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 […]
Tag: trafficking
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 […]
Former Hornbill Poacher Becomes a Wildlife Ranger
In Indonesia, a moving experience with a bird caused a wildlife poacher to have a change of heart. Khaedir used to poach endangered hornbills in the Indonesian Leuser rainforest, according to a BBC report. Khaedir turned to poaching as a means of supporting himself financially, feeling he had no better way to earn money. But […]
Petition: Save the Highly Trafficked, Critically Endangered Pangolins!
The pangolin is a small mammal about the size of a domesticated cat that looks like the combination between a pinecone and a tiny dragon. They’re cute little creatures and sadly, they’re one of the most trafficked animals in the world. Ten thousand pangolins are illegally trafficked each year, and they are critically endangered. Their […]
