IT’S WRONG! Top UK vet body supports CRUEL AND POINTLESS badger slaughter!
We have told you before about the horrific cruelty involved in the slaughter of more than 160,000 badgers in England in a futile bid to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle. In the face of overwhelming scientific evidence that badger culling has not and never will have any significant impact on the […]
50% of the Badger Population in the UK to be Wiped Out by 2026 Makes for a Somber National Badger Day
October 6th is National Badger Day in the United Kingdom (UK). Usually, this would be a day to celebrate one of Britain’s most iconic animals, but this year, any celebration is marred by the recent announcement that the controversial badger culls are set to expand to seven additional counties. Up to 75,000 badgers could be […]
On the verge of death! Starved and wounded pregnant pangolin in need of critical medical care!
In a daring undercover sting operation in South Africa, a pangolin on the brink of death was rescued from traffickers. The most trafficked mammals in the world, pangolins are prized in Asian restaurants as a delicacy and their scales are used in phony Chinese ‘medicines’. Pangolins are racing towards extinction, and every single life is […]
How We Are Helping RIGHT NOW: September 2021
As summer comes to one side of the planet and winter arrives on the other, the challenges that animals face every day also change – fierce heat for some, deadly cold for others. This makes each small act of kindness and generosity from our supporters vital in allowing us to keep doing the work we […]
We Did It! The Baby Elephant Rescue Operation Was a Success!
Just days ago, we were alerted to a baby elephant in Zimbabwe with a wire snare wound tightly around the top of its leg. The swelling was so severe, veterinarians worried the calf would lose its leg if the snare wasn’t removed soon enough. The only option we had to save this baby elephant was […]
Elephant Appreciation Day
Today is Elephant Appreciation Day – a day to reflect on these great, grey, gentle giants which never cease to evoke a sense of awe in humankind. The more we learn about them, the more we marvel at their social structures, their caring family lives and the sheer wonder of their being. Yet, we are […]
International Body Tasked With Protecting Endangered Species Shamefully Allows Namibia to Export Wild Elephants
By Melissa Reitz The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the international body that oversees trade in endangered species, has given Namibia the go-ahead to capture and sell 57 wild elephants, of which around 35 will be exported to captive destinations. According to an investigation by US welfare […]
EMERGENCY RESCUE OPERATION! Baby elephant has wire snare wound tightly around his leg – cutting off blood-flow. WE CAN’T LET HIM DIE!
A baby elephant in Zimbabwe’s Kariba region urgently needs your help – and the clock is ticking! The Zimbabwe National Parks Authority has been alerted to a baby elephant with a wire snare wound tightly around the top of his leg. Now, together with the Kariba Animal Welfare Fund Trust (KAWFT), we are working as […]
This is our BEST CHANCE to end the horror of snaring!
We have told you before about the atrocities caused by LEGAL snaring – daily acts of murder that kill up to 1.7 million animals in the United Kingdom (UK) every single year. But now, we have a chance to put an end to this horror, and we need your help. Every 20 seconds, another innocent […]
How We Are Helping RIGHT NOW: August 2021
It’s been a sobering month for our species – the time of reckoning has come for planet Earth, scientists have warned. Clear evidence now shows that we face a future of extreme climate change, and only immediate and radical reductions of fossil fuel emissions will provide any hope of saving us. Clearly, we have our […]
Unable to respond to animals in need! Time is running out!
We’ve told you before that an estimated 3,000 snares have been set around the unfenced Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe – so many that the very survival of entire populations is threatened. Lying in wait, these cruel devices trap and strangle animals, causing severe pain, injury and ultimately death. Our partner in Zimbabwe, DART (Dete […]
Two more pangolins have just been rescued! THEIR SURVIVAL IS TOUCH-AND-GO!
Last week, we told you about five baby pangolins rescued from the illegal bushmeat market in Nigeria who are in desperate need of our help. As the Animal Survival International (ASI) team was preparing to rush life-saving funds to the Saint Mark’s Animal Hospital and Shelter, two more pangolins – a mother and newborn baby […]
Celebrating World Lion Day by Supporting the Shut Down SA’s Captive Lion Breeding Industry
Today is World Lion Day, a day to celebrate one of Africa’s most iconic species and raise awareness on lion conservation globally. And this year we have something well worth celebrating. The South African government recently announced a complete ban on its controversial and shameful captive lion breeding industry. For more than 20 years, the […]
Wildlife Traffickers Exploit Weak Law Enforcement in the Shipping Industry
By Melissa Reitz Maritime supply chains are becoming increasingly exploited by wildlife traffickers who use loopholes and lax law enforcement to smuggle illegal wildlife products. Despite the growing demand for and movement of these products, many shipping companies are unaware they are being misused. A recent report has revealed that an estimated 80% of wildlife […]
How We Are Helping RIGHT NOW: July 2021
Around the world, we are faced with catastrophes, from floods in Europe to wildfires in the USA and civil unrest in South Africa. In all these disasters, thousands of animals are affected. It’s for this reason that we at Animal Survival International (ASI) do the work we do. We exist as a voice for the […]
UK Announces Plan to Ban the Keeping of Captive Elephants
By Melissa Reitz Years of research proving that keeping elephants in captivity is cruel is finally paying off. The United Kingdom (UK) has announced its intention to ban the captivity of elephants in zoos and safari parks. Initiated by environment minister, Zac Goldsmith, the amendment to the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill to outlaw elephants […]
More than 800 of some of the world’s most endangered creatures face an horrific crisis!
More than EIGHT HUNDRED critically endangered radiated tortoises were recently rescued from smugglers on the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar. Hidden in vehicles with no food or water and suffering life-threatening injuries, these animals needed intensive care to survive the days and weeks following their rescue. The death of these rare tortoises will be a […]
How We Are Helping Animals RIGHT NOW: June 2021
We’ve changed our name! Political Animal Lobby is now Animal Survival International, with a brand new and absolutely vital mission. For animals, these are desperate times. The impacts of climate change, habitat loss, the destruction of marine ecosystems and a shameful lack of enforcement of international treaties are creating a catastrophic situation for animals, making […]
We Celebrate World Giraffe Day by Taking a Moment to Consider the Plight of These Gentle Giants
Traditionally, the tallest mammal on Earth has not received as much attention as other wild African species such as elephants and rhinos. So, with today being World Giraffe Day, we’d like to shine the spotlight on this graceful creature which is becoming increasingly threatened. Dubbed the ‘silent extinction’, giraffe populations have quietly been declining over […]
The horror and pain that snares indiscriminately inflict on defenseless animals, EVEN ELEPHANTS, is UNIMAGINABLE!
We have told you before about the horror and pain that snares inflict on defenseless animals. Today, we must tell you about the plight of wild animals living around Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, who are indiscriminately caught and severely injured by illegal snares. Please, will you help us? Together, we can save many animals […]
The End of South Africa’s Shameful Lion Breeding Industry – What Now Happens to the Lions?
By Melissa Reitz Originally published in Africa Geographic Last month, South Africa’s government took a significant step forward for animal welfare and lion conservation when the Minister of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE), Barbara Creecy, announced a complete ban on the controversial captive lion breeding industry. But as we stare into the […]
Even PREGNANT FEMALES and BABY pangolins are being poached and trafficked!
Pangolins are in CRISIS! Despite international protection, this shy, nocturnal creature is still the most trafficked mammal in the world. Now, with COVID-19 regulations easing, more pangolins than ever are being stolen from the wild. Pangolins are racing towards extinction. Two species could be gone in a decade. More than ONE MILLION pangolins have been […]
How we are helping RIGHT NOW: May 2021
The Political Animal Lobby (PAL) exists to be a voice for animals and the planet. We tackle pressing issues threatening animals around the world. Over the past month, PAL has provided water to drought-stricken elephants in Namibia; kept up the fight to ban snares in the UK; helped a legal battle to save toads in […]
800 of some of the world’s most endangered creatures face an horrific crisis!
One of the world’s most critically endangered creatures faces an horrific crisis that could wipe them from the face of the earth. Radiated tortoises, who are native to the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar, will be extinct in less than 20 years – unless we act immediately! In a daring rescue operation by our partners, […]
Barbarians intend on continuing to snare helpless animals. Sometimes these animals GNAW OFF THEIR LIMBS!
We have told you before about the atrocities caused by LEGAL snaring – a daily act of murder that kills up to 1.7 million animals in the United Kingdom (UK) every single year. Sadly, this fight is far from over. Every 20 seconds, another innocent animal is caught in a snare! Snares are still laid […]
How we are helping RIGHT NOW: April 2021
Animals around the globe are in extraordinary peril. From the rampant illegal trade in wildlife, poaching, habitat loss and poor enforcement of wildlife legislation, thousands of species are becoming critically endangered. We need to take heed before it’s too late. If we continue to destroy biodiversity, no life on Earth can survive. The Animal Survival […]
UNACCEPTABLE! Intelligent and highly social painted dogs are being indiscriminately SNARED and dying slow, excruciatingly painful deaths!
Painted dogs are beautiful, intelligent, social beings, who play an important role in the ecosystem, but there are only 6,500 left in the wild, and they need your help today! One of the biggest challenges to their survival is being caught in illegal snares. Painted dogs travel over 30 miles (50 kilometers) a day in […]
Breakthrough for African Elephant Conservation as Two Distinct Species Are Recognized
By Melissa Reitz In a massive breakthrough for elephant conservation, two recent and significant decisions are set to ensure that Africa’s elephants are better protected. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the global authority on the status of natural species and measures needed to safeguard them, has elected to assess African elephants […]
Nearly 300 Elephants to Be Shot as Botswana Opens Its Hunting Season
By Melissa Reitz Originally published in Africa Geographic Botswana has granted permission for 287 elephants to be hunted, as it gears up for its first trophy hunting season since its ban was controversially lifted two years ago. With COVID-19 restrictions disrupting last year’s hunting season, 187 existing elephant licenses have been tagged onto this year’s […]
Illegal Wildlife Trade Set to Boom Once COVID-19 Restrictions Are Lifted
By Melissa Reitz New evidence reveals that the illicit wildlife trade is set to boom as traffickers take advantage of COVID-19 disruptions to stockpile products. Despite data suggesting a drop in arrests and seizures of products such as ivory, rhino horn and pangolin scales in 2020, additional research finds that wildlife trafficking has not dropped, […]
Barbarians want to keep snaring helpless animals. Sometimes these animals GNAW OFF THEIR LIMBS!
In the United Kingdom (UK), up to 1.7 million animals are brutally killed by snares every single year… Every 20 seconds, another innocent animal is caught in a snare! There can be no worse death than by a snare. Snares cause untold anguish and pain as snare wires cut deep into their flesh while the […]
Over Half a Million Viruses Threaten to Create an Era of Deadly Pandemics
By Louzel Lombard Steyn Human infringement on wild spaces and the destruction of Earth’s biodiversity is setting the stage for an era of deadly pandemics, according to a recently published United Nations report. The report says that up to half of the existing 1.7 million viruses found in mammals and birds are deadly to humans. […]
How we are helping RIGHT NOW: March 2021
The future of the animals in the natural world has never been more in danger. Climate change, habitat destruction and poor enforcement of international wildlife laws have already pushed numerous species to extinction and will continue to do so if we don’t act now! The Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby) exists to be a voice […]
COVID Aftermath Knocks Conservation Efforts
By Louzel Lombard Conservation is the latest casualty of COVID-19, with 22 countries backtracking on anti-poaching efforts and protection of natural areas. The countries, mainly in Africa and Asia, favored developments like road construction and oil and gas extraction in areas designated for conservation, new research by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) […]
Victory for Elephants as Global Ivory Bans Gain Momentum
By Louzel Lombard More than 20,000 elephants are killed every year for their tusks. Conservationists and animal welfare groups, such as the UK’s Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby), have been urging the British government to implement a full ban on the sale of ivory. This week, the government made a step forward. The […]
It’s the toads versus City Hall! REALLY, and it’s gravely SERIOUS!
Yet another species is in trouble because of heartless decisions by authorities who seem not to care that their actions threaten the survival of an endangered species. This time, it’s toads. Western leopard toads are harmless, beautiful creatures who help keep nature in balance by eating insects and snails. They are so endangered that they […]
Again, Gray Wolves in Montana Are Under Siege, as State Considers New Hunting Bills
By Melissa Reitz Gray wolves, in US state Montana, are once again under threat by a series of proposed legislative bills to relax trapping and hunting regulations. This comes less than six months after their removal from federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. According to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the […]
Edited: Rhino Poaching in Botswana – Is Pride Hampering Prevention?
By Melissa Reitz Botswana’s recent upsurge in rhino poaching is reaching a crisis point. More than 100 rhinos have been poached in under two years from a population of less than 400. Yet, the government remains resolute in its denial of a growing catastrophe. Former Botswanan president Ian Khama recently announced on social media that over […]
Asia Turns to Africa’s Coastline to Satisfy Its Taste for Marine Delicacies, in a Free-for-All Unpoliced Environment of Trade
By Melissa Reitz Africa’s coastal waters have been hard hit by Asia’s surging demand for marine delicacies, putting immense pressure on delicate ocean ecosystems. A recent report by Traffic, the wildlife trade monitoring network, focusing on the trade in high-value marine products from Africa to Asia, has found that sea horses, fish maw (dried fish […]
Today Is World Wildlife Day – But for Millions of Animals Around the World, Today Is Not a Day of Celebration!
Today is World Wildlife Day. For millions of animals around the world, today is not a day of celebration. Our world’s wildlife is being wiped out. According to a 2019 UN report, one million species are threatened with extinction – some within a matter of years. As many as 30 to 50 percent of all […]
Africa’s First Dedicated Pangolin Hospital Ward Soon to Open
By Melissa Reitz In commemoration of World Pangolin Day, the first-ever dedicated pangolin veterinary ward in Africa has been announced. Fitted with state-of-the-art equipment to assist in the treatment of rescued pangolins, the ward will be built at the existing Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital (JWVH) and funded by international banking group, Investec. JWVH is the […]
Namibia’s Wild Elephants Destined for Foreign Zoos, Say Lobby Groups
By Melissa Reitz Despite global opposition, Namibia is going ahead and selling 170 wild elephants and the buyer will be announced once the sale is finalized, says the country’s environmental ministry. By going ahead with the sale, Namibia is flouting CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) regulations. CITES is the international body charged […]
How we are helping RIGHT NOW: February 2021
The future of animals and the wilderness they live in has never been more at risk. Climate change, habitat destruction and poor enforcement of international wildlife laws is driving species after species to extinction. We cannot be silent or sit idly by and watch this happen. The Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby) exists […]
Today Is World Pangolin Day – Save the Most Threatened Mammal on Earth
Today the world celebrates World Pangolin Day. But unless action is taken soon, there will be very few such days in the future. As the most trafficked mammal in the world, these quiet, solitary creatures are being wiped out at a rapid rate. Pangolins are being pushed to the very edge of extinction. An estimated […]
New Study Reveals What Chinese Wildlife-Product Buyers Really Think
By Melissa Reitz A ground-breaking new study confirms legalized trade and commercial breeding of wild animals significantly stimulates buyers-demand and is ultimately pushing wild species to extinction. To determine the impact wildlife trade bans and breeding farms have on consumers of wild animal products, the study led a survey of a thousand Chinese citizens, focusing […]
Shocking Evidence Reveals Hunting Fraternity Flouting the UK’s Hunting Ban
By Melissa Reitz Fox hunting is illegal in England, Scotland and Wales, but hunters have found a way to get around this with trail hunting which mimics traditional hunting by following an animal-based scent trail. Now leaked webinars reveal longstanding suspicions that hunters use trail hunting to cover up illegal fox hunting. British TV channel, […]
Update: British Government Climbs Down on Pointless Badger Killing but British Veterinary Association Says Let the Killing Continue!
The British government’s announcement that badger culling will be ‘phased out’ at some distant point in the future is welcome news – half-hearted as the commitment might be. What the government should be doing is immediately stop badger killing. It is now well established that badger culling is as pointless as it is cruel. David […]
Namibia Confirms Its Wild Elephants Are up for Sale – Despite Massive Outcry
By Melissa Reitz With the tender for auction now closed, Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT) is finalizing buyer details for the sale of 170 wild elephants. Namibian authorities say there are too many elephants in the country. But conservationists are up in arms, saying the ministry has inflated actual elephant numbers. MEFT […]
COVID-19 Border Restrictions Do Nothing to Curb Illegal Wildlife Trade in Central Africa
By Melissa Reitz When COVID-19 broke out in Africa, it was hoped that travel restrictions and border closures would go some way to limiting the illegal wildlife trade from Central Africa to Asian countries. It did not happen. A recent spike in poaching and arrests confirms the demand for wildlife animal parts from Central African […]
Shocking News as Kruger’s Rhino Numbers Are Finally Revealed
By Melissa Reitz A sobering new report by South African National Parks (SANParks) has confirmed the shocking decline in rhino numbers in Kruger National Park, home to the highest concentration of rhino in the world. Figures have plummeted to an estimated 3,529 white rhino and 268 black rhinos. This information, which come after years of […]
