Authorities in Uganda intercepted a shipment of roughly 4 tons of elephant ivory and pangolin scales from the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo on its way to the city, Kampala, in January 2019. What has happened in the three years since then reveals flaws in the country’s enforcement of wildlife-crime legislation. The Uganda Revenue Authority […]
Tag: wildlife trafficking
451 rhinos were poached for their horns in South African National Parks in 2021
DUNBAR – For the first time since 2014, an upsurge in rhino poaching in South Africa has aroused international outrage. This comes as Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) Barbara Creecy revealed that 451 rhinos were poached in South Africa last year. She said that 327 rhinos were poached on government land and […]
Airborne DNA can now be used to detect rare and endangered species
The discovery of environmental DNA has altered the way environmentalists monitor biodiversity. Scientists can examine entire ecosystems or find unusual animals that are too elusive to trace using traditional methods by sequencing the genetic material contained in water and soil samples. Environmental DNA, or eDNA, has been utilized by teams to catalog everything from viruses […]
Investigative Reporters Search For Missing Kingpin In Illegal Sloth Trade
Throughout South America, baby sloths are poached from the wild to be sold to tourists as pets or to be used as photo props. There’s one man, in particular, who is thought to be a leader in the illegal sloth trade: Isaac Bedoya. According to National Geographic, he’s one of Latin America’s most notorious sloth […]
Wild cat trade: Why the cheetah is not safe just yet
A recent article on the Emirati newspaper The National reports that, according to conservationists, “The increased enforcement by Somaliland in the Gulf [of Aden] and along known smuggling routes, plus the increased community awareness for poaching as a crime has led to a major decline in cub trafficking.” While this is a positive outlook, and […]
How wild animals won against trophy hunters in 2021
Every year that passes sees hundreds of thousands of wild animals in the U.S. and around the world killed by trophy hunters, whose main motivation is to display whole animals or their body parts for bragging rights. Given all the threats facing wild animals, including habitat loss, environmental devastation and climate change, it is astounding […]
Wildlife trade hub Vietnam is also hub of impunity for traffickers, report says
Only 14% of wildlife seizures made in Vietnam in the past decade have resulted in convictions, according to a new report that highlights the weak enforcement in the country and lack of coordination between its agencies in following up on investigations. The report, published by the U.K.-based Environmental Investigation Agency, revealed that of at least […]
Terrified Bear Cub Rescued from Illegal Wildlife Trafficking and Moved to Sanctuary in Vietnam
The recent rescue of an Asiatic black bear cub marks Animals Asia 650th rescued bear. According to a release from the nonprofit, Animals Asia received a call from the Uong Bi police officers from the Quang Ninh province of Vietnam on Nov. 8 about the bear cub. Before the call, the authorities confiscated the cub […]