ILOILO, Philippines — A pig growled in pain. I walked up to the enclosure of sharp, rusty metal grill to see a Visayan warty pig (Sus cebifrons), known locally as baboy talunon, crouched on the ground, with another pig biting its back. The wounded pig squealed again and ran around the enclosure. “The wounded pig […]
Tag: trafficking
Global trafficking threat catches up to Sri Lanka’s endangered pangolins
COLOMBO — The same demand for pangolin scales and flesh that’s driving the animal’s decline across Africa and Southeast Asia is also taking a toll in Sri Lanka, one of the least-studied pangolin ranges. A new study into Sri Lanka’s population of Indian pangolins (Manis crassicaudata), one of eight species of the scaly anteater and […]
Study Finds That the Wildlife Trade Affects One-Fifth of Vertebrates on Land
All animals with a backbone are called vertebrates. These include mammals, bird, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. A recent study found that a devastation one-fifth of vertebrates that live on land are bought and sold in the wildlife trade. More than 30,000 species of mammal, bird, amphibian and reptile were surveyed. The study, published in Science […]
Demand for North American bear parts fuels black market activity in Canada: expert
Black market demand for bear parts like gallbladders and paws has led to poaching of these animals in Saskatchewan and Canada, according to one man who’s dedicated to cracking down on wildlife trafficking. “Imagine that you have somethingthat has gone extinct just about everywhere else in the world but there’s only one place that it’s […]
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 […]
From over 100,000 species assessments in IUCN update, zero improvements
From rays to deep-sea snails, primates to rosewood trees, the latest IUCN Red List update paints a gloomy picture for our world’s species. The update, which includes assessments of 105,732 animal and plant species to date, lists more than 28,000 species as threatened with extinction, attributing much of the declines to human overexploitation. The red-capped […]
Thousands of wild animals seized in smuggling crackdown
Police across the globe have seized thousands of wild animals, including primates and big cats, and arrested nearly 600 suspects in a crackdown on illegal wildlife smuggling, Interpol has said. Covering 109 countries, the operation was carried out in coordination with the World Customs Organization (WCO), with investigators homing in on trafficking routes and crime […]
Chimpanzee Meat Being Served as a Delicacy in the UK and US
If you’re attending a ritzy event in the U.K., pay attention to the meat being served. Some high-end private events in Britain are offering chimpanzee meat as a “delicacy.” That’s bizarre, illegal and dangerous, primate experts say. This isn’t just a U.K. problem, by the way. Customs officials revealed a few weeks ago they found […]
