A French court has convicted eight men including members of an Irish crime gang for trafficking rhino horn and ivory between Europe and east Asia. Four men – three Irish and one English – said to be members of the Rathkeale Rovers gang were given prison terms, though two were spared jail as the sentences […]
Tag: rhino horn
Tale of two traffickers is a rare spell of Congolese conservation convictions
Two of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s most prolific wildlife traders have been handed jail terms this year, in a rare spell of conservation wins for Congolese law enforcement. Salomon Mpay 51, was arrested at a Kinshasa hotel on Jan. 30, following a two-year joint investigation between the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature […]
South African dehorning initiative aims for ‘zero poached’ white rhinos
The team works quickly. As soon as a rhino is safely sedated, they motor up a chainsaw and begin shearing off the animal’s signature horns. White flakes of keratin fly through the air like snow, littering the ground. When they power the chainsaw off, only stubs are left where the rhino’s horns used to be. […]
Saving Africa’s biodiversity is a challenging but urgent necessity, says Rodger Schlickeisen
Rodger Schlickeisen made a name for himself in conservation circles from the early 1990s thanks to his leadership at Defenders of Wildlife, which grew rapidly in membership and influence during his 20 years at the helm. The group became known as a staunch advocate for wildlife via its defense of the U.S. Endangered Species Act […]
Helicopter airlifts orphaned baby rhinos found next to their slaughtered mothers
An emergency helicopter service is rescuing rhinos that get injured or orphaned by heartless poachers. Since its launch in 2018, Rhino 911 has been called out hundreds of times. Baby rhinos airlifted to safety included one-month-old Lottie, found desperately trying to suckle from her slaughtered mum. Pilot and co-founder of the South African charity, Nico Jacobs, said: […]
From safaris to slaughter: Butchered for valuable horns, rhinos are among the tragic victims in a new poaching epidemic – as Africa’s deserted game reserves lose the tourist millions that protected its wildlife wonders
When Prince Harry was seeking to impress Meghan Markle in the early days of their courtship, he took her on a surprise trip to Botswana, the African country he used to call his ‘second home’. There they celebrated her 36th birthday in a $2,000-a-night deluxe tent at the Meno a Kwena safari camp on the […]
Taxidermist is jailed for 56 weeks for illegally trading rhino horns and tiger teeth after photos of him posing next to his animal trophy collection at his parents’ home sparked probe
A ‘brazen’ taxidermist has been locked up for the second time after admitting illegally trading black rhino horns and tiger skulls. Aaron Halstead, from Burnley, Lancashire, was handed a 56 week jail term after using false documents to sell rhino horns to ‘rich’ buyers in China for £63,000. The 29-year-old had also illegally acquired tiger […]
Wildlife poaching syndicate sentenced to 56 years imprisonment
Durban – Nine members of one of Southern Africa’s most prolific wildlife trafficking gangs were sentenced to a total 56.5 years behind bars in a Malawian court on Monday. The gang were members of the Lin-Zhang syndicate and were each found guilty of at least one wildlife trafficking offence of a listed or protected species […]