Earlier this month an announcement that a ban on sport-hunted elephant trophies had been lifted caused some major public outrage, but now wildlife advocates are headed to court to stop American trophy hunters from further imperiling some of the earth’s most iconic species. At the beginning of March, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) […]
Tag: threatened species
New report: South Africa’s seabirds, raptors in serious decline
For bird lovers, South Africa has always been a great place to be. From the world’s largest bird, Common Ostrich Struthio camelus to the tiny Cape Penduline-Tit Anthoscopus minutus the country boasts an impressive amount of avian biodiversity. A new study from BirdLife South Africa, however, shows that the past few years have not been […]
Bushmeat hunting threatens hornbills and raptors in Cameroon’s forests, study finds
Hornbills, vultures and eagles are being hunted for bushmeat in Cameroon in much greater numbers than previously thought, a new study has found. Previous research has shown that relatively few birds are sold in Cameroon’s markets compared to mammals and reptiles. However, market surveys can be biased toward commercially valuable wildlife, missing animals that are […]
POLL: Should we give up half of the Earth to wildlife?
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 […]
Lions deal blow to giraffe numbers by targeting young, study finds
Lions put a damper on the number of young giraffes that survive to maturity, according to a new study, raising concerns about a species that has recently slipped into decline. “It is thought that lions preferentially target giraffe calves in the wild, and there is anecdotal evidence of this,” biologist Zoe Muller said in a […]
How Sea Shepherd lost battle against Japan’s whale hunters in Antarctic
A fleet of Japanese ships is currently hunting minke whales in the Southern Ocean. It is a politically incendiary practice: the waters around Antarctica were long ago declared a whale sanctuary, but the designation has not halted Japan’s whalers, who are continuing a tradition of catching whales “for scientific research” in the region. In the […]
POLL: Should outdoor cats be prevented from killing birds?
More than 1 million native Australian birds are killed across the country by cats every day, new research shows. The study, published in the journal Biological Conversation, estimates feral cats kill 316 million birds a year, while pet cats kill 61 million birds annually. More than 99% are native. “Everyone knows that cats kill birds, […]
POLL: Should there be a worldwide ban on the shark fin trade?
The ocean activist group Sea Shepherd says it has delivered armed Timor-Leste police on to a Chinese-owned fishing vessel in a dawn raid and is detaining the vessels for the police after it was found targeting sharks. Following a two-week hunt for the Pingtan Marine Enterprises fleet, the Sea Shepherd boat M/Y Ocean Warrior found […]