An audacious attempt to allow a huge sale of stockpiled elephant ivory has been defeated at an international wildlife conference. The rancorous debate exposed deep divisions between African nations with opposing views on elephant conservation. About 50 elephants are still being poached every day to supply ivory traffickers and all countries agree the world’s largest […]
Tag: traffickers
International trade in hippo teeth sparks new alarm
An international trade in hippopotamus teeth and tusks is fast becoming a legal substitute for elephant ivory, a leading conservationist warned. Azzedine Downes, chief executive of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said the practice was concerning. Speaking during a visit to Dubai to discuss unlawful online sales of animal products, he said an increase […]
Chinese nationals arrested in US after smuggling totoaba swim bladders worth $3.7 million from Mexico
According to a report this week by Quartz, two Chinese nationals were arrested last month in the state of California with $3.7-million-worth of totoaba swim bladders that they had smuggled from Mexico. Quartz’s Justin Rohrlich writes that a sheriff’s deputy in Orange County, California initially pulled the two men, Yikang Liang and Haoyu Huang, over […]
For the Philippine eagle, a shot at survival means going abroad
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The courtship involves a partition screen in an enclosure the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) calls a pairing dome, where two Philippine eagles (Pithecophaga jefferyi) are stationed to adapt to each other. They’ve been in a mating process for the last two years. “They’re inching closer to each other,” Lace Viojan, a […]
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 […]
Indonesia arrests 7 for allegedly selling Komodo dragons over Facebook
JAKARTA — Indonesian authorities have arrested seven suspected members of a trafficking ring believed to have used Facebook and other social media to sell at least 40 Komodo dragons and other protected species. Police are holding five of the suspects in Surabaya, in East Java province, and two in Jakarta, the capital, according to Wiratno, […]
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 […]
Conservation officers forced online in fight against bird trafficking
MAKASSAR, Indonesia — “Hi, This is Kamaruddin calling in, just parking my car.” “Great, go ahead and share your experience with this broadcast’s theme with the Natural Resources Conservation Agency.” “Thanks. So, I have a cockatoo and a hawk-eagle and I’m just learning they’re protected species. I bought them online and now if I want […]