The poaching of rhino horns and lion bones feeds a massive “millennium-old” industrial market in Southeast Asia, in countries such as China and Vietnam – and there is no way to stop it, except by legalising trade. This is the view of wildlife economist Michael ‘t Sas-Rolfes and of insiders in the “legal” lion bone trade. Click here to read[…]
Read moreBotswana denied claims by Survival International that it plans to evict hundreds of Bushmen from their land to make way for a wildlife park. Click here to read the story from SA’s Times Live
Read moreKenya’s National Assembly has urged the Chinese government to demonstrate its true friendship by not buying ivory from the country. click here to read David Mwere’s article in The Star.
Read moreHere’s a transcript of the SA Government press release. In a bid to curb the ongoing rhino poaching, Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC, Vusi Shongwe has called on authorities from neighbouring countries such as Mozambique and Swaziland to help in this regard. Shongwe was addressing members of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature during an oral reply session on Tuesday,[…]
Read moreSome encouragingf news from Kenya. Deputy President William Ruto has said that the government will fast-track the Wildlife Bill to make the killing of the Big Five to a capital offence. Click here to read the story from Captial FM News
Read moreIt is something that cannot be over stressed. If you know a bit about the animals you are trying to photograph you can significantly improve your chances of getting great photographs. It’s not just knowing where to look but also what to expect. Often their movements or attitude will give clues as to what they are going to do next.[…]
Read moreCome on Kenya, let’s make it happen. Kenya MPs will today be requested to approve an emergency amendment to the Wildlife Act. The ammendement proposes raising penalties for killing elephants to up to 15 years in jail and/or a fine of Sh10 million (USD1.1m). These penalties are equivalent to those under the Economic Crimes Act, the Organised Crime Act and[…]
Read moreAccording to the UN, armed groups in central Africa are using powerful weapons, some of which may be left over from the civil war in Libya, to kill elephants for their ivory, the United Nations said on Monday. In a report to the U.N. Security Council, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said elephant poaching was a growing security concern, particularly in[…]
Read more“Rhino horn is made of the same stuff as human nails. Still want some?” Conservation organisations WWF and TRAFFIC are running a series of myth-busting adverts aimed at encouraging Vietnamese citizens to stop buying or consuming rhino horn. Click here to read the story from SouthAfrica.info
Read moreWith the number of rhinos poached increasing despite government efforts, could legalising the trade in rhino horn solve the problem? It’s controversial and the main impetus for legalisation is coming from South Africa but is it a viable solution? We don’t know the answer but one thing is certain; if we are going to save this magnificent mammal we need[…]
Read moreSome good news at last. Although it would be foolish to believe that the amount of illegal wildlife products seized represents anything more than a fraction of the total trade, the investigations and seizures in Beijing and elsewhere in the country are a positive demonstration of the seriousness of China’s strengthened commitment to fighting illegal wildlife trade. Click here to[…]
Read moreFish stocks in Lake Malawi have declined by more than 90% in the last two decades because of a drop in water levels, over-fishing and rapid population growth. Local environmentalists are working to turn the situation around. Click here to read the IPS article
Read moreWith nearly 2,300 species to be seen – of which about 1,500 are found nowhere else, Africa offers a lifetime of birding opportunities. So which books should you use? In this article, Keith Betton presents his views. Click here to read Keith Betton’s recommendations
Read moreCITES received plans from China, Kenya, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Uganda, Tanzania and Viet Nam – identified as primary source, transit and import countries affected by the illegal trade in ivory. Click here to read the story from UN News Centre
Read moreIf unchecked, the seemingly insatiable demand for the horn could result in the extinction of wild rhinos within two decades. This has led African governments to consider radical — and contradictory — proposals for saving Africa’s rhinos. Click here to read the full story
Read moreNo better place than Vietnam to launch a new campaign to end the illegal international trade in rhino horns that is taking the animal to the edge of extinction. Click here to read the story from Inter Press Service (IPS)
Read moreAnother top notch article from #PaulaKahumbu, this time writing for the Guardian. Click here to read Paula’s article
Read moreA timely opinion from Dr Mordecai Ogada questions whether we should be celebrating the judiciary’s new found awareness or asking why it has taken them so long to wake up and smell the coffee. Click here to read the full story
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