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
Rhino poachers are back after South Africa eases lockdown restrictions
Rhino poaching is on the rise again in South Africa since the government loosened coronavirus restrictions, following a year-long lull due to the pandemic, wildlife parks say. The strict limits on travel, including international travel, imposed in March last year had the happy side effect of keeping poachers at bay. In 2020, 394 rhinos were […]
Stop the Illegal Wildlife Trade: Animal populations fall by 62% where wildlife trade occurs, study reveals
A major analysis of hundreds of species of animals has revealed the huge toll the world’s booming wildlife trade is taking on the natural world. Without urgent action, the world is facing “rampant trade-induced declines” of mammals, birds and reptiles, the authors of the research said. In places where the wildlife trade is active, species have […]
British hunter’s sick boast: Come slaughter animals in South Africa during Covid
A British trophy-hunting boss is offering deals to shoot endangered animals which he boasts are “plentiful” during the Covid crisis. Carl Knight, 47, who runs Take Aim Safaris, makes the claim in his grisly sales pitch to 3,000 potential customers, including fellow Britons. He urges clients to travel to South Africa, which is in the grip […]
Petition: South African President’s Ties to Trophy Hunting Industry Exposed
PETA has uncovered that South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has hidden ties and investments to the trophy hunting industry in his country. Researchers with PETA went undercover and secretly recorded phone calls from the manager of a farm, Phala Phala, owned by the South African President. The calls revealed that Ramaphosa was expanding a […]
Planned road projects threaten Sumatran rhino habitat, experts say
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia — Conservationists are calling for a Sumatran rhino habitat at the northern tip of the Indonesian island to be fully protected from planned road-construction projects. Officials in the province of Aceh have allocated 2.4 trillion rupiah ($164 million) for the development of 12 roads across the province through 2022. Governor Nova Iriansyah […]
Two new Javan rhino calves are spotted in the species’ last holdout
JAKARTA — Conservationists in Indonesia have reported the presence of two newborn Javan rhinoceros calves in the only place on Earth where the critically endangered species is still found, bringing its total population to 74. The calves — a female and a male that conservation officials have named Helen and Luther — were spotted with […]
Chinese mining firms in Zimbabwe pose threat to endangered species, say experts
Rhinos, giraffes, cheetahs and other endangered species face a new threat in Zimbabwe’s Hwange national park: Chinese mining companies. Zhongxin Coal Mining Group and Afrochine Smelting have received permission from the government to begin environmental impact assessments for drilling, land clearance, road building and geological surveys at two proposed sites inside the park, which is […]