. But conservationists are starting the new year with renewed hope for the future of elephants following the official closure of China’s legal trade in ivory. The number of elephants who are senselessly killed is astounding, but that doesn’tcover […]
Trump’s indecision on trophy hunting reignites heated debate
On November 15, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lifted a ban on the U.S. import of elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia. The president put a hold on the order two days later, calling trophy hunting in a tweet a “horror show.” He has yet to make a final determination regarding the USFWS order. […]
These Rhino Poachers Deserve the Harshest Punishment
Too often, when poachers slaughter endangered and rare animals, they get away with their crimes. That’s why we’re calling on South African officials to prosecute a trio of poachers they have in custody as harshly as possible with this Care2 petition. On 11/26, poachers killed three rhinos in Kruger National Park. The small bit of […]
Asian Elephants Are Now Being Killed for Their Skin
The smell was ghastly and the sight even worse. Twenty-five elephants lay dead in a riverbed in the Ayeyawady (Irrawaddy) delta in southwestern Myanmar. “The stench is what led villagers to the bodies in the first place,” says Aung Myo Chit, the Smithsonian Institution’s Myanmar country coordinator, who also leads a local NGO, Growth for […]