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 […]
Tag: wildlife trafficking
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, […]
POLL: Should big cats be protected from the exotic pet trade?
Animal advocates are applauding members of Congress for reintroducing legislation that would protect both us and big cats by banning private ownership. It’s currently estimated that there are more than 10,000 big cats being kept as pets or in roadside zoos in the U.S., but no one knows exactly where they are or who owns […]
Shocking Investigation Shows How We’re Pushing Giraffes to the Brink
While conservationists are continuing to raise awareness about the “silent extinction” giraffes are facing in the wild with little fanfare, an undercover investigation has just exposed how the trade in trophies and parts in the U.S. is contributing to their decline. The investigation, which was conducted by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) […]
The appeal acquittal of Feisal Mohamed Ali: A victory for rule of law, a process corrupted, or both?
Could it have come at a worse time for Kenya’s Tourism and Wildlife Ministry? With Kenya still stinging from the humiliation and embarrassment over the translocation-related deaths of 11 rhinos, a Kenyan court declared on August 3 that convicted ivory trafficker Feisal Mohamed Ali was to be set free. Lady Justice Dora Chepkwony ruled that […]
Become a “Wildlife Champion” and actively defend the “Biodiversity of Planet Earth”
Earth is most likely experiencing its sixth mass extinction. The planet has been through at least five such catastrophes before, but this is the first one in human history — and the first one with human fingerprints. 58 percent of Earth’s vertebrate animals have been lost since 1970. Habitat loss and wildlife crime are the […]
Illegal online sales of endangered wildlife rife in Europe
The online sale of endangered and threatened wildlife is rife across Europe, a new investigation has revealed, ranging from live cheetahs, orangutans and bears to ivory, polar bear skins and many live reptiles and birds. Researchers from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw) spent six weeks tracking adverts on 100 online marketplaces in four […]
POLL: Should Facebook block “Illegal Wildlife Trafficking” advertisements?
While Mark Zuckerberg was testifying before Congress about Facebook providing user information to Cambridge Analytica, additional disturbing news about his company was making headlines. Facebook has been making a profit by selling ads on pages that are operated by illegal wildlife traffickers. The pages sell the body parts of endangered animals, according to a complaint […]