Category: Wildlife Trade

China removes pangolin medicine from pharmacopoeia in 2025 edition

Article written by World Animal Protection Originally published by World Animal Protection (Apr 8, 2025) China’s 2025 Pharmacopoeia removes Guilingji, a traditional medicine containing pangolin, marking a step toward wildlife protection. In a promising development for wildlife protection, China has removed Guilingji, a traditional medicine containing pangolin ingredients, from the upcoming 2025 edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China. The revised edition was released on 25 March and will come into effect on 1 October 2025. Guilingji, once designated a confidential national prescription, was among 19 proprietary Chinese medicines excluded from the new pharmacopoeia. Its ingredients included red ginseng, deer antler, seahorse, and pangolin. The animal-derived products held ethical and conservation concerns. Why Guilingji’s removal matters Guilingji is not just any traditional remedy; it has held a prominent place in Chinese medicine since it was classified as a first-level national secret prescription in 1957. Its delisting from the pharmacopoeia suggests a shift in regulatory priorities, especially as pangolins are now protected under the highest level of international and domestic conservation laws. While this does not constitute a ban on Guilingji’s sale or production, the removal makes it harder to promote and prescribe. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia is the official standard for clinical prescriptions. If a medicine is no longer listed, it indicates that it no longer meets criteria for safety, efficacy, or ethical acceptability, and healthcare providers may reduce or avoid its use altogether. A step toward ethical and sustainable medicine The decision to delist Guilingji may reflect growing awareness of the need to align traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with modern expectations around public health, science, and wildlife protection. Pangolins are critically endangered due to trafficking, and their scales have long been used in TCM despite a lack of proven therapeutic value. Experts in TCM regulation have acknowledged that removing animal-based products with limited clinical support, especially when conservation or ethical concerns are involved, is consistent with evolving standards for quality and safety. Working to protect pangolins Every year we share World Pangolin Day in order to raise awareness of the threats pangolins face. Through our country office based in China, we have worked across Asia and globally to: Raise public awareness of the cruelty and conservation risks linked to wildlife use in medicine Partner with traditional medicine practitioners to promote plant-based, ethical alternatives Advocate for stronger policy and regulatory changes to protect endangered species Conduct research to expose the scale and impacts of the illegal wildlife trade

We already knew chimpanzees were smart – but new research shows their engineering prowess exceeds all imagination

Article written by Freya Parr Originally published by Discover Wildlife (Mar 24, 2025) New research shows that chimpanzees are engineers, with an innate comprehension of material properties that help them choose the best tools for the job Chimpanzees act as engineers in their daily tasks, new research shows. A team of researchers have discovered that chimpanzees are able to choose materials to make tools based on their structural and mechanical properties. The chimpanzees studied are living in Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania and are shown to deliberately choose plants that make more flexible tools for termite fishing. This allows the chimpanzees to probe the termites out of their mounds of winding tunnels, a much better approach than using rigid sticks. The study found that the materials ignored by chimpanzees were 175 percent more rigid than their preferred materials. These findings show us the technical abilities associated with the making of perishable tools, which remains a mysterious and unknown element of human technological evolution. Wild chimpanzees, therefore, show an innate comprehension of material properties that helps them choose the best tools for the job, rather than simply using any stick or plant that is available. The multidisciplinary team of researchers are from the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography at the University of Oxford, the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, the Jane Goodall Institute in Tanzania, the University of Algarve and the University of Porto in Portugal, and the University of Leipzig. The findings are published in the journal iScience. “This finding has important implications for understanding how humans might have evolved their remarkable tool-using abilities,” says Adam van Casteren from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. “While perishable materials like wood rarely survive in the archaeological record, the mechanical principles behind effective tool construction and use remain constant across species and time.’

We are so close to saving a baby elephant from a deadly snare.

I’m reaching out today because I know this situation will deeply concern you, and as an animal-lover, I’m sure you will want to help. An elephant calf in Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe, has been spotted limping through the wilderness with a wire snare tearing into its flesh. The calf’s leg is badly swollen, indicating a serious infection that must be treated immediately. This young animal must be suffering greatly – and to make matters worse, its reduced mobility is leaving it vulnerable to predators.   If we don’t act quickly, this calf is likely to die.   Credit: KAWFT   Our partner, Kariba Animal Welfare Fund Trust (KAWFT), has attempted to dart the calf on two separate occasions from the ground. However, with thick vegetation, challenging terrain and a massive area to search, the team has not yet been successful.   Time is running out. We must assist our team with a helicopter to dart the baby elephant from the sky and remove the snare as soon as possible.   For illustrative purposes only: It is difficult and dangerous for our team to approach injured elephant calves from the ground, as their mothers are extremely protective of them. Credit: KAWFT   The answer is to use a helicopter to spot and dart the calf from above. Aerial patrols are our ONLY option if we are to find the calf before it’s too late. Even with a helicopter, it could take hours or even days to find the stricken calf. Every minute increases the calf’s risk of dying by infection or being attacked by predators. Please help us raise $8,000 (£6,180) to keep the helicopter in the air and provide our team with sufficient aerial coverage to find the calf fast. Your donation will also cover the cost of medication and equipment to safely dart the calf, remove the snare and treat the injury, giving the animal the best chance of survival after this excruciating ordeal. This young animal is suffering terribly, and elephants are so endangered that every single life counts in the battle against extinction.   A rescue mission like this is only possible with your support. Can this calf count on your help today?   Credit: Steve Edwards   Snares are terribly cruel contraptions used by poachers to catch wild animals. Those that don’t die immediately – like this baby calf – suffer for days or weeks, usually succumbing to their injuries after excruciating pain and suffering. Young animals are especially vulnerable, as they fall behind, lose their herd, and die painful, lonely deaths. A helpless calf and its concerned mother are dearly hoping for your help today. Please, donate right away.

Can Wildlife Heal PTSD? The Science Behind Nature’s Unexpected Remedy

Article written by Cabi Originally published by SciTechDaily (Mar 6, 2025) A groundbreaking study reveals that interacting with wildlife helps ease PTSD symptoms in veterans. Walking in forests was beneficial, but direct engagement with animals—especially when the animals initiated contact—was even more impactful. Participants found a sense of connection and healing while also growing more aware of conservation issues. Scientists suggest expanding research to further explore this nature-based therapy. Healing PTSD Through Nature and Wildlife A new study published today (March 6) in Human-Animal Interactions found that spending time in nature—particularly engaging with wildlife and walking in forests—can help reduce PTSD symptoms in U.S. war veterans. Researchers from UMass Chan Medical School studied 19 veterans with PTSD or PTSD symptoms and observed that activities such as forest walks, wildlife care at a rehabilitation center, visiting a wildlife sanctuary, and birdwatching led to notable psychological benefits, particularly reduced anxiety. To help maintain their connection with nature after the nearly four-month study in Massachusetts, participants received bird feeders. The research included visits to Maine Wildlife Park, walks through Harvard Forest, and educational sessions on bird identification at the Mass Audubon Broad Meadow Brook Conservation Center and Wildlife Sanctuary. Immersion in Wildlife Settings Brings Greater Benefits Findings of the study suggest that the veterans benefited more from their immersion in wildlife settings—including coming up close with a Sulcata tortoise at the New England Wildlife Center—than from a forest walk. Dr. Donna Perry, UMass Chan Medical School, said, “While many studies involving interactions between humans and other species aimed at improving psychological or physical health have involved domestic animals, few have focused on wildlife. “We found that the response of veterans with PTSD to wildlife immersion suggests improved psychological symptoms as well as connection to nature/wildlife and increased understanding and concern for animal welfare and conservation-related issues. “Nature-based interventions are dynamic and require a flexible design, which may be addressed through immersion experiences.” The Power of Animals Choosing to Interact Dr. Perry said the participants in the study reflected that interactions with wildlife were especially meaningful when animals chose to engage with humans. One participant said, “Because animals are just—there’s no control . . . They have their own free will. Got their own way of thinking and doing things, so if they like you . . . there’s a feeling of feeling connected with nature.” Another individual described a similar spontaneous encounter in her post-study journal. “I sat on the patio, and I saw a red squirrel running by. He stopped and looked at me; I thought he was so cute. I really felt connected to him.” In some cases, participants seemed to identify with animals, such as an individual who was assisting to feed a baby grey squirrel through a syringe. In this case, a technician held the squirrel for the participant as it was reported to be “a biter.” As she fed the squirrel the participant said, “He’s the black sheep. He’s probably related to me. He’s beautiful.” Healing Through Shared Experiences of Struggle Dr. Perry said, “The findings also suggest that improvements in depression and well-being may be mediated through transcendent feelings in response to the human-wildlife interactions. “The study supports that placing veterans in an environment where they can connect with animals that have also undergone loss and suffering may foster healing in the veterans themselves. “Being exposed to and assisting with the care of injured wildlife also raises awareness of the effects of humans on the environment and may enhance conservation attitudes. This suggests that settings providing wildlife care and public education may be mutually beneficial for both humans and beyond-human animals.” Future Research: Expanding Animal-Assisted Therapies The scientists say that future research with larger numbers of participants would be helpful to more deeply explore mutual benefits for humans and animals within specific realms of interaction, such as physical contact through animal care or reminiscing through the extended realm. They add that additional studies would also be helpful to explore animal-assisted therapies in which formal therapeutic interventions are included with the wildlife immersion.

Amid Legal Troubles, Monkey-Breeding Facility Backers Expand Operations

Article written by Marjorie Fishman Originally published by Animal Welfare Institute (Mar 3, 2025) The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is deeply concerned by the recent announcement that Safer Human Medicine (SHM)—the company behind a massive monkey-breeding facility planned in Georgia—has acquired a facility in Florida to hold non-human primates slated for biomedical research. The 70-acre facility in LaBelle, Florida, will help SHM “accelerate its holding and quarantine operations for non-human primates,” the company said in a release, while supporting a planned $396 million complex in Bainbridge, Georgia, that, at peak capacity, would hold 30,000 long-tailed macaques. This is at least triple the number currently housed at any other US breeding facility. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) reported last month the findings of its investigation that identified a “secretly orchestrated deal between monkey importer Charles River Laboratories and SIMI United States, LLC, a company newly incorporated by the executives behind Safer Human Medicine.” SHM has denied PETA’s allegations that the deal was a secret. Members of SHM’s executive leadership have a troubled track record on animal welfare issues. SHM’s CEO served as COO of Envigo during a time when conditions at that biomedical company’s Virginia dog-breeding operation were so atrocious that the facility was eventually shuttered following the execution of a federal search warrant and subsequent court orders. Envigo was convicted of conspiring to violate the Animal Welfare Act and paid the largest-ever fine in a case involving this federal law. Additionally, SHM’s president and COO previously held executive positions at Charles River Laboratories, which is still being investigated by the federal government for its conduct regarding shipments of long-tailed macaques from Cambodia. Charles River Laboratories previously proposed building a mega monkey-holding facility in southeast Texas, but abandoned those plans last year after encountering opposition from local leaders and residents. Since 2022, long-tailed macaques have been classified as “endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. A scientific study published last year found that the population of this species has declined by 80% over the past 35 years, attributing it in part to accelerating demand from the biomedical industry. That same industry has formally petitioned the IUCN to strip long-tailed macaques of their endangered designation. SHM’s planned Georgia facility is currently mired in multiple legal disputes filed by local residents. They have reason to worry. In November, 43 rhesus macaques escaped from the Alpha Genesis Incorporated primate research facility in Yemassee, South Carolina, putting the health of the monkeys and the town’s residents at risk. “Safer Human Medicine is solidifying its investment stake in its monkey-breeding operation and ignoring residents’ objections, even though the fate of the Bainbridge facility is far from decided by the courts,” said Dr. Joanna Makowska, director and senior scientist for AWI’s Animals in Laboratories Program.

Disaster strikes in the freezing winter – rescued lions and tigers need your help.

Battle-worn Ukraine is in the midst of a freezing winter, with temperatures dropping as low as 4°F (-20°C). For countless lions and tigers, many brought into the country illegally, these sub-zero temperatures are deadly. Abandoned lion cubs rescued from the cold need access to warmth to survive the Ukrainian winter. Credit: WARC Lions and tigers native to warm climates are battling to survive Ukraine’s freezing winter. These animals, native to the warm climates of Africa, India and Asia, are ill-equipped for Ukrainian weather, but at least when they were in zoos or private hands, they did not have to brave the winter months without warm shelter. Rescued by our partner, Tigrulya has kidney failure and severe hind leg injuries. Without a warm indoor enclosure, he will not survive. Credit: WARC But now, even that small mercy has disappeared. When war broke out, many of these big cats were abandoned as their owners fled – some left in their cages to starve to death, while others were tragically killed by their owners who saw no other option. These big cats cannot survive in freezing war-torn Ukraine without your help. Many of our partner’s rescues are struggling with illness and injuries. For these animals, exposure to the cold could be deadly. Credit: WARC Our partner has rescued lions and tigers with severe injuries and health complications – now they need warm shelter if they are to make it through the winter. Our partner, Wild Animal Rescue Center (WARC), has rescued dozens of these unfortunate animals abandoned during the war. Many of the big cats in WARC’s care are battling the foreign climate, as well as injuries, illness and disability. Abandoned in a zoo as bombs exploded around him, Simba the lion broke his nose on the bars of his cage. He is one of many big cats that need your help. Credit: WARC With below-freezing temperatures expected to last at least another month, and food and veterinary costs soaring, WARC fears they won’t be able to provide warmth for much longer. If they cannot pay their heating bills, their electricity will be cut off – a devastating tragedy for the lions, tigers and other animals who depend on them for survival. Credit: WARC We need to raise $10,000 (approximately £8,000) to cover critical heating expenses, before a brutal winter claims the lives of even more majestic big cats. A heated enclosure at our partner’s facility. Credit: WARC Please help in any way you can today.

12 endangered wild cats endured years of abuse at “sanctuary” in UK.

Kit Kat, a sick, elderly puma, hissed and spat in fear as rescuers approached. In all his years, he had never met a human he could trust. Along with 11 other vulnerable and endangered wild cats, Kit Kat was rescued from years of cruelty and abuse at a UK “conservation center” in Hertfordshire. Their story is heartbreaking…   Kit Kat, one of 12 big cats recently rescued from hellish conditions at a UK “conservation center.” Credit: WildSide Exotic Rescue   Police discovered shocking scenes of sick and dead animals at the facility. Some animals were too ill to be saved and had to be humanely euthanized.   The conditions Kit Kat and his fellow captive cats endured were beyond horrific. Many were sick, injured and severely suffering, left to languish in pain. Police found animal carcasses packed into freezers; those still alive were living in cramped cages and forced to perform for visitors. Authorities finally shut down the facility recently after finding the owner guilty on a litany of animal welfare charges. Any animals that remained at the facility by the closure date in January were to be euthanized. That was when our partner, WildSide Exotic Rescue, stepped in.   Rescuers from WildSide Exotic Rescue sedating and treating the rescued cats. Credit: WildSide Exotic Rescue   The rescued cats have suffered for YEARS. They need critical medicines and special food to survive and regain their strength.   Kit Kat was in terrible shape, barely clinging to life. When WildSide finally got him to their sanctuary and assessed him, they realized he had been living with an untreated broken leg and other horrific injuries. Estimated to be at least 16, he must have lived in constant pain – possibly for his entire life. 11 other cats like Kit Kat are fighting for their lives – together, we can help save them.   Credit: Herts Police   Every $2,460 (£2,000) we raise will provide food, medication and veterinary care for all the cats for a month.   Rescued pumas Billie and Galaxy were kept in cramped conditions and left traumatized and sick as a result of their cruel captivity. Credit: WildSide Exotic Rescue   Suffering from a range of health problems, the cats all need immediate, specialized care, proper enclosures and high-quality food.   Can these poor, sick animals count on your compassion today? Please, donate generously now, and help them live out their final years free of pain and suffering.

This vulnerable aardvark needs your help to survive.

Little Henry was just a few months old when he was tragically orphaned in South Africa. When he was found, he was covered in parasites and on the brink of death – the sun beating down on him as he lay in the dirt. Henry is an aardvark — a gentle, nocturnal, burrowing mammal who is no threat to anyone. But sadly, aardvarks are hunted for their meat and body parts. They are killed out of ignorance, or because they are considered a “pest” by farmers. Tragically, this is probably what happened to Henry’s mom. Orphaned, alone and barely alive, he was rushed to the nearest veterinary clinic. Rescuers didn’t know if he would make it.   Credit: Kalahari Wildlife Project   A medical exam revealed that Henry was severely dehydrated, struggling to drink on his own, and experiencing severe diarrhea.   Henry should have still been with his mom. Aardvarks stay with their mothers for the first six months of their lives. Little Henry was just three months old.   Henry needs special milk formula and long-term rehabilitation if he has any hope of survival.   Once Henry was stabilized, he was transferred to our partner, the Kalahari Wildlife Project (KWP), which immediately began intensive care.   Credit: Kalahari Wildlife Project   Just $53 (£43) will cover the cost of Henry’s special milk formula and monthly care.   Henry will need specialized care and intensive rehabilitation for up to a year. Vital to his recovery is special milk formula for the next three months. Every $53 (£43) we raise will give Henry an entire month of rehabilitation and care, and will also cover the cost of three months’ worth of special milk formula.   Credit: Kalahari Wildlife Project   If we can raise $640 (£520), we can fund his entire recovery.   By helping Henry, you’re supporting a keystone species that plays a crucial role in the health and biodiversity of ecosystems. Please will you help give orphaned Henry the second chance he deserves?   Credit: Kalahari Wildlife Project    

Nearly 20,000 live animals seized, 365 suspects arrested in largest-ever wildlife and forestry operation

Article written by Interpol Int. Team Originally published by Interpol (Feb 4, 2025) 138 countries and regions join forces to target fauna and flora trafficking worldwide. LYON, France – Nearly 20,000 live animals, all endangered or protected species, have been seized in a global operation against wildlife and forestry trafficking networks, jointly coordinated by INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization (WCO). Operation Thunder 2024 (11 November–6 December) brought together police, customs, border control, forestry, and wildlife officials from 138 countries and regions, marking the widest participation since the first edition in 2017. Authorities arrested 365 suspects and identified six transnational criminal networks suspected of trafficking animals and plants protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Such species are illegally trafficked to meet specific market demands, whether for food, perceived medicinal benefits, “luxury” and collector items, or as pets and competition animals. The live animals, which included big cats, birds, pangolins, primates, and reptiles, were rescued in connection with 2,213 seizures made worldwide. Where possible, wildlife forensic experts collected DNA samples before transferring the animals to conservation centers, where their health was assessed while awaiting repatriation or rehabilitation, in line with national frameworks and relevant protocols. The collection of DNA is a crucial part of supporting prosecutions, as it helps confirm the type of species and its origin or distribution, shedding light on new trafficking routes and emerging trends. Large-scale trafficking of animal parts, plants and endangered species In addition to the live animals, participating countries seized hundreds of thousands of protected animal parts and derivatives, trees, plants, marine life, and arthropods. Timber cases represent the most significant seizures, primarily occurring in sea cargo container shipments, while most other seizures took place at airports and mail processing hubs. Authorities also investigated online activities and found suspects using multiple profiles and linked accounts across social media platforms and marketplaces to expand their reach. More than 100 companies involved in the trafficking of protected species were also identified. Valdecy Urquiza, INTERPOL Secretary General, said: “Organized crime networks are profiting from the demand for rare plants and animals, exploiting nature to fuel human greed. This has far-reaching consequences: it drives biodiversity loss, destroys communities, contributes to climate change, and even fuels conflict and instability. “Environmental crimes are uniquely destructive, and INTERPOL, in cooperation with its partners, is committed to protecting our planet for future generations.” Ian Saunders, WCO Secretary General, said: “Operation Thunder continues to shed light on a crime that is often not a priority for enforcement actors. Through our joint efforts, we have established cooperation mechanisms that facilitate the exchange of information and intelligence, and we have refined our enforcement strategies. “The illegal wildlife trade is still rapidly growing, highly lucrative, and has devastating effects. The WCO remains committed to supporting its members and partners to effectively combat this serious crime.” Significant seizures include: Indonesia: 134 tonnes of timber headed to Asia via ocean freight. Kenya: 41 tonnes of exotic timber headed to Asia via ocean freight. Nigeria: 4,472 kg of pangolins scales Türkiye: 6,500 live songbirds were discovered during a vehicle inspection at the Syrian border. India: 5,193 live red-eared ornamental slider turtles concealed in passenger suitcases arriving from Malaysia at Chennai Airport. Peru: 3,700 protected plants were intercepted en route from Ecuador. Qatar: Eight rhino horns were found in a suspect’s luggage while transiting from Mozambique to Thailand. United States: One ton of sea cucumbers, considered a seafood delicacy, smuggled from Nicaragua. Hong Kong, China: 973 kg of dried shark fins originating from Morocco were seized at the airport. Czech Republic: Eight tigers, aged between two months and two years, were discovered in a suspected illegal breeding facility. Indonesia: 846 pieces of reticulated python skin, from the world’s longest snake species, concealed on board a ship. Australia and the United Kingdom reported seizures of bear bile, often used in traditional medicine. More than 300 firearms, vehicles, and poaching equipment. Building a global intelligence picture of wildlife and timber trafficking Regular operations such as Thunder enable investigators to build a comprehensive global intelligence picture and detailed offender profiles, significantly enhancing the effectiveness of enforcement efforts and resolution of cross-border cases. Cooperation between various stakeholders is essential for effectively combating transnational criminal networks, from seizure to arrest and prosecution, as the data collected enable customs administrations to refine their risk management and compliance strategies and stay one step ahead of criminals, ensuring that their contribution to the fight against wildlife crime is dynamic and responsive. Ahead of the operation, countries exchanged actionable intelligence on ongoing cases and high-value targets, updating critical information on 21 INTERPOL Red Notices for suspected traffickers wanted internationally. This exchange continued throughout the operation, with officers using the secure channels provided by both INTERPOL and the WCO to communicate in real time. The Operation Thunder series is backed by the CITES Secretariat and carried out under the partnership framework of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC). The 2024 edition was co-funded by the European Union, the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Tiger poachers use fishing boats to smuggle body parts out of Malaysia, study shows

Article written by David Rising from Associated Press Originally published by abc NEWS (Jan 29, 2025) Commercial fishing fleets have been playing a key role in the trafficking of parts of tigers poached in Malaysia, according to new research, information that could help enforcement efforts to save the critically endangered cat BANGKOK — Commercial fishing fleets have been playing a key role in trafficking parts of tigers poached in Malaysia, according to research released Wednesday that could help enforcement efforts to save the critically endangered cat. The fishing boats are part of a network of routes used by sophisticated teams of poachers to move parts of illegally killed Malayan tigers and other poached animals to Vietnam, according to the study by conservation organizations Panthera and ZSL in conjunction with Malaysia’s Sunway University. Through interviews with more than four dozen people involved in the operations, including poachers and those who brokered sales of the illicit goods, researchers found that fishing boats were able to carry larger consignments cheaper and less likely to be checked by customs than land or air routes. “To really crack a problem and insert the right intervention that’s going to have any impact, you have to understand the thing inside out,” said Panthara’s Rob Pickles, the lead author of the study, in a phone interview from Kuala Lumpur. “That’s what we hope this study does—contribute to that depth of understanding of the problem to allow us to tailor the interventions.” From a population estimated at some 3,000 tigers in the middle of the 20th century, the latest estimates are that there are only about 150 of the cats left in Malaysia, and they have already gone extinct in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam over the last 25 years. In addition to poaching, tigers have lost much of their habitat to deforestation, and they have been falling victim in recent years to the canine distemper virus while a major source of food, the wild boar, has been decimated by the African swine fever virus. “It’s their last gasp,” Pickles said. “This is the last chance to turn things around.” The tigers live in the forests of peninsular Malaysia, which is connected by land to Thailand to the north. They have also been targeted by poachers from Malaysia, Cambodia, and Thailand, but researchers said the Vietnamese teams operate on a “different order of magnitude.” Almost all from the poor, rural, and rugged province of Quang Binh, where many took to the jungles to escape relentless American bombing during the Vietnam War, the poachers use well-honed bushcraft skills to live as small teams in the forests for three to five months at a time on poaching excursions. They capture wild tigers with heavy steel snares made of wires as thick as a person’s index finger, as well as other animals.   Once caught, the tigers are killed and processed largely for their bones, which are boiled for days until they become a gelatinous, glue-like substance that is pressed into small blocks and sold for perceived medicinal benefits. Claws and teeth are used to make amulets. As Malaysia went on lockdown during the COVID pandemic, poaching operations came to a near standstill. The researchers were able to use the time to find and interview more than 50 individuals involved in the operations for the study, which was done in two phases concluding in 2024. Researchers learned that fishing boats were also used to carry bear paws and bile, live civets, wild boar tusks and meat, pangolins, monitor lizards, and turtles. One person told researchers the fishing boats were ideal to send larger items like tiger skins. “Nobody checks,” the interviewee was quoted as saying. “In addition, people can go back by boat, so many things also can be brought back by this route.” Malaysia and Vietnam have both been increasing maritime controls recently, making trafficking by fishing boats riskier. Malaysian authorities have also had success in catching poachers and have substantially increased punishments for wildlife crime in recent years, though the study also found that the managers who send the teams into the forests are rarely caught and can easily recruit replacements. Researchers also learned that many Vietnamese poachers take on significant debt to travel to Malaysia. They recommend that in addition to focusing more on fishing boats, authorities should target potential poachers in their home villages in Quang Binh with information about the increasing risks and diminishing returns to try and dissuade them from coming to Malaysia in the first place. Officials in Malaysia and Vietnam, both of which were celebrating public holidays this week, did not respond to requests for comment on the survey and its recommendations. “We can’t arrest our way out of a problem or over-rely on the criminal justice system,” said ZSL’s Gopalasamy Reuben Clements, a co-author of the report. “We need to explore other approaches, such as highly targeted behavioral change interventions, that can run in parallel to arrests and prosecutions.”

21 wild cats including tigers, lynxes and leopards dead from avian flu.

A freak avian flu outbreak at a Washington wild animal sanctuary has left 21 big cats dead and 16 more in need of critical support. Credit: WFAC Because it is suspected that food was the source of the outbreak, the sanctuary has been forced to destroy three tons of supplies to avoid further risk of infection.  Now, the survivors need animal-lovers like you, to keep them fed as they recover. 16 vulnerable and hungry wild cats need food and critical support after an avian flu outbreak.  The Wild Felid Advocacy Center of Washington (WFAC) in North Shelton, Washington, is a lifetime haven for tigers, lynxes, cougars, bobcats, servals, African leopards and other large felines rescued from abuse, exploitation and neglect. It provides permanent safe sanctuary, giving the animals the peace, comfort and well-being they deserve. Credit: WFAC But tragedy has struck. Following an avian flu outbreak across several U.S. states, the sanctuary tragically lost 21 of its big cats, including vulnerable lynxes and an endangered Bengal tiger. Right now, 16 survivors are in quarantine, receiving critical care. After destroying three tons of food – which would have fed all 16 survivors for five months – to avoid further risk of contamination, they need to replace the food fast. Credit: WFAC Please help us provide crucial food for the survivors. These big cats need our help, and they need it today. Avian flu is a highly contagious virus carried by wild birds, spreading through respiratory secretions and bird-to-bird contact. It can also be transmitted to predators who eat infected birds. The virus can quickly progress to pneumonia, causing death within just 24 hours. Now, as the WFAC team works around the clock to keep the surviving cats safe and prevent further infections, their resources are stretched dangerously thin. Credit: WFAC If we can raise $6,000 (£4,825), we can feed the 16 surviving big cats for a month, providing them with the safe, high-quality food they need to survive. Every $12 (around £10) you give will feed a big cat for a day – and just $360 (£290) will give a tiger, leopard or another cat a month’s worth of nutritious food. This is the most devastating tragedy that has struck at the sanctuary since it opened its doors 20 years ago. Your donation will help the surviving animals recover, so they can continue living peaceful, healthy lives. Credit: WFAC Please help give these brave survivors the best chance to survive this deadly outbreak by keeping them fed and strong – donate right away.

116 tortoises repatriated to Tanzania in landmark wildlife trafficking fight

Article written by Guardian Reporter Originally published by IPP Media (Jan 27, 2025) In a major breakthrough in the battle against international wildlife trafficking, 116 tortoises have been successfully repatriated to Tanzania after being intercepted in Thailand more than two years ago. The tortoises, including critically endangered species, will now serve as crucial evidence in the prosecution of a Ukrainian smuggler. The animals were seized in July 2022 when a Ukrainian woman was stopped by customs officials at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport during an INTERPOL operation. Concealed in her luggage, the tortoises were destined for the illegal exotic pet trade. Following her arrest, a global investigation led to the dismantling of an international wildlife trafficking ring and the arrest of 14 individuals from countries including Egypt, Indonesia, Madagascar and Tanzania. A formal handover ceremony took place in Bangkok on Thursday, with senior officials from Thailand and Tanzania present, marking the successful repatriation of the animals. Police Major General Surapan Thaiprasert, Commander of the Foreign Affairs Division at the Royal Thai Police, expressed pride in the collaboration. He said, “Thailand worked closely with INTERPOL and our partners in Tanzania on this significant case. Through our robust detection capabilities, we intercepted the smuggler and saved the tortoises. Their return is a testament to our shared commitment to combat wildlife crime.” The 116 tortoises returned to Tanzania include pancake tortoises, radiated tortoises, and Aldabra giant tortoises, all of which are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Tragically, some of the animals did not survive the traumatic conditions of being smuggled despite immediate care provided by Thai authorities. However, all 116 tortoises were repatriated as evidence in the ongoing case. The illegal trade in endangered tortoises remains a significant global issue. These species are often taken from their natural habitats and trafficked internationally, where they are sold as exotic pets. This type of wildlife trafficking not only threatens biodiversity but also fuels organized crime networks that profit from exploiting vulnerable species. Cyril Gout, Acting Executive Director of Police Services at INTERPOL, emphasized the importance of international cooperation: “Wildlife trafficking is a global threat that disrupts ecosystems, harms local communities, and enriches criminal networks. This case highlights the dedication of law enforcement agencies worldwide to protect endangered species and bring wildlife criminals to justice. INTERPOL plays a critical role in facilitating coordinated global efforts to combat wildlife crime.” Following her arrest in Thailand, the smuggler fled the country before facing full prosecution. However, through an INTERPOL Red Notice, she was tracked down in Bulgaria in March 2023 and extradited to Tanzania in June 2023. This led to the revelation that she was part of a larger trafficking network. INTERPOL provided vital investigative and operational support, helping authorities identify additional suspects and resulting in the arrest of 14 individuals involved in the operation. Ramadhan Hamisi Kingai, Director of Criminal Investigations at the Tanzania Police Force, expressed gratitude for the international collaboration that made the operation a success: “From the capture of the suspect to the repatriation of the tortoises, this success is a direct result of strong international collaboration and a multi-agency approach facilitated through INTERPOL. Tanzania remains committed to combating wildlife crime and will continue to work with other countries to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable.” Upon arrival in Tanzania, the surviving  tortoises will be placed in quarantine and cared for by local wildlife officials. Authorities will assess their health and, if suitable for release, work to return them to their natural habitats.

Baby gorilla rescued from hold of Turkish Airlines plane

Article written by Associated Press Originally published by The Guardian (Jan 13, 2025) A five-month-old, now named Zeytin, was found in a box on a flight that was travelling from Nigeria to Thailand A young gorilla rescued from a plane’s cargo hold is recovering at an Istanbul zoo, officials said Sunday, while wildlife officers consider returning him to his natural habitat. The 5-month-old gorilla was discovered in a box on a Turkish Airlines flight from Nigeria to Thailand last month as it transited through Istanbul. After a public competition, he has been named Zeytin, or Olive, and is recuperating at Polonezkoy Zoo. “Of course, what we want and desire is for the baby gorilla… to continue its life in its homeland,” Fahrettin Ulu, regional director of Istanbul nature conservation and national parks, said Sunday. “What is important is that an absolutely safe environment is established in the place it goes to, which is extremely important for us.” In the weeks since he was found, Zeytin has gained weight and is showing signs of recovering from his traumatic journey. “When he first came, he was very shy; he would stay where we left him,” said veterinarian Gulfem Esmen. “He doesn’t have that shyness now. He doesn’t even care about us much. He plays games by himself.” Both gorilla species—the western and eastern gorillas, which populate central Africa’s remote forests and mountains—are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. As Istanbul emerges as a major air hub between continents, customs officials have increasingly intercepted illegally traded animals. In October, 17 young Nile crocodiles and 10 monitor lizards were found in an Egyptian passenger’s luggage at the city’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport.

A drone could help save this hippo and countless other wild animals.

Somewhere in the Zimbabwean wilderness, a mother hippo is struggling to survive as a brutal wire snare cuts into her face and jaw. If she dies, her calf will be orphaned and left to fend for itself in the unforgiving wilderness, likely being killed by predators or caught in a cruel snare like the one threatening her mother’s life. Our team is ready to save her – but she can’t be found. Credit: Zambezi Conservation With 400,000 hectares (around 1,500 square miles) to search, our team is struggling to find the hippo before she dies from her wounds. Our partner, the Zambezi Conservation Unit (ZamCon), spotted the hippo and calf from their boat as they patrolled the Zambezi River. Unfortunately, the noise of the boat’s motor spooked the animals, and they disappeared into the undergrowth before the team could get to them. Hippos may be large animals, but they can quickly disappear in Zimbabwe’s thick vegetation. Once they vanish from sight, it can be incredibly hard to find them again without high-tech tools like drones. Snares such as these pose a risk to all wildlife. Credit: Zambezi Conservation From what our team could see, the snare is tightly wrapped around her upper jaw, causing severe and potentially life-threatening injuries. We are still searching for her, and unless we can find her soon, we have to assume the worst. Without a drone, we do not know how many more animals are slowly dying right now from snares laid by poachers. Snares are simple yet deadly wire contraptions that poachers use to trap animals in the wild. After snagging an unsuspecting victim, snares cause severe injuries that often only kill the animal after days or weeks of suffering. Credit: Zambezi Conservation Unfortunately, locating snared animals can be incredibly difficult. Injured wild animals, in their fear and desperation, are known to retreat into dense vegetation. In the fight to save Zimbabwe’s wild animals, we must do everything in our power to protect them from relentless poachers. Zimbabwe is a country rife with corruption and poverty, a deadly combination for the animals. For poor locals, the high price of ivory, lion pelts and other animal parts prized by foreign markets can be too great a temptation to ignore. Very few organizations are fighting to safeguard Zimbabwe’s majestic wild animals. Our partner is one of them – but its resources are limited. With your help, we can purchase a drone and save many more snared animals. What is needed for the animals is a state-of-the-art drone to cover a much wider area, providing a bird’s-eye view to quickly spot injured or at-risk animals and rush to the rescue. Even better, thermal and night-vision capabilities will enable the team to see animals in the dark, while easily spotting poachers who are lurking in the bushes so they can send an anti-poaching squad to apprehend them. Drones provide a bird’s-eye view to quickly spot injured or at-risk animals. Credit: BesJournals Every day that our team goes without a drone means more defenseless animals will be left to suffer – and more poachers will get away. Please help us raise $12,000 (around £9,700) for a vital anti-poaching drone by donating as generously as you can today. Vulnerable animals are counting on you.

Feed an orphaned rhino this festive season.

The holiday season is a time of joy and celebration, but for six-week-old rhino calf Hercules, this time of year has brought nothing but unimaginable horror. Credit: Care For Wild Orphaned, attacked by hyenas and left for dead, this poor infant is fighting for his life at the Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary (CFW) in South Africa. Hercules is not alone. Recently, CFW has taken in four orphaned rhino calves – a sharp increase after more than a year without any new rescues in its care. These helpless little rhinos desperately need your help this holiday season. Please give four orphaned rhino calves the gift of special milk formula, food and life-saving care this festive season. Credit: Care For Wild Separated from his mother at just three weeks old, Hercules was attacked by a clan of hyenas and was left severely wounded and nearly dead. As you read this, Hercules is receiving round-the-clock intensive care at the CFW ICU. This tiny, fragile calf also needs a regular supply of nourishing special milk formula – vital for his recovery. While little Hercules is in critical condition, three other orphaned rhino calves are also desperately hoping for the gift of your compassion this holiday season… Skye and Talesi, both 18-month-old orphans, are struggling with the loss of their mothers. Calves orphaned at over a year of age often struggle to adjust to life without their moms, as they usually stay by their side for up to four years. Those that are unable to join other rhino herds can become so depressed, they refuse to eat, severely threatening their health and even their lives. Credit: Care For Wild Finally, there’s sweet Riri – a three-month-old critically endangered black rhino orphan whose recovery is especially delicate. Black rhinos are more sensitive and intelligent, and need much more intensive care than white rhinos. Like Hercules, Riri needs special milk formula to recover and survive. With the surge of orphaned rhinos in their care, together with Hercules’ intensive and expensive recovery, our partner is struggling to cope. Together, we can ensure that these vulnerable rhino infants are fed throughout the holidays, freeing up funds to support Hercules on his healing journey. This holiday season, give a life-changing gift to precious orphaned rhino calves: $15 will feed an orphaned rhino for a day. $105 will feed an orphaned rhino for a week. $450 will feed an orphaned rhino for a month. Credit: Care For Wild It is vitally important to help these rhinos because they are so endangered that every single life makes a difference in the fight to save them from extinction. It is estimated that only one in 10 orphaned rhinos in South Africa is discovered in time to be saved. Tragically, 90% will die alone in the wild. ‘Tis the season of giving, and today, we ask you from the bottom of our hearts to spare a thought for four orphaned rhino calves who have lost everything – their precious, loving mothers, and the comfort of their natural homes in the wild. In the spirit of generosity, we hope you will give these vulnerable rhino orphans the chance to heal, grow and eventually be released back into protected wild spaces where they belong. Please donate to Animal Survival International today and help us bring milk, food and life-saving care to orphaned baby rhinos this festive season.

1,000 days of war means 1,000 days of animal suffering.

It has been over 1,000 days since war broke out in Ukraine – and every day has meant unbelievable suffering and abject terror for the wild animals abandoned as missiles strike and bullets fly. Credit: WARC Countless animals have died and countless more still wander the frontlines, miraculously escaping death as their homes are blown up and their families killed. Many of these wild animals were kept as “pets” before war broke out. Once the fighting began, they were either abandoned to die in their cages or released to fend for themselves. Despite being left to starve to death or be slaughtered by Russian soldiers, many animals have managed to survive, scavenging what food they can from amidst the rubble and destruction. For these terrified wild animals, every day on the frontline could mean death. We MUST keep up our search-and-rescue missions to save these forgotten animals – but we can’t do it without your help. Every week, our team risks their lives to save desperate wild animals from the war zone. As freezing winter sets in and enemy troops pour into Ukraine, we are fighting to save them all before it’s too late. Credit: WARC A bitter winter has Ukraine in an icy grip, leaving animals to freeze on top of ravenous hunger, debilitating injuries and constant terror. Our partner in Ukraine, Wild Animal Rescue Center (WARC), needs to conduct critical rescue missions for animals on the frontline, but snowy conditions are making it extremely difficult to continue their life-saving work. One of the most crucial needs is a set of specialized winter tires, to let its animal ambulance safely navigate the pot-holed, treacherously wet and icy roads. Getting to the animals is only half the battle. When our team finds them, many are so badly injured, they need major medical intervention. And with below-freezing temperatures coupled with the constant threat of attack, treating animals on the side of the road can be deadly. If we can get the snow tires and install an examination table in our partner’s animal ambulance, we will drastically improve the chances of survival for both the animals and our hard-working team. Credit: WARC Last but not least, we need to supply secure animal crates for transporting large animals like bears from the frontlines to the safety of the WARC sanctuary. If we can raise $4,300 (approximately £3,400), we can equip our partner’s animal ambulance with everything it needs to continue saving defenseless animals in Ukraine. We promised to help until the war is over, but we can only do it with your continued support. Credit: WARC Please, help us give these animals a chance at survival by donating as much as you possibly can right away.

‘It shouldn’t be that easy’: inside the illegal wildlife trade booming on social media

Article written by Sam Meadows Originally published by The Guardian (Dec 9, 2024) Social media sites have become crucial tools for the sale of endangered species and platforms should do more to combat it, say experts When the baby parrots were delivered to Alice Soares de Oliveira’s desk, they had no feathers and could barely open their eyes. Housed in a dirty cardboard box, the pair were barely a month old and showed signs of underfeeding. The parrots, along with a pair of young toucans that arrived just under a month later, were victims of wildlife traffickers. Snatched by poachers, perhaps from their mother’s nest, they were all advertised for sale on social media. They were brought to Soares de Oliveira, a vet at CeMaCAS, a wildlife conservation center, in the forest outside Brazil’s largest city, São Paulo, after being rescued by police monitoring networks on platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp. Social media has become a crucial tool for wildlife traffickers, experts say. A growing number use Facebook, for example, to advertise endangered animals or their byproducts for sale, often switching to messaging apps such as WhatsApp to complete the sale. A report published in October by the Global Initiative Against Transnational and Organized Crime flagged 477 advertisements for 18 protected species in Brazil and South Africa alone in a three-month period this year. Social media accounted for 78% of these. Simone Haysom, the Global Initiative’s director of environmental crime, says that after authorities cracked down on street markets, traders moved online. “Online spaces now provide the means for many of the world’s most endangered, most highly protected species to find consumers,” she says. “There is a cornucopia of endangered species available to buy online, and it simply shouldn’t be that easy.” Crawford Allan, vice president of nature crimes at the World Wildlife Fund, says the pandemic led to wildlife crime becoming “systematized” online. “A lot of the open markets were closing,” he says. “People couldn’t move around and so a lot of stuff ended up online, and it’s become the norm.” Social media companies face challenging circumstances in determining whether such advertisements are illegal, as laws on the sale of wild animals differ by jurisdiction and species. Nevertheless, experts say tech firms need to do more to determine when posts have a high risk. The Global Initiative uses a mixture of AI techniques and human analysis to detect suspicious ads online. Their flagging system, part of a project called Eco-Solve, covers Brazil, South Africa and Thailand and will soon expand to India, Indonesia and the UAE. Richard Scobey, executive director of Traffic, an organisation focused on wildlife trafficking, says that advertising on social media often allows sellers to “circumvent” legislation and sell items without telling buyers their origins. “Companies need to allocate far more resources towards regulating how users trade illegally in wildlife parts and derivatives on their platforms,” he says. “Social media companies are working to combat the illegal trade on their platforms… But much more can be done.” Some tech firms have taken steps to combat the issue. In 2020, Facebook introduced a tag to some search terms, warning users of the dangers of wildlife trafficking, and Meta removed 7.6 million posts in 2023, according to the Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking Online. The coalition is a voluntary body, which includes most of the leading US and Chinese social media companies. In 2021, it said that 11.6 million posts had been blocked or removed by members. The WWF’s Allan was a founding member of the coalition and continues to oversee its work. He says that tech firms have been receptive to activists’ attempts to get them to crack down on activity, but that layoffs in the industry have affected progress. “As a conservation group, we always feel that people need to do more, but we also understand that they’re dealing with terrorism, child safety, and all the ills of the world that are flowing through their social media channels. They’ve got much bigger, scarier issues to deal with,” he adds. “We feel some companies have found the balance. There’s also companies that haven’t. They’re not doing enough, or they’re on hiatus for some reason, and they need to step up and do more.” A spokesperson for Meta, which owns Facebook and WhatsApp, says: “We do not allow activity related to the purchase, sale, raffle, gift, transfer, or trade of endangered and protected species on our services. “We use a combination of technology, reviews by our teams, and user reports to identify activity that breaks our terms of service, and we will respond to valid requests from law enforcement.” Wildlife trafficking threatens biodiversity and can drive the extinction of certain species. According to a 2023 article in Forensic Science International, approximately 5,209 animal species are threatened or near-threatened due to “use and trade.” Haysom says: “These species [being advertised for sale online] are protected because they’re endangered. They’re protected because trade poses a real threat to their continued existence.” In São Paulo, Soares de Oliveira sees a bright future for the birds in her care. Vets at CeMaCAS care for hundreds of birds and animals at a time. She is confident that the parrots and toucans will make a full recovery and be released back into the wild. “They are in the rehab process. They are still young and we are observing them. But in three months, I think they can have a free life,” she says.

Monkeys flown to UK for lab tests found ‘injured and terrified’ in blood-soaked plane crates

Article written by Claire Colley and Jane Dalton Originally published by Independent (Nov 24, 2024) Exclusive: New photos reveal how primates are shipped as cargo confined in small crates Monkeys flown into the UK for laboratory testing were so badly injured that their crates were smeared with blood, photographs suggest. The long-tailed macaques endured journeys of up to 25 hours from Mauritius and Vietnam, transported in cramped wooden crates too small for them to stand upright. After quarantine in the Netherlands, the macaques were driven to Brussels airport before being flown to Manchester airport. Activists, who said the animals would have been terrified on the journeys, slated the “cruel” conditions and the fact the UK still conducts experiments on primates. Long-tailed macaques are the main primate species used in toxicology tests for drugs and chemicals by research organisations for pharmaceutical and chemical companies, as well as by universities. Dogs, pigs and rodents are also used. Toxicity testing involves placing monkeys in restraining devices and dosing them with drugs or chemicals through a tube inserted into their stomachs (gavaging). The substances may also be injected, often without anesthetic, or inhaled. This may be daily, and studies show side effects include vomiting, convulsing, internal bleeding and death. Importing monkeys is quicker and easier than breeding them in the UK, insiders say. The photos, which were brought to light in freedom of information requests by the Dutch-Belgian group Animal Rights, sparked renewed criticism over the ethics of animals in research. Group members who tracked the journeys of the planes and vans believe the monkeys were destined for a drug developer. The company did not respond to a request for comment. The FOI replies revealed that one animal, imported on 28 May, suffered an anal prolapse—a potentially fatal condition. A Belgian animal welfare inspector’s checklist stated no animals were wounded, yet photos appear to show an injured monkey with the condition. On another occasion, blood was seen in a monkey crate transported on 30 April, but the injury was deemed minor. UK Home Office guidelines state that sick or injured animals should not normally be considered fit for transport. In July last year, 80 long-tailed macaques were transported in a plane’s hold at just 10C, despite warnings from Flemish officials that such conditions were unsuitable. Officials also flagged that prolonged loading times in Brussels risked causing significant stress to the primates. In a separate case, a monkey died on a flight to New York after reportedly suffering an adverse reaction to sedation. The animal was among hundreds flown from the Netherlands, France, and Spain. In 2021, more than one monkey died en route to the US. Animal rights organisation Action for Primates described these cases as “the tip of the iceberg”, highlighting that between July 2022 and May 2023, 10 flights from Mauritius and Vietnam delivered macaques to the UK via European airports. Research confirms air travel as a major stressor for primates. According to Ned Buyukmihci, emeritus professor of veterinary medicine and adviser to Action for Primates, flight-related stress could exacerbate injuries, leading to severe pain, shock or even death. Sarah Kite, co-founder of Action for Primates, said: “Shipped as cargo, primates are forced to spend many hours confined in small single transit crates and may have to endure poor ventilation, unfamiliar and loud noise, temperature fluctuations and delays en route as they are shipped around the globe.” However, the Understanding Animal Research organisation says experiments involving non-humans have provided many treatments for conditions such as cancer and diabetes, as well as human vaccines. It argues that hundreds of millions of human and animal lives have been saved or improved as a direct result of research on animals. A spokesperson for Cheshire Animal Rights Campaigns and Animal Welfare Party called on Manchester Airport and shareholders to end monkey imports. An airport spokesperson said that, like other airports, it could not take a stance on the import of any cargo, adding: “There are clear laws, set by government, that define what can and cannot be brought into the UK as cargo, and it would not be appropriate for the airport to act independently of those laws.” The Belgian government said: “In our opinion, there was no failure. An assessment of the situation was made, and what seemed to be the best option for the animals was acted upon.” They said the injured monkeys were otherwise in good condition, adding: “It was decided that, given the short duration of the transport, it was better to allow the animals to travel.” They added that on arrival no further problems were found, and the inspector reminded workers to avoid low temperatures in the future. A separate freedom of information request has shown 2,118 primates were imported last year, and UK government statistics show there were 2,169 procedures on primates. While they are not believed to have received the monkeys in the latest incident, some of the leading institutions conducting animal research include the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, the Francis Crick Institute, the University of Edinburgh, UCL, the Medical Research Council and Imperial College London. A spokesperson for the government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency said: “It’s upsetting to receive reports of animals in distress; we always take reports of breaches in animal welfare regulations very seriously and we are looking into the exact details of this case. “When animals are transported, it is the responsibility of the vet in the country of origin to decide if the inspected animal is fit to travel.” Credit Banner: Animal Rights

Baby pangolin stuffed in a sack and left to die.

Today, an eight-month-old pangolin pup desperately needs your help. Saved from a bushmeat market in Lekki, Nigeria, after a tip-off, she was found in a truly horrendous state. Credit: GWCI The fragile young animal was stuffed into a filthy sack and infested with hundreds of disease-carrying ticks, which clung to every inch of her body. With the parasites clinging to every inch of her poor body, it was the worst infestation our partner Greenfingers Wildlife Conservation Initiative (GWCI) had ever seen. Tikki the pangolin is just a baby. Her survival hinges on specialized nutrition and expert care. Our partner took Tikki into its care. Once every tick had been painstakingly removed from her little body, she was moved to isolation because she probably still harbors tick eggs, which could cause a disease outbreak at our partner sanctuary. Each of the hundreds of ticks had to be carefully removed by hand. Credit: GWCI Tikki needs close monitoring and specialized milk formula over the next several months. This milk formula is critical, and without it, Tikki will not survive. Once she is fully recovered, she will be released into a protected area where she can live in her natural environment while remaining safe from poachers. As poachers ruthlessly hunt down every pangolin in Nigeria, our partner is one of the few organizations fighting to save these endangered creatures. Image for illustration purposes only. Credit: WCRU/ZXZhang Pangolins are sold on the black market and their body parts harvested for use in ‘traditional Chinese medicine’ (TCM), even though no benefits have ever been proven. Their meat is considered a delicacy in some Asian and African countries, and their skins are turned into bags and belts. Driven by greed, pangolins are being poached to extinction. There are few safe spaces for pangolins in Nigeria and our partner has to work tirelessly every day to save every life it can. Rescuing these fragile animals from the clutches of poachers is essential – and we can do it, but only with your support. One life could make all the difference to the entire pangolin species. In the past 10 years, more than a million pangolins have been poached from the wild. Of the eight species of pangolin, two are considered ‘vulnerable,’ three are endangered, and three are critically endangered – indicating that they are terrifyingly close to going extinct. Credit: GWCI Without dedicated conservation work – and the support of caring people like you – their species stands little chance of surviving the next decade. Tikki may be “just one pangolin,” but with the creatures so close to extinction, every life counts. Can Tikki count on your compassion today?

Infant flying fox, Suzie, was blinded, orphaned and maimed by a poacher.

Suzie is a tiny, fragile infant flying fox who has endured horrendous suffering in her short life. A poacher in the Seychelles stole her from a tree while her mother was out foraging for food, and then horrifically abused her. Credit: Online Just a helpless infant torn from her mother, Suzie was blinded after being beaten and then used as a tourist attraction. The poacher beat Suzie so badly he blinded and maimed her. He then locked her in a tiny cage, took her to a popular tourist spot on the island of Mahé, and cajoled tourists into paying to touch her and pose for photos. Our partner, Protect Paradise Seychelles (PPS), rushed to the rescue as soon as it heard about little Suzie’s plight. Credit: iStock Suzie’s wings were badly damaged from her repeated, futile attempts to escape her filthy metal cage. She is certainly blind in one of her eyes; the fight is on to try and save the other.   Our partner rushed Suzie to its sanctuary, where she joined PPS’s many other rescues. Suzie needs specialized care and calcium-enriched formula to survive. Credit:Protect Paradise Will you help one of our most fragile rescues ever? Female flying foxes give birth to a single pup at a time. Infants only start learning to fly at around three months old, and are completely dependent on their mothers for the first six months of their lives. When infants become too heavy to carry, their mothers fly out at night to forage, leaving their babies safely in a tree – or so they think. Little Suzie would have been waiting for her mother to come back, stuck in a tree and unable to escape, when the man beat her with a stick and stole her. Flying foxes in the Seychelles live on fruit-and-nectar diets and play a vital role in pollinating hundreds of the fruit we eat – bananas, mangoes and avocados among them.  Not everyone knows the importance and fragility of flying foxes, but we know how important it is to fight cruelty by saving one creature at a time. Please, show your compassion to our planet’s every living creature – including little Suzie – by helping them with a donation today.

Poachers are killing weakened wild animals as they search for water during drought.

Along the banks of the drying-up Zambezi River, wild animals are being slaughtered as they drink what little life-saving water they can. While they battle devastating drought, cunning poachers are taking advantage of their weakness, and majestic elephants, giraffes, leopards, lions, sable antelope and many others are easy targets. The diminishing Zambezi River forms a natural boundary between Zambia and Zimbabwe. But with the river running low, heartless criminals simply hop across the Zambezi and “help themselves” to the wildlife as they drink from the river – one of the only water sources available to them. It is devastating and infuriating – but we have a solution to protect the animals, and today, we need your help to implement it. Zimbabwe’s worst drought in 40 years is making wild animals easy targets for poachers. Help us create safer drinking areas for them, FAST. Countless precious wild animals have fallen victim to poaching along the drying-up Zambezi River.  Recently, Animal Survival International conducted an extensive site survey. In the area bordering the Zambezi River, much of the water has dried up due to intense drought. It is one of the worst in recent history, fueled by climate change and the effects of the El Niño weather pattern. Currently, the Zambezi River is one of the only viable drinking spots for thousands of wild animals – but, because water levels are so low, it is easy for poachers to target animals as they huddle under the scorching African sun for a drop to drink. Worse still, in other areas, opportunistic hunters await, killing these desperate, unsuspecting animals. They are truly being hunted from all sides, and unless we protect them, countless more will die. We MUST get animals away from these dangerous areas and we MUST do it FAST. Poachers easily cross the now-shallow river to poach animals desperate for a drink of water. Working with a wildlife partner in Victoria Falls, we have identified a safe area to provide water for desperate animals. We need to drill boreholes and equip them with solar-powered water pumps. This will provide reliable water sources a safe distance from the Zambezi River, protecting animals from poachers and hunters. To ensure sufficient water for the thousands of wild animals in the area, we need to set up three solar-powered boreholes. These waterholes will provide water for at least 2,000 animals per day. With the border impossible to secure, solar-powered boreholes are vital to protect the animals. For the animals being picked off on the banks of the Zambezi, boreholes will ensure they do not have to risk their lives just for a drop to drink. With your help, we will drill life-saving boreholes for the animals, just as you have helped us to do in Botswana (pictured). Credit : Camelthorn Farmstead Please help us raise $30,000 (around £23,400) to install three boreholes and solar-powered pumps, and create safe, abundant drinking areas for wild animals – BEFORE poachers wipe them out. ASI has implemented many successful water initiatives in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana, thanks to our supporters’ generous help. These projects have helped save thousands of animals’ lives, and today, we need your help to save even more. Donors who fund an entire borehole system will be entitled to borehole naming rights and a plaque in their honor, or in the name of someone of their choosing. It costs $10,000 (£7,800) to dig each borehole and furnish it with a solar-powered pump – if you would like to sponsor a complete borehole system, please reply to this email today. Please, donate as much as you possibly can now, and help us protect the precious, vulnerable and endangered wildlife of Zimbabwe.

We no longer breed minks to kill them! Romanian Parliament bans fur farms

Originally published by SpotMedia (Oct 22, 2024) The project to ban fur farms starting January 1, 2027 has passed through the Romanian Parliament and is heading for promulgation. The Chamber of Deputies adopted, on Tuesday, as the decision-making body, the bill that prohibits the breeding and killing of chinchilla and mink species for fur production and commercialization. There were 217 votes “in favor,” six “against,” and seven abstentions. The project amends Article 22 of Law no. 205/2004 on the protection of animals in this regard. “By exception, (…) breeding, intentional capture, as well as killing, for commercial purposes, of chinchilla and mink species are prohibited, starting January 1, 2027,” states the adopted regulatory act. Liberal Deputy Gheorghe Pecingină stated about the adopted bill that “it is, first and foremost, a victory for animal lovers and a victory for those who wanted Romania to be among the European countries where animal abuse ceases and cruelty and medieval behaviors come to an end.” The report of the specialized committees justifies the need for a two-year transition period until 2027 to apply this provision in order “to meet the need for economic predictability, allowing farm owners time to liquidate their businesses.” The Liberal specified that a grace period was granted for these “farms” that exist, few in number, to have predictability and to close or relocate to other countries where legislation permits. Additionally, at the same time, the employees of these farms need time to find other jobs, which the report further motivates. This sector is small in Romania, with only two American mink farms and less than 10 chinchilla farms. The Senate, as the first notified chamber, adopted the project back in December 2022. Humane Society International/Europe (HSI/Europe) played a central role in this process through sustained investigations and campaigns that revealed the horrifying conditions in fur farms. Nearly 74,000 Romanians expressed their support for this measure, signing the petition to ban fur farms, and the signatures were submitted to Parliament. “By banning fur farms, Romania demonstrates a strong commitment to animal welfare and moves towards a more compassionate society, where animals are no longer seen as fashion accessories,” says Andreea Roseti, HSI/Europe Country Director in Romania, quoted in a statement sent to SpotMedia.ro on Tuesday after the vote. In addition to animal protection, this decision contributes to preventing environmental and public health risks associated with fur farms.

Feed an orphaned rhino for $33.

Little rhino calf Angie was just six months old when poachers brutally killed her mother right before her eyes in South Africa’s Limpopo Province. Credit: HESC Covered in her mother’s blood, Angie refused to leave her side. Can you imagine the distress of a baby rhino after witnessing the horror of her mother being slain? Terrified and confused, Angie was found desperately wandering around her mother’s lifeless, mutilated body – she herself stained with blood after likely trying to nuzzle her mother, not understanding she was gone forever. Heartbreakingly, poachers often target female rhinos, especially those with calves, because they’re slower and much more vulnerable. Credit: HESC When a mother rhino is killed, her calf stands little chance of survival. That’s where YOU, and our dedicated partner on the ground, come in. Angie was rushed to our partner, Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC), where she is now receiving around-the-clock care. But without her mother’s milk and emotional support, Angie’s road to recovery has only just begun. Angie needs 7 gallons (26.5 liters) of special milk formula daily – critical for her growth and development. This nutrition, combined with years of rehabilitation, will give Angie a fighting chance to one day be released into a protected reserve, where she can live freely in the wild where she belongs. Credit: HESC For every $1,300 (£1,000) we raise, we can provide Angie with enough life-saving special milk formula for an entire month. Black and white rhinos around the world are being pushed to the brink of extinction due to poaching.  Rhino poaching is driven by the demand for rhino horn in Asia, where it is used in unproven traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and for ornamental purposes as a symbol of success and wealth. Tragically, Angie’s mother could not be saved from this fate – but we have a chance to save her baby. Credit: HESC Your donation today WILL change Angie’s life. By contributing to her care, you are not just helping one rhino – you’re taking a stand against the cruelty of poaching and giving hope to the future of an entire species.  Please, help us give Angie the specialized nutrition she needs to survive following the traumatic loss of her mother, by donating to Animal Survival International today.

South Africa exports millions of creatures great and small in shadowy global wildlife trade

Article written by Don Pinnock Originally published by Daily Maverick (Oct 8, 2024) Among the top three suppliers to the global wildlife market, South African breeders and exporters exploit loopholes and a lack of enforcement to bypass conservation rules. South Africa is the biggest exporter of parrots in the world and, with Indonesia and Honduras, one of the top three countries delivering wildlife into the global marketplace. The numbers are staggering. Between 2013 and 2023, South Africa officially exported more than 16 million live wild creatures, which included: 3,366,796 birds, mostly parrots; 23,803 mammals, including a huge number of marmosets and many lions, lechwes, tamarins, servals, cheetahs, tigers and grey wolves; 12,951,599 fish, dominated by sturgeon and including 252,000 seahorses; and 1,420 reptiles, mainly crocodiles and tortoises. These numbers are extremely conservative, and here’s why. These are the exports documented by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites). Not counted are large numbers of creatures exported illegally, and possibly an even larger number of creatures not listed by Cites. Of the estimated 11,000 bird species in the world, only 1,400 are Cites-listed; of around 6,400 mammals, only 1,500 are listed; and of 11,500 reptiles, only 1,600 are listed. For those that are unlisted, anything goes. Birds Over 10 years from 2013, Cites listed hundreds of bird species exported from South Africa for the pet trade. Most were smaller, cageable birds, but there were also francolins and a range of ducks, eagles, hawks, vultures, swans, geese and penguins. Many more than those are exported but are not listed in the Cites database. Take songbirds, much desired for their sweet singing in lonely cages by people unaware of the cruelty. Of the estimated 6,659 traded species, research published in the Journal of Environmental Management last year found no songbirds listed by Cites. Parrots Parrots are an anomaly because South Africa has very few species. Generally, what we export are South American, Australian and Central African species that come from 410 South African breeding farms. Most of these are in the North West, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Is captive breeding a conservation measure? A new study published in Conservation Biology by researchers from the World Parrot Trust and World Animal Protection says that in most cases current practices are not a straightforward conservation solution and inadvertently threaten wild populations. According to the study, hundreds of thousands of parrots valued for their plumage, intelligence, mimicry, and rarity are traded globally each year. The global parrot trade increased from around 60,000 in 1990 to more than 500,000 in 2020. Captive-bred parrots now lead the international wildlife trade, and South Africa’s mega-facilities dominate the market. This drive to supply the exotic pet trade has driven the extinction of species in the wild and caused drastic population declines in formerly widespread and abundant species, such as the African grey parrot. It has also led to the spread of infectious diseases. The problem, says the study, is that increasing the supply of captive-bred wildlife may also increase demand for wild-sourced animals by stimulating latent demand and normalising consumption. Global demand is escalating for wild-sourced specimens as breeding stock. The trade also creates opportunities for the laundering and misdeclaration of wild-sourced specimens as captive-bred. In the past, South Africa imported large volumes of wild-sourced parrots, particularly African greys, as breeding stock, but is now the world’s largest supplier of greys bred from these imports. Several assessments across a range of species indicate that captive-bred birds are more expensive than wild-sourced parrots, in part because of major up-front costs associated with investment in infrastructure. The study points out that while the profits go to relatively wealthy farm owners, the costs of monitoring the impacts of trade are often externalised by the industry, with the burden falling on governments or NGOs, often with little capacity to do so. Conditions are not always ideal. In 2020, hundreds of dead parrots were discovered on the premises of a prominent parrot breeder in Gauteng. The SPCA searched Farmall Parrots after a tip-off and found about 300 dead birds in appalling conditions. The same year, 150 dead parrots were found at the home of the vice-chairman of the Parrot Breeders Association. Mammals The primate trade is of great concern. A report by the EMS Foundation and Ban Animal Trading, Breaking Point: Uncovering South Africa’s Shameful Live Wildlife Trade with China, said no checks were conducted by South African authorities on the legitimacy or even existence of importers listed on permits. In a number of cases, these were found to be dummy entities or nonexistent. The range of animals being exported from South Africa is extraordinary. From OR Tambo Airport alone, from the start of 2016 to the end of 2022, 3,782 live primates were legally exported, plus 5,244 dead hunting trophies consisting of 3,349 chacma baboons and 1,886 vervet monkeys. During this period, 1,141 live bushbabies were exported, and nine as hunting trophies. (Who hunts tiny bushbabies?) Zoos claim to play a major role in conservation and education. This is not only a fallacy, according to a report, Our Kin Discarded, but also a fiction that allows the zoo industry to continue its wildlife trading business with little scrutiny. Zoos “play a potentially oversized role… in helping to launder illegal wildlife products into the supply chain,” says the report. “Animals sold to or exchanged between zoos are seldom traceable.” According to the report, there’s a loophole in Cites so big that the very intention of the organisation can be undermined with the use of one letter, the purpose code Z (which applies to zoos), rather than code T (which applies to commercial transactions). “In practice, it does not seem to matter if the zoo in question is unable to provide any conservation benefits or even meet minimal welfare requirements, nor does it matter if the trade to this so-called zoo has huge commercial value,” the report says. “Countless examples have shown that by simply proclaiming the transaction to be for

Two Botswana nationals in court for possession and dealing in pangolin trade

Article written by Xolile Mtembu Originally published by IOL (Oct 1, 2024) Two Botswana nationals, Rhine Morgan Kemsley, 35, and Mothusi Malcom Lefa, 49, suspected of illegally possessing and dealing pangolin, an endangered species, have had their day in court. An all-encompassing law enforcement team, according to Captain Lloyd Ramovha of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), made the arrest. This started when the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation (SOCI), K9 Unit, Johannesburg Metro Police (JMPD), and Gauteng Traffic Police Special Law Enforcement Unit (SLEU) began investigating information regarding a person in possession of a pangolin. “On arrival, officers located a silver VW Polo with Botswana registration plates. Inside the vehicle, a speaker box containing the pangolin was discovered,” Ramovha said. The operation was conducted at approximately 10am in the morning at a road lodge, located at the street corners of Grayston and Rivonia, in Sandton,” Ramovha said. He went on to say that further inquiry resulted in the identification and arrest of two individuals. The alleged perpetrators were then arrested, and the pangolin was securely delivered to a veterinary clinic in Midrand, Gauteng. The two have been remanded in detention pending a bail hearing due for Monday, October 7. Brigadier Phumeza Klaas, the acting Gauteng Provincial Head of the Hawks, issued a warning to people who abuse protected species, violating the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act (NEMBA), Act 10 of 2004. “The public is reminded that the possession and trading of protected species is a serious offence. Engaging in such activities not only endangers wildlife but also carries severe legal consequences. “We urge the community to report any suspicious activities related to wildlife trafficking to the authorities immediately,” Klaas added.

Critical haven for abused tigers in Thailand has run out of space.

For around 15 years, Susu the Bengal tiger was chained up in Phuket Zoo in southern Thailand, abused and mistreated for human ‘entertainment.’ Credit: Amy Jones/Moving Animals Every day of those 15 years she lived in anguish, locked up like a prisoner. Her “crime?” Being born in a country where animals are commodities, used to make money until they offer no more value to their owners. Susu was kept in chains all day so people could pet her and pose for photos. At night, she would be confined to a tiny, barren concrete cell. While chained, she would frantically pace in small circles, panting and distressed. After 15 years of imprisonment, Susu was rescued by our partner in Thailand, which hopes to continue rescuing abused, exploited wild animals like her… Animals like Salamas – horrifically abused and desperate for freedom – cannot be saved until WFFT has the space. Sadly, Salamas died in September, but thanks to WFFT and our supporters, she knew freedom and kindness in her final months. Credit:ASI/Debby Querido … But tragically, the sanctuary has run out of space. After being rescued by our partner, Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT), Susu felt grass under her feet for the first time in her sad, painful life. She experienced sunshine, proper care, a healthy diet and a life close to freedom in a near-natural habitat – things she had never known in 15 long years. Today, her favorite thing to do is lie on the grass in the sunshine beside her one-eyed tiger companion, Rambo. This is a simple freedom every tiger should experience, but sadly, one that many animals in Thailand never do. Credit: Amy Jones/Moving Animals Had she not been rescued, Susu would have continued to suffer, likely dying in captivity and never knowing freedom or relief from pain. Please help us rescue more captive tigers, elephants and other animals that are suffering as you read this. In a country where thousands of wild animals are chained, beaten, abused and relentlessly bred for entertainment and fake medicinal ‘cures,’ WFFT has its work cut out for it. As you read this, thousands more animals like Susu are in chains, and WFFT hopes to save as many as they possibly can. Credit: Amy Jones/Moving Animals But the sanctuary has completely run out of space, and cannot take in any more animals like Susu who are desperately hoping to be saved. WFFT has an opportunity to expand its sanctuary by purchasing a piece of neighboring land. This land will be transformed into a haven for animals like Susu, and Pai Lin, who we told you about a few months ago – an elderly elephant forced to do back-breaking labor for sixty years. Credit: Amy Jones/Moving Animals These animals, and so many more like them, are hoping for you to give them freedom from pain and abuse. Right now, you have the power to do it. Animals are waiting, hoping to be saved – and our partner desperately wants to take them in. Here’s how you can help. Every dollar, penny or pound you can give will be used to help enlarge the WFFT sanctuary, giving hope to countless wild animals still locked in cages, desperately waiting to be rescued. Everything is in place to help them, except this final piece – and that’s where you come in. After 15 years of cruel captivity, Susu is now living in peace at the WFFT sanctuary. So many more like her are waiting to be saved. Credit: WFFT With your support, rescuing more animals will be made possible. From caged tigers to exhausted, overexploited elephants, there are countless souls hoping for your kindness today. Please, donate any amount you possibly can, and help make the dream of a better future possible for these precious, desperate souls.

Climate change doubled likelihood, intensified deadly Europe floods: study

Article written by Rachel Dobkin Originally published by News Week (Sep 25, 2024) A new study found that human-caused climate change doubled the likelihood and intensified the heavy rains that led to the recent deadly floods in Europe. Earlier this month, central Europe—including the countries of Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and Germany—was hit by Storm Boris. Torrential rain led to floods that killed 24 people and left significant damage to the region’s infrastructure. The rainfall, which lasted four days, was “by far” the heaviest ever recorded in central Europe and twice as likely to have been caused by global warming linked to the burning of coal, oil and natural gas, World Weather Attribution said on Wednesday. The World Weather Attribution is a group of scientists that run rapid climate attribution studies. The group was created in 2015, largely because of frustration that it took so long to determine whether climate change was the cause of specific extreme weather events. “Yet again, these floods highlight the devastating results of fossil fuel-driven warming,” Joyce Kimutai, the study’s lead author and a climate researcher at Imperial College, London, told The Associated Press. The study—which hasn’t been peer-reviewed but follows scientifically accepted techniques—analyzed the four-day rainfall events and focused on severely impacted countries. The researchers studied weather data and used climate models to see how likely rainfall events that severe would be in preindustrial times (without the current 2.3 degrees Fahrenheit of global warming). “In any climate, you would expect to occasionally see records broken,” Friederike Otto, an Imperial College, London, climate scientist who coordinates the study team, told the AP. However, Otto pointed out, “to see records being broken by such large margins, that is really the fingerprint of climate change. And that is only something that we see in a warming world.” The Polish-Czech border region and Austria were some of the most severely impacted areas, especially in urban sections along major rivers. According to the study, the death toll from these recent floods was considerably lower than during the 1997 and 2002 floods in the region. However, infrastructure and emergency management systems were still overwhelmed in many instances. Last Thursday, European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen pledged billions of euros in aid for Central European countries. She visited a flood-damaged area in southeastern Poland and met with the leaders of Poland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Von der Leyen said money from the EU’s solidarity fund will be quickly available to repair infrastructure damaged by the flooding, and 10 billion euros ($11 billion) from the cohesion fund will be used for the most urgent repairs. “Here we say it’s 100 percent European money, no co-financing,” von der Leyen said at a news conference. “These are extraordinary times, and extraordinary times need extraordinary measures.” The World Weather Attribution also warned of the dangers of an even warmer world. According to the group’s study, if global warming were to reach 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit since preindustrial times, the likelihood of devastating four-day storms would rise by 50 percent compared to current levels. Mid-September’s storm was caused by a Vb depression that forms when cold polar air flows from the north over the Alps—one of the highest mountain ranges in Europe that stretches across Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia—and meets warm air from Southern Europe. The study found no observable change in the number of similar Vb depressions since the 1950s.

Lions and tigers abandoned on Ukraine war frontlines.

The war in Ukraine is a nightmare for countless lions, tigers and other wild animals. As people flee Russian advances, zoos and private owners abandon dangerous, captive wild animals who will be shot on site by soldiers. Our supporters already helped rescue two injured, infant lion cubs from the frontline. They will survive, thanks to you… …But so many more animals are desperate for your help. Credit: ASI/Dejan-Radic In Ukraine, it is legal for private citizens to keep wild animals, and before the war, anyone with a few thousand dollars could buy their choice of exotic pet.    Now, as bullets fly and missiles tear up the land around them, these animals are being abandoned by fleeing owners and caretakers.   They are petrified and starving, and they will die without help   Please don’t wait until it is too late for these poor animals.   Our partner in Ukraine, the Wild Animal Rescue Center (WARC), works around the clock to rescue animals in the war zone. Our team puts their lives at risk on every mission. Credit: WARC WARC responds within minutes of receiving calls for help, no matter the size or species of the animal.   For bears, lions, tigers, lynxes and so many others on the frontline, our partner team is there, providing life-saving medical care and temporary shelter for injured, terrified, emaciated animals.   The cost of supplies is rising but rescue missions and care must continue.   We must equip our rescue teams with everything they need to continue fighting to save animals who truly have no-one else to turn to. Image credit: ASI/Justine Haralambous We need YOUR help to continue this vital work.   Each mission costs up to $4,000 (roughly £3,050), depending on the logistics, species and dangers of the situation.    The costs don’t end there. Animals often need critical veterinary care once they are rescued, and they all need shelter and food until they can be safely relocated.   Can you imagine how terrifying it must be to try and save a wild animal as enemy soldiers rain fire all around you? Credit: WARC There is probably no more dangerous animal in the world than a frightened Bengal tiger.   Imagine how brave our team was to rescue this guy in a battlefield while a war goes on around them? And imagine how wonderful it is for the tiger that he was rescued and we and WARC are looking after him. Credit: ASI/Dejan Radic We have seen first hand the terrors of this war. The situation for animals is getting worse and so many wild animals have no chance of survival without help.   You can give them that help today.   Please, stand with us and make a difference for the abandoned wild animals of Ukraine. They are desperately hoping for your support now.

Wildlife trafficking ring killed at least 118 eagles in the US, prosecutors say.

Originally published by NBC News (Sep 5, 2024) Travis John Branson made between $180,000 and $360,000 from 2009 to 2021 selling bald and golden eagle parts illegally, according to federal prosecutors. BILLINGS, Mont. A man helped kill at least 118 eagles to sell their feathers and body parts on the black market as part of a long-running wildlife trafficking ring in the western U.S. that authorities allege killed thousands of birds, court filings show. Travis John Branson is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on Sept. 18 for his role in the trafficking ring that operated on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana and elsewhere. Prosecutors say the Cusick, Washington, man made between $180,000 and $360,000 from 2009 to 2021 selling bald and golden eagle parts illegally. “It was not uncommon for Branson to take upwards of nine eagles at a time,” prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Montana wrote in a Tuesday court filing. “Not only did Branson kill eagles, but he hacked them into pieces to sell for future profits.” Native Americans who use them in ceremonies highly prize eagle wings, tails, feathers, and other parts. Prosecutors asked Judge Dana Christensen to sentence Branson to “significant imprisonment” and restitution totaling $777,250. That includes $5,000 for every dead eagle and $1,750 for each of 107 hawks that investigators said he and his co-conspirators killed. Branson’s attorney disputed the prosecutors’ claims and said they overstated the number of birds killed. The prosecution’s allegation that as many as 3,600 birds died came from a co-defendant, Simon Paul, who remains at large. Branson’s attorney suggested in court filings that the stated death toll has fueled public outcry over the case. “It is notable that Mr. Paul himself went from a 3,600 to 1,000 bird estimate,” Federal Defender Andrew Nelson wrote in a Tuesday filing, referring to a statement Paul made to authorities in a March 13, 2021, traffic stop. Nelson also said restitution for the hawks was not warranted since those killings were not included in last year’s grand jury indictment. He said Branson had no prior criminal history and asked for a sentence of probation. Branson and Paul grew up in the Flathead Reservation area. Since their indictment, Paul has been hiding in Canada to evade justice, according to Nelson. Paul’s defense attorney did not immediately respond to a telephone message seeking comment. Investigators documented the minimum number of eagles and hawks killed through Branson’s text messages, prosecutors said. Two years of his messages were not recovered, leading prosecutors to say the “full scope of Branson’s killings is not captured.” Government officials have not revealed any other species of birds killed. Bald and golden eagles are sacred to many Native Americans. U.S. law prohibits anyone without a permit from killing, wounding or disturbing eagles, or taking their nests or eggs. Illegal shootings are a leading cause of golden eagle deaths, according to a recent government study. Members of federally recognized tribes can get feathers and other bird parts legally through the National Eagle Repository in Colorado and non-government repositories in Oklahoma and Phoenix. There’s a yearslong backlog of requests at the national repository. Branson pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy, wildlife trafficking, and two counts of trafficking federally protected bald and golden eagles. He faced a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the most serious charge, conspiracy. Under a plea deal, prosecutors said they would seek to dismiss additional trafficking charges. Federal guidelines call for a sentence of roughly three to four years in prison for Branson, they said.

Three tiny pangolins fighting for survival after poachers’ brutal attack.

In a ‘perfect’ world, baby pangolins Lulu, Biscuit and Henry would still be in the wild. They would be learning to forage for food and discovering the wonders of their natural habitat under the gentle, protective watch of their mothers. But this is not a perfect world… Credit: Umoya Khulula Instead, it is a world plagued by callous poachers and a lucrative illegal wildlife trade. Pangolins Lulu, Biscuit and Henry were barely six months old when they were cruelly stolen from their natural habitat by poachers. Stripped of both freedom and their mothers’ nurturing care, like countless other pangolins before them, they were destined for horrific suffering and a brutal end. Lulu was being hawked on a roadside in Limpopo, South Africa, for a meager $5 (£4) by criminals when our team received a tip-off and raced to the rescue. This is how one of the baby pangolins was found. Credit: Umoya Khulula Biscuit was saved during a daring undercover sting operation where he was found soaked in a mysterious substance that severely damaged his delicate skin, causing it to rot. Alongside Biscuit, our team uncovered a gruesome stash of pangolin scales and bones – revealing the awful extent of the poachers’ cruelty. All six of these heartless criminals were arrested. Henry, the smallest and most vulnerable of the three pangolins, was discovered after four torturous days in captivity. Credit: Umoya Khulula Dehydrated and covered in injuries, he has serious wounds to his face and paws from his desperate, futile attempts to escape. Two poachers were arrested in connection with Henry’s capture, facing up to 10 years in jail. Our partner, Umoya Khulula Wildlife Centre in Tzaneen, South Africa, acted fast to save the lives of these three tiny, defenseless young pangolins. The trauma of being poached and separated from their mothers has left these fragile little pangolins extremely vulnerable. Without YOUR help, they face almost certain death. Every year, hundreds of thousands of helpless pangolins are snatched from the wild, slaughtered, and sold for their meat, skin and scales. Lulu, Biscuit and Henry are extremely fragile. They require constant, round-the-clock care, intensive treatment and supplementary protein via a feeding tube. This is the reality of the illegal pangolin trade. Credit: TRAFFIC Pangolins are notoriously difficult to treat, as they are highly sensitive to stress, and without proper care, they often die within months of captivity. Our team has extensive experience in treating these vulnerable animals, and with your support, we will do everything we can to save their lives. Lulu, Biscuit and Henry are each the size of a newborn baby, weighing around 7lbs (3kg). Their survival depends on your support. It costs approximately $5,000 (£3,800) to rehabilitate a pangolin from the moment of rescue until its release – a meticulous process that can take up to a year. Please donate as generously as you possibly can today to help us cover Lulu, Biscuit and Henry’s recovery. Together, we can help them grow strong enough to be released into protected wild areas where they can thrive. Please, donate right away! Credit: Umoya Khulula Baby pangolins typically stay with their mothers until they are ten months old, learning crucial survival skills and gaining strength through their mothers’ guidance and protection. Please help us give these fragile infants the specialized care they need to heal so they can return to their rightful place in protected wild spaces. Donate generously to Animal Survival International today.

Sold online, this rescued baby gibbon is barely bigger than your hand.

Tiny Sombad, a white-cheeked gibbon, was just a few weeks old when he was ripped from his family in the Cambodian wild and caught in the terrifying world of illegal wildlife smuggling in Southeast Asia. Just a baby, he lost everything – the safety of his family; his natural habitat; his loving and nurturing mother. Credit: LCTW Every year, thousands of critically endangered gibbons like Sombad are stolen from the wild to be sold as pets or eaten. Poachers will shoot a mother holding a baby, and once the mother is dead, they will steal the baby. Only around one in 10 baby gibbons poached this way will survive. Many die as they fall from the trees, or as a result of incidental bullet wounds or abuse after being caught. For every one baby gibbon you see paraded online, there is a bloody trail of up to 10 dead mothers and nine dead babies. In June, 5,000 trafficked animals burned to death at a notorious open-air “pet” market in Thailand. Credit: LCTW 5,000 animals just like Sombad. Helpless infants like Sombad, considered “cute” and trainable, are smuggled across Asia’s borders and sold at illegal markets to be pets, exploited on the streets for money, or forced to perform on social media for “likes.”  Sombad was being sold on the internet. Sombad is one of the few trafficked animals whose story has a “happy” ending – although, orphaned and living in a sanctuary until he is old enough to fend for himself is hardly a “happy” outcome. Our partner, Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife (LCTW) in Vientiane, Laos, is the only hope for countless endangered and critically endangered wild animals trafficked through Southeast Asia and into Laos for unfounded “traditional Chinese medicine” (TCM), to be cooked – sometimes still alive – or to become “pets.” Heartbreakingly, gibbons will be wiped out entirely if this onslaught doesn’t stop. Some species are estimated to have only 30 individuals left in the wild. This is why LCTW, alongside local authorities, works tirelessly to intercept and penalize poachers, and save near-extinct wild animals. Credit: LCTW Baby Sombad, who was found tied up with chains, is deeply traumatized and terrified after his ordeal. After a tip-off from social media, where Sombad was being sold online in private groups, LCTW saved him from his captors. He was wrapped in chains, weak and trembling. LCTW has begun carefully introducing him to a surrogate mother at their sanctuary. Gibbons have strong family bonds and males and females remain monogamous throughout their lives. Offspring stay with their parents to learn how to forage, vocalize, sing, and survive in the wild. Credit: LCTW Had Sombad not been rescued by our partner, his life would have been tragically different. Too often, trafficked monkeys are illegally confined in tiny cages, where they live their entire lives. Worse are the animals who are chopped up and used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Monkeys, particularly gibbons and macaques, have long been “prescribed” in TCM, with ancient texts calling for crushed monkey skull and pickled monkey meat to treat malaria, alongside even more horrific uses. Sombad was just days or perhaps hours from this fate. Credit: LCTW With your help today, we can provide Sombad with the sanctuary he deserves – a jungle-like enclosure where he can roam freely, bask in sunlight, and rediscover the joys of a natural habitat. Please, donate for Sombad right away. LCTW does not have sufficient appropriate space for the gibbon right now, and urgently needs our help to construct the ideal enclosures for this rescued animal. Gibbons are territorial so they are often kept alone, but within view of other gibbons, during the early phases of their rehabilitation. They may later be introduced to a potential mate. Credit: LCTW Right now, Sombad is living in the sanctuary’s quarantine area as there is no enclosure for him. If we can raise $15,000 (approximately £11,750), we can help LCTW to construct a large, semi-wild enclosure so that Sombad can finally live the life he deserves. The enclosure will also go on to provide a home for more animals rescued from the brutal illegal wildlife trade in the future.   Infant Sombad has his whole life ahead of him, and after the trauma he experienced, we want to give him the best. Please, help us give Sombad the second chance he dearly deserves. We must do our best to give this brave survivor the safe, spacious enclosure he deserves after his terrible ordeal – so please, donate right away, and show your kindness to this deeply traumatized animal.

Help us save a snared baby elephant before it’s too late.

An elephant calf in Lake Kariba has been abandoned by her herd as she struggles through the rugged vegetation with a crude wire snare wrapped tightly around her leg, slowly ripping through her flesh as it tightens by the hour. The calf – believed to be under two years of age – was spotted by a Zimbabwe Parks ranger who quickly reported the situation to our partner, Kariba Animal Welfare Fund Trust (KAWFT). They turned to us with a plea: they desperately need our support in helping to dart the animal and get her treated and relocated to an elephant orphanage, where she can heal in peace. Can this helpless calf count on you today? Credit: ASI/Byron Seale Snared elephant calf faces death if we do not act FAST. Please, help as soon as you can! Laid by heartless poachers who care little for the agony they cause helpless animals, snares can be lethal – and they are particularly dangerous for young animals like this elephant calf. Slowed and hampered by the cruel contraption, they are often abandoned by their herds as they simply cannot keep up. This is what appears to have happened to this vulnerable little calf, who faces death as a result. Without intervention, she will either succumb to her injuries, or grow weak and starve as a result of being abandoned. Elephants form close bonds with the members of their herd and mourn the deaths of other elephants. Usually, when an elephant is injured – especially a calf – the herd slows down to accommodate them. These intelligent, empathetic animals have even been seen trying to help dying loved ones by lifting them up with their trunks and tusks, bellowing in distress when they fail. We weren’t there when the herd was forced to abandon this calf, but we can only guess at the heartbreaking reality of that painful situation. Credit: KAWFT We MUST act as soon as possible – time is running out for a helpless snared elephant calf in Lake Kariba! We are preparing emergency supplies, including milk, drips, treatment and appropriate transportation for the badly injured animal, so we can hit the ground running as soon as we raise the necessary funds. But rescue operations like this are challenging, time-sensitive and very expensive. Our team must travel over difficult and dangerous terrain for approximately 2.5 hours to reach the calf. Once located, they will dart, treat, rehydrate and stabilize her. Ultimately, our team will relocate her to an elephant orphanage where she will receive the long-term care she needs to survive. Elephant calves are reliant on their mothers until they are around three years old, normally staying with them until they are 10. Females stay with their herds for life. Snares that are not removed will eventually cut into an animal’s bone, causing excruciating injuries that may lead to infection and death. Credit: ASI/Byron Seale Without her mom to feed and guide her, this calf stands little chance of survival. Your support is crucial to the success of this life-saving mission. Please donate now to help us give this young elephant a second chance at life. The snare is digging so deeply into the calf’s flesh, we suspect it may soon cut bone-deep. With the risk of infection, exhaustion and starvation skyrocketing by the day, we must act at once. Your donation will help make a life-saving difference. Please donate as much as you can to help us cover the outstanding costs of the rescue mission, including expert veterinary care, medication and special milk formula. She is counting on you.

Tiny lion cubs rescued in Ukraine urgently need treatment.

The terrible war in Ukraine is claiming animal lives by the thousands. Among the most tragic victims are lions and tigers abandoned as zoos collapse and private owners flee. Credit: ASI/Dejan Radic We have just rescued two tiny lion cubs from Ukraine’s deadly frontlines. Their legs are BROKEN. Please, help us care for them right away. Our team was in Ukraine last week when two tiny lion cubs were found wandering around the frontline with serious injuries to their back legs. We don’t know how they ended up there or how they were injured, but we do know that, frightened and alone, they only had each other until our partner, Wild Animal Rescue Center (WARC), came to their rescue. WARC founder Natalia Popova saved them from the violence and they are now at WARC, which provides medical treatment and temporary shelter for animals rescued from Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. Credit: ASI/Justine Haralambous Captive big cats are abandoned in their cages and left to die as their owners flee. All the big cats rescued by WARC were kept in captivity prior to the war, either in zoos or by private owners, and then abandoned during the explosions. We cannot begin to imagine their fear – and we do not want to think about how many have already perished, trapped in their cages as missiles rained down. We have promised to help the animals with whatever they need to survive. X-rays show that the leg bones of both cubs are cracked, but given time and proper nutrition, they can heal. Both cubs have severe cracks in the bones of their legs. Please help us cover the cost of their care until we can find them a permanent sanctuary to call home. With your support, we will help these infants get the treatment they need until they find a safe, permanent sanctuary. Credit: ASI/Dejan Radic The mental image of lion cubs wandering around the rubble of ruined cities, while Russian missiles rain down and automatic weapons spit death, is horrendous. Sadly, tragic situations like this are all too common in this awful war. These injured lion cubs are not the only big cats that need our help. An enormous tiger weighing at least half a ton was found on the frontline after escaping from a private estate in eastern Ukraine. WARC was called in and the animal, now named Tigarula, was rescued and taken into its care. Tigers need a lot of space to thrive, but sadly, due to a lack of funding, Tigarula is being kept in a cage that is barely large enough to accommodate his bulk. Tigers are among the most dangerous animals in the world, extraordinarily strong and natural born killers – but Tigarula is like a giant pussycat, rubbing up against the bars of his cage and seeking affection. Credit: ASI/Dejan Radic When we saw this majestic beast in a tiny cage, our hearts broke. We know that if you could see this exquisitely beautiful tiger locked up and lonely, you would want to help him. Can he count on you today? We have been asked to provide finance for a large tiger-proof space for Tigarula, until he can be relocated to a sanctuary. For his mental and physical health, this is truly urgent. The war has gone on for so long, people are forgetting its horror and have stopped helping. ASI depends on donations from kind-hearted people who have a flash of compassion for creatures like Tigarula, and any donation you are able to give will help get him out of a cage, out of the war, and to safety. Even a small donation will help provide him with better living conditions until he can be relocated to a permanent sanctuary. Our hearts are so often broken by what we see in our work, but the animals need us – and if we don’t help, who will? Your donation today will make a crucial difference for Tigarula and the other 32 wild animals at WARC. Incredibly, it is legal for people to keep lions and tigers as ‘pets’ in Ukraine; but of course, when the missiles start to fall, people flee and the animals are abandoned. Zoos are just as bad. They portray themselves as saviors of animals, but when trouble arrives, many zookeepers disappear, leaving the animals to fend for themselves. Big cats have no place in zoos, let alone private homes, and to its credit, Ukraine is working to ban this in future. But that law will come far too late for the terrified wild animals who have suddenly found themselves at the mercy of Russian bombs, missiles and soldiers. Credit: ASI/Dejan Radic One private estate that kept wild animals in Donetsk was captured by Russians. After it was recaptured by Ukrainian troops, they found that the occupiers had eaten some of the wild animals. There are 12 lions and three tigers at WARC. We have experience working with lions and some we met are clearly suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alternately cowering as far from humans as possible or launching angry, snarling attacks. We cannot blame them – they have only known humans to be the source of their terror and pain. A white tiger, abandoned in the war and temporarily at WARC, cowered at the back of a cage, fear written all over his face, snarling defiance. He is powerless to change his situation, but we exist to help animals like him, and will do everything in our power to do so. Credit: ASI/Justine Haralambous Any donation you make as a compassionate animal-lover will help a frightened white tiger, two broken lion cubs, a half-ton caged tiger, and 29 other wild animals caught in the war, far from their homes and with no-one else to turn to. Our team members are not soldiers. We are ordinary people who love animals. We were there when the missiles fell, and we were afraid for our lives. Can you imagine the terror animals feel when the buildings around them explode?

Romania to step up cull of brown bears after hiker killed

Article written by Agence France-Presse Originally published by The Guardian (Jul 15, 2024) MPs approve the culling of 481 bears this year, up from 220 last year, to control ‘overpopulation’ of protected species Romania’s parliament has approved the culling of almost 500 bears this year in an effort to control the “overpopulation” of the protected species after a deadly attack on a hiker sparked nationwide outcry. The country is home to 8,000 brown bears, according to the Environment Ministry, Europe’s largest brown bear population outside Russia. Bears have killed 26 people and severely injured 274 others over the past 20 years in Romania, the ministry said this year. After a young hiker was mauled to death on a popular trail in Romania’s Carpathian mountains last week, the prime minister, Marcel Ciolacu, summoned lawmakers back from their summer recess to attend an emergency session of parliament. As well as adopting legislation on Monday to control the brown bear population, the parliament held a moment of silence in the 19-year-old hiker’s memory. The new law authorises the culling of 481 bears in 2024, more than twice last year’s total of 220. Lawmakers argued that the bears’ overpopulation had led to an increase in attacks, while admitting that the law would not prevent attacks in the future. Environmental groups denounced the measure. “The law solves absolutely nothing,” said Calin Ardelean, a World Wildlife Fund biologist, arguing that the focus should be shifted towards “prevention and intervention” as well as “problem bears.” According to WWF Romania, culls will not remedy the problem unless measures are put in place to keep bears away from communities, such as better waste management or preventing people from feeding animals. In 2023, about 7,500 emergency calls to signal bear sightings were recorded, more than double the number of the previous year, according to data presented last week by Romanian authorities.

Amputee lion who survived being gored and attempted poachings makes record-breaking swim across predator-infested waters

Article written by Li Cohen Originally published by CBS News (Jul 10, 2024) At just 10 years old, a lion named Jacob has survived being gored, his family being poisoned for body parts, and an attempted poaching that left him an amputee. But now, the animal known as “Africa’s most resilient lion” has broken an incredible record alongside his brother by swimming across crocodile- and hippo-infested waters known to be deadly for their species. Jacob’s story was documented in a new study published in Ecology and Evolution, led by researchers at Griffith University in Australia and Northern Arizona University. Using drones equipped with high-definition heat detection cameras, they filmed Jacob and his brother Tibu crossing the Kazinga Channel in Uganda. According to the Queen Elizabeth National Park, the channel reaches a width of 20 miles and holds “the biggest population of hippos and numerous crocodiles in whole world.” Most lions who attempt to cross that channel only make it between 10 and a couple hundred meters in, as the waterway is filled with predators. Some of those attempts were fatal due to the crocs. And yet, the two brothers made it, swimming what researchers believed to be a total of 1.5 kilometers from bank to bank, just under a mile, at night. While big cats swimming long distances have been documented, the study says that the data and footage of such incidents are “scarce and inconsistent.” Alexander Braczkowski, a researcher from Griffith’s Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, said that it’s likely that the search for females is what drove the lions to make the dangerous journey. While there is a small bridge that connects either side of the waterway, he said that people being present probably deterred the animals from using it. “Competition for lionesses in the park is fierce, and they lost a fight for female affection in the hours leading up to the swim,” he said, “so it’s likely the duo mounted the risky journey to get to the females on the other side of the channel.” While both brothers managed to accomplish an amazing feat—even hippos, with their aggression, size, and jaw strength, can be deadly to lions—it’s Jacob’s success in particular that stunned researchers. “Jacob has had the most incredible journey and really is a cat with nine lives,” Braczkowski said. “I’d bet all my belongings that we are looking at Africa’s most resilient lion: he has been gored by a buffalo, his family was poisoned for lion body part trade, he was caught in a poacher’s snare, and finally lost his leg in another attempted poaching incident where he was caught in a steel trap.” Braczkowski added that the lion population they belong to has nearly halved in five years, making just surviving these circumstances, which are largely the result of humans, “is a feat in itself.” According to the IUCN Red List, lions are considered a vulnerable species, with population numbers decreasing overall. In some areas, particularly in West Africa, the IUCN says it’s likely populations have declined so much that the animals could be considered endangered. “His swim, across a channel filled with high densities of hippos and crocodiles, is a record-breaker and is a truly amazing show of resilience in the face of such risk,” Braczkowski said.” Jacob and Tibu’s big swim is another important example of how some of our most beloved wildlife species are having to make tough decisions just to find homes and mates in a human-dominated world.” Banner credit: Alex Braczkowski

The greatest land mammal migration on Earth is taking place – and it’s not the Serengeti

Article written by Don Pinnock Originally published by Daily Maverick (Jun 25, 2024) In an area you’ve probably never heard of, the largest movement of land mammals on the planet is under way. Each year millions of white-eared kob, Mongalla gazelle, tiang and Bohor reedbuck migrate across the Boma Badingilo Jonglei Landscape in South Sudan. A survey just completed by African Parks and the Sudanese Wildlife Ministry counted about six million antelope. The findings confirm a remarkable and unmatched wildlife phenomenon across a landscape of immense ecological importance which is largely unknown to the rest of the world. The survey covered 122,774km2, encompassing the entire known range of the four main migratory antelope species in the Great Nile Migration. Data from 251 tracking collars on large mammals was also integrated, providing a wide understanding of the region’s ecological dynamics which includes parts of South Sudan and Ethiopia. Announcing the survey results, South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit said it confirmed that the country remained rich in biodiversity with some of Africa’s most beautiful animals. “The results of this survey are nothing short of staggering,” said Peter Fearnhead, CEO of African Parks. “The astonishing scale of the migration is only equalled by the responsibility to ensure that it survives into the future in an extremely complex landscape.” War and commercial poaching have been an ongoing threat to the migration. “This wildlife and larger ecosystem is the basis for survival for multiple ethnic groupings which are often in conflict with each other over resources,” said Fearnhead. “Successful management of this landscape will only be possible through building trust with and amongst these ethnic groupings.” Many ethnic groups live within the Boma Badingilo Jonglei Landscape, including the Dinka, Murle, Anyuak, Jie, Toposa, Nyangatom, Nuer, Mudari, Bari, Lokyoya, Madi, Lolubo, Ari, Lopit, Latuka, Boya and Didinga. Each of these communities has deep cultural traditions and activities that are firmly embedded and heavily reliant on wildlife. The combined survey of white-eared kob, tiang, Mongalla gazelle and Bohor reedbuck counted just under 5,900,000 individuals. No black rhinos were seen – they are thought to have gone extinct in the 1980s. Zebras have also not been seen in the area since 2008, and buffalo were absent except on the periphery of the Sudd Swamp and along the Ethiopian border near Gambella. The survey flights encountered massive populations of open-billed, marabou, yellow-billed, Abdim’s and woolly-necked storks, black-crowned cranes, herons and several species of vultures. The survey used two aircraft equipped with cameras that captured over 330,000 images. A team of seven graduates from the University of Juba, trained in specialised software, analysed 59,718 photos across 64 transects to document wildlife presence. Situated in the east of South Sudan, the Boma Badingilo Jonglei Landscape forms part of a larger 200,000km2 ecosystem that stretches east of the Nile, covering Central Equatoria State, Eastern Equatoria State, Jonglei State and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area. This immense landscape is critically important to the Sudd Swamps – the largest wetlands in Africa and the second largest in the world. African Parks, which conducted the survey, is a non-profit conservation organisation that takes on the responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of protected areas in partnership with governments and local communities. It currently manages 22 national parks and protected areas in 12 countries covering over 20 million hectares in Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It recently bought the farm owned by rhino breeder John Hume and is presently rewilding his 2,000 rhinos on to protected areas across the continent.

Elephants, leopards and lions in snare nightmare.

Right now, wild animals in the ecologically important Lake Kariba region of Zimbabwe urgently need your help. This is why… An increasing number of wild animals are being caught in deadly snares across the 9,320-square-mile (15,000-square-kilometer) region. Snaring is one of the cruelest methods poachers use to kill wild animals. This lioness was lucky to survive after BHAPU intervened and removed a snare from its hind leg. Credit: BHAPU Our partner, Bumi Hills Anti-Poaching Unit (BHAPU), tirelessly patrols the area, which has historically been a hotspot for wildlife crime. Since 2016, our team has entirely stamped out ivory poaching in Lake Kariba. However, driven by the lucrative bushmeat trade, poachers are increasingly targeting the area, which is roughly the size of Connecticut or the whole of Northern Ireland. This gives you an idea of the vast area the team must regularly patrol to keep animals safe. Please help our team to find stricken wild animals and save their lives before it’s too late! Credit: BHAPU Often, animals caught in snares are never “collected” by poachers, which dooms them to a slow, agonizing death as they succumb to their injuries or starvation over days or weeks. In fact, as you read this, it is likely there are animals trapped, terrified and in desperate need of saving right now – or they WILL die. BHAPU runs regular snare sweeps to find and remove snares around the conservancy. Every snare removed means another animal saved from this atrocious suffering, but this is only possible with the continued financial support of animal-lovers like you. Credit: BHAPU Our partner also constantly patrols to find animals in distress – and when the team comes across them, it works fast to sedate the animal, remove the snare and treat the wounds. Without this help, these animals would die. Please donate now to fund emergency snare removal to help protect lions, elephants, leopards and countless more wild animals in Lake Kariba. Our team is completely reliant on donations. Every day, we wake up worrying that our funds will run out, forcing us to stop our life-saving work. But the animals need us, and so few people really understand how important wild animals are to the environment or know how much they suffer when caught in snares. Credit: BHAPU A crashing Zimbabwean economy means poaching is up and donations are down – there has NEVER been a more critical time to keep our team on the ground, saving wild animals who need it most. Every $190 (roughly £150) we raise covers an extra snare patrol per day and the removal of approximately 15 snares – potentially saving FIFTEEN animals’ lives. Credit: BHAPU Your donations will empower us to massively increase our efforts to save animals in distress – animals like Najam, who you helped us save from a horrific snare injury in 2022. Without your support, our team CANNOT save the lives of frightened, injured, helpless wild animals. Our team discovered this heart-wrenching scene on one of its regular patrols: A pregnant buffalo trapped in a wire snare aborted her baby before slowly succumbing to her injuries.  Credit: BHAPU Just think how terrified this mother buffalo must have been as she realized all hope was lost; as she fought frantically to save her baby; to spare the life growing in her womb. It is too horrific to contemplate, but we MUST face it because only TOGETHER can we prevent future tragedies like this. Wild animals do NOT deserve to die slow, excruciating deaths in wire snares. Please, help us protect what is left of Zimbabwe’s natural heritage – we cannot wait another moment. Can the animals count on your support today? Because of your generous donations, our team has not lost a single elephant to poaching since 2016. Credit: BHAPU We have to maintain this record and keep saving precious animal lives. We need your support right now. Please, donate as much as you possibly can, and together, we can protect and save Zimbabwe’s precious, irreplaceable wild animals.

Why is rhino poaching down at this park? The reasons may not be good

Article written by Kiley Price Originally published by Inside Climate News (Jun 21, 2024) It’s taking poachers longer to find rhinos now that populations have dropped, researchers say. In recent years, the South African government has touted the steady decline of rhino poaching in Kruger National Park, the largest wildlife sanctuary in the country and a habitat for many of these iconic horned mammals. But a new study, published Friday in Science Advances, suggests there may be more to this story. Using mathematical models, researchers found that the drop in poaching incidents could be due to an unfortunate fact: fewer rhinos. Low population density makes poaching harder because rhinos are simply more difficult to track down, the researchers found. But the demand for rhino horns on the illegal wildlife market remains persistently high, and so has overall poaching activity in Kruger, the research concludes, despite anti-poaching measures. Climate change, meanwhile, could cause further havoc. The poaching problem: White and black rhinos are among the largest land-based animals on Earth. Male white rhinos can measure 12 feet long and clock in at around 5,000 pounds (2,265kg, or 2.5 tons) as adults. But Kruger National Park covers 2 million hectares of land—about the same size as Israel. With only around 10,000 white rhinos left in all of South Africa, finding these hoofed ungulates in the park is harder than one might think. Poachers often spend days searching for a rhino to kill for its horn, according to the study’s lead author, Jasper Eikelboom. “There’s no way that poachers can find almost all the rhinos and kill them… because it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find them,” Eikelboom, an ecologist at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, told me. This is why poachers aren’t giving up: A rhino horn—made of keratin, similar to human fingernails—can sell for $40,000 (around £31,545) or more on the illegal black market. Most of the demand comes from Southeast Asia and China, where some people buy rhino horns as a status symbol or use them in traditional medicines. “Searching for a couple of days or a couple of weeks is still worth it because there’s an enormous profit margin,” Eikelboom said. Over the past few decades, the South African government has implemented a range of strategies to combat this illegal activity, from pairing ranger teams with dog patrol units to dehorning rhinos in Kruger. While South Africa has seen a modest decrease in rhino poaching incidents across Kruger in recent years, Eikelboom and his co-author, Herbert Prins, another ecologist at Wageningen University, wanted to determine if part of the reason for the decline was the smaller pool of animals to hunt. To do this, they used a model that calculated how far poachers moved on average from 2007 to 2022 to find a rhino in the context of the dwindling rhino densities. Their data reveals that poaching activity has proportionally remained consistent as rhino populations have dipped, despite the more stringent anti-poaching measures. “We have to look at the relative numbers, like how many rhinos are being killed on a percentage basis instead of an absolute number,” Eikelboom said. The research shows that anti-poaching efforts have not been strong enough to prevent population decline, the authors say, because illegal hunting activity should have gone down no matter what. “It’s a fantastic first step in trying to quantify the issue and then setting up hypotheses for others to test,” said Dave Balfour, an independent conservation ecologist who wasn’t involved in the study. Balfour chairs the African Rhino Specialist Group of the nonprofit International Union for Conservation of Nature’s African Species Survival Commission. “Conserving rhinos in an area the size of Kruger, which is huge, is ideal for every purpose except the security needs of the species, and that’s because it’s just extremely difficult to secure an area that size.” However, Balfour sees limitations in some of the paper’s assumptions. Its model follows the premise that many poachers are searching for rhinos without much information about where to look and that these “naive” poachers have to travel an average distance before stumbling upon one. “I’m not sure that there is such a thing as a naive poacher. Just about every poaching incident relies on some form of internal-collaboration corruption,” Balfour said. “So how naive these poachers are is highly questionable, and whether the rhinos are broadly, evenly spread through the landscape, as I read in the paper, is also questionable.” Risks from all sides: Rhino conservation is an exceedingly complex issue in South Africa. Many of the communities surrounding Kruger and other rhino habitats are impoverished, and unemployment rates in the country surpass 30 percent. Experts say these conditions are often the reason that individuals might risk dangerous wildlife encounters or a 25-year jail sentence to track down rhino horns. While poaching incidents have decreased in Kruger, they increased in the country overall last year, with 499 rhinos killed—51 more than in 2022, the BBC reports. Rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall due to climate change could soon compound the problem, according to a study published in January. Rhino skin has very few sweat glands. That makes the animals particularly vulnerable to heat because they cannot cool off on a hot day by sweating like humans can. Instead, they must consume a lot of water or seek out shade to prevent heat stress. But the study found that climate change will likely push rhinos to the upper heat threshold that they can handle and require them to travel greater distances to access watering holes. “Wildlife, and even humans, have to actually travel farther and farther to find water, and that means that… the risk of poaching, the risk of habitat destruction, or other types of interactions, will start to increase,” study author Timothy Randhir, an ecologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, told me. He and the other authors say that the South African government could plant more trees and add watering holes to the landscape to help minimize these interactions and provide cooling spaces for the rhinos. However, the

Iceland grants whale hunting permit despite animal welfare concerns

Article written by Jaroslav Lukiv Originally published by BBC news (Jun 11, 2024) Iceland’s government has issued a license to hunt whales to the country’s sole whaling company, a move condemned by animal welfare groups. The license for the 2024 hunting season allows the Hvalur company to kill 128 fin whales. The decision “is based on a precautionary approach and reflects the government’s increased emphasis on the sustainable use of resources,” the government said. The Humane Society International animal protection charity said the license was granted “despite clear evidence of immense animal suffering.” It said an independent report by the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority on whaling in 2022 “revealed some whales killed in Icelandic hunts had taken up to two hours to die, with 41% of whales suffering immensely before dying for an average of 11.5 minutes.” “Such suffering was deemed in contravention of the country’s Animal Welfare Act,” the charity said. Iceland, Norway and Japan are currently the only three nations that allow commercial whaling. In a statement on Tuesday, the Icelandic government said the license to Hvalur “is valid for the 2024 hunting season.” It said the company was now permitted to hunt “99 whales in the Greenland/West Iceland region and 29 whales in the East Iceland/Faroe Islands region, totaling 128 whales.” “This decision aligns with the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute’s 2017 advice and considers the conservative ecosystem factors of the International Whaling Commission,” the statement added. Last year, Hvalur, which is believed to have two whaling vessels, was allowed to hunt 161 fin whales. The whaling season in Iceland usually lasts from June to September, before it becomes too windy and dark. Most of the whale meat is exported to Japan. The practice has given rise to protests from conservation groups that consider fin whales, the second-longest marine mammal after the blue whale, to be vulnerable to extinction. In a recent survey, 51% of Icelanders said they were opposed to commercial whaling.

This infant rhino was orphaned when poachers slaughtered his mother.

Odin, a critically endangered black rhino, was barely two years old when he witnessed his mother being brutally slaughtered by poachers in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. A few months later, fellow black rhino calf Marcules was abandoned by his own mother in the same park. Orphaned and bereft, both calves deteriorated fast. The outlook for the grieving infants was grim. To give them the best chance of survival, they were taken in by our expert rhino rehabilitation partner, Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary, and housed together. Although black rhinos are solitary by nature, the two youngsters quickly bonded, and their fast friendship gave them the strength to begin to recover and thrive. How touching it was to see them eating together, taking mud baths, and resting side by side .…But now, Odin and Marcules face a new threat: Poachers, just like the ones who killed Odin’s mother. Credit: CFW Following their successful rehabilitation and remaining devoted to each other, Odin and Marcules were released together into an intensive protection zone (IPZ), where expert anti-poaching teams watch over them day and night – but as poachers become more and more advanced, our team needs a special tool in their arsenal. Poaching remains a serious threat in South Africa, where shockingly, at least one rhino is poached every day. Odin was rescued by our partner after his mother was killed by poachers. Credit: CFW We CANNOT let our guard down. We have a plan to protect these two critically endangered black rhinos from poachers. Can they count on your support today? Poachers are more sophisticated and relentless than ever, driven by greed and a lucrative illegal trade that leaves them hell-bent on destroying precious wild species. They do not care about the animals they torture, often leaving rhinos to suffer slow, agonizing deaths after their horns have been viciously hacked off. We are sad to tell you that these cold-blooded criminals even kill baby rhinos for their tiny stubs of horn. Odin and Marcules are among the last 6,100 black rhinos remaining worldwide. Credit: CFW Odin and Marcules are among the last of their kind – only 6,100 black rhinos remain worldwide. Their survival is crucial for their species, and we MUST protect them. Our plan combines traditional conservation methods with cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to provide the highest level of protection for these rhinos. With your help, we can equip Odin and Marcules with state-of-the-art, AI-enabled tracking devices, specially designed to combat poaching. These devices are non-invasive, solar-powered and fit comfortably around a rhino’s foot. AI-powered tracking devices are true game changers. They include smart algorithms that continuously monitor an animal’s location and behavior, generating real-time alerts at the first sign of anxiety or abnormal activity. This allows anti-poaching units to respond within minutes, making the difference between life and death – and helps to nab criminals. Our partner works around the clock to rescue, rehabilitate and rewild rhinos orphaned by poaching, but they need your help. Credit: CFW Will you stand with us in our fight to protect critically endangered black rhinos in South Africa? Odin and Marcules are counting on YOUR support today. If we can raise $5,000 (£3,900), we can purchase two cutting-edge AI-powered tracking devices for Odin and Marcules. These devices will help safeguard their lives and secure a brighter future for their entire species. Please, donate RIGHT AWAY! Credit: CFW Despite their traumatic start, Odin and Marcules have found friendship, resilience and the protection of a team that will do everything in their power to keep them safe. But our team cannot do it alone. With your donation, we can ensure they have the best possible protection from cruel poachers. You can be a hero for Odin and Marcules today! Please, help us give these magnificent black rhinos the safe future they deserve by donating generously to Animal Survival International now.

Fire at famous Bangkok market kills 1,000 animals

Article written by Kelly Ng & Ryn Jirenuwat Originally published by BBC.com (Jun 11, 2024) Around 1,000 animals were killed in a fire in Bangkok’s famous open-air Chatuchak market early Tuesday, gutting nearly 100 shops. Birds, dogs, cats and snakes were burned to death in their cages in the pet zone, which also included rats, pythons and geckos. Authorities claimed that an electrical short circuit caused the blaze, but there have been no reports of fatalities or injuries. The incident prompted renewed calls for authorities to shut down the pet zone, which has long been criticised for the animals’ poor living conditions and has reportedly led to high rates of disease and death. With tens of thousands of shops crowding narrow lanes, Chatuchak is one of Southeast Asia’s biggest markets. It’s also the largest and best-known of Thailand’s weekend markets. It claims to draw nearly 200,000 tourists every Saturday and Sunday. But the portion of the market selling pets is open through the week. This accounts for about four of the 27 sections in the Chatuchak market and is arguably its most controversial trade. This zone of the market is subjected to regular inspections. “When I got here, everything was gone, all burned down,” says Amporn Wannasut, a shop owner who rushed to the market after being alerted to the fire. “I couldn’t do anything because it was dark inside as well. I couldn’t help them at all. They were all gone.” The 42-year-old sold turtles, pythons, and king snakes, among other reptiles, as pets. “I don’t even know what to do next. I think we have to start all over again, but I don’t know how,” she adds. “I froze some of the dead snakes so that we could calculate how much [money] we lost.” The fire damaged most of the 118 shops in the pet zone, which covers about 1,400 square metres (15,000 square feet), according to a preliminary inspection. When the BBC arrived at the market on Tuesday afternoon, shop owners were standing in line to register their requests for compensation. Some of them looked distraught and several were crying. There were also people taking selfies in front of the destroyed shops, even as police officers warned them not to go near the affected structures, which could collapse. Meecha, a shop owner, recounted her narrow escape to online news source Thaiger, saying that the cries of the animals in the loft above her store had woken her up. “Suddenly, thick smoke filled the air, making it impossible to breathe,” said Meecha, who climbed through a window to safety. Some shop owners do live in the market, but it’s unclear how many were there when the fire broke out. International wildlife charity, Animal Survival International (ASI), strongly condemned the trade of captive animals in Asia and in other parts of the world, where animals are kept caged in abysmal conditions, traded like commodities, and used for human entertainment. Many, it said, were illegally smuggled into the country. “We urge the Thai authorities to take a stand against the abhorrent cruelty to animals at so-called “pet shops” and markets across Asia, like Chatuchak market and countless others like it,” it said. “There is no place for this needless animal suffering.” ___________________________ Banner Caption: Flames can be seen ripping through Chatuchak market, located in Thailand’s capital city, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.  Banner Credit: ViralPress

Elephants call each other by name, study finds

Article written by Agence France-Presse in Paris Originally published by The Guardian (Jun 10, 2024) Researchers used artificial intelligence algorithm to analyse calls by two herds of African savanna elephants in Kenya Elephants call out to each other using individual names that they invent for their fellow pachyderms, according to a new study. While dolphins and parrots have been observed addressing each other by mimicking the sound of others from their species, elephants are the first non-human animals known to use names that do not involve imitation, the researchers suggested. For the new study published on Monday, a team of international researchers used an artificial intelligence algorithm to analyse the calls of two wild herds of African savanna elephants in Kenya. The research “not only shows that elephants use specific vocalisations for each individual, but that they recognise and react to a call addressed to them while ignoring those addressed to others,” the lead study author, Michael Pardo, said. “This indicates that elephants can determine whether a call was intended for them just by hearing the call, even when out of its original context,” the behavioural ecologist at Colorado State University said in a statement. The researchers sifted through elephant “rumbles” recorded at Kenya’s Samburu national reserve and Amboseli national park between 1986 and 2022. Using a machine-learning algorithm, they identified 469 distinct calls, which included 101 elephants issuing a call and 117 receiving one. Elephants produce a variety of sounds, ranging from loud trumpeting to rumbles so low that a human ear cannot hear them. Names were not always used in the elephant calls. But when names were called out, it was often over a long distance, and when adults were addressing young elephants. Adults were also more likely to use names than calves, suggesting it could take years to learn this particular talent. The most common call was “a harmonically rich, low-frequency sound,” according to the study in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. When the researchers played a recording of an elephant of their friend or family member calling out their name, the animal responded positively and “energetically,” the researchers said. But the same elephant was far less enthusiastic when playing the names of others. Unlike those mischievous parrots and dolphins, the elephants did not merely imitate the call of the intended recipient. This suggests that elephants and humans are the only two animals known to invent “arbitrary” names for each other, rather than merely copying the sound of the recipient. “The evidence provided here that elephants use non-imitative sounds to label others indicates they have the ability for abstract thought,” senior study author George Wittemyer said. The researchers called for more research into the evolutionary origin of this talent for name-calling, given that the ancestors of elephants diverged from primates and cetaceans about 90 million years ago. Despite our differences, humans and elephants share many similarities, such as “extended family units with rich social lives, underpinned by highly developed brains,” the CEO of Save the Elephants, Frank Pope, said. “That elephants use names for one another is likely only the start of the revelations to come.”

6 arrested in scheme to smuggle thousands of pounds of bird intestines

Article written by ABC.com Team Originally published by msn.com (Mar 21, 2024) Six people were arrested Tuesday in connection with a scheme to smuggle thousands of pounds of raw goose and duck intestines from China, through Los Angeles, and ultimately to New York City for sale to restaurants and consumers. Five of the defendants reside in Brooklyn and one in Queens, according to a criminal complaint. They are charged with importing and selling illegal merchandise from China. According to the criminal complaint, shipments of the illegal products were falsely labeled. On August 19, 2022, a shipping container that arrived in Long Beach, California, from China falsely stated the container held “1,966 cartons of pet grooming tool pet nail clippers.” Federal law prohibits the importation of raw goose and duck intestines from China and duck-blood products from any unapproved establishments in China. Federal prosecutors said the products seized in the investigation contained both. In the August shipment, investigators said they observed 79 cartons containing approximately 1,800 pounds of illegal goose intestines and 960 pounds of illegal duck intestines. In another shipment, the illegal products were concealed under packaged rattlesnakes, the complaint says. “Each defendant knew of the illegal nature of their conduct,” federal prosecutors said. According to them, USDA authorities had previously warned five of the defendants. Investigators believe there are additional shipments of illegal products that have gone undiscovered. “[S]hipment records for the companies involved in the shipments of illegal merchandise described above indicate a broader conspiracy than just the shipments that have been identified to date,” the complaint said. The six defendants were expected to make an initial appearance in Brooklyn federal court later Tuesday. It was not immediately clear whether they had lawyers.

Meet Renzo, the pangolin stuffed into a backpack and left to die.

Wrapped in wire and stuffed into a backpack, Renzo could barely breathe. He could not uncurl his little body or move even an inch. It is beyond miraculous that this young pangolin survived – saved without a moment to spare from the ghastly illegal wildlife trade in South Africa. Today, Renzo is making a slow recovery in the care of our partner, Umoya Khulula Wildlife Centre in South Africa – where, without kind-hearted individuals like you, Friend, he would stand NO chance of surviving his terrifying and deeply traumatizing ordeal. In seven years of saving animals, Umoya Khulula has NEVER seen such a massive pangolin poaching epidemic. The need for action is urgent! It is not only Renzo who needs your help. Countless more pangolins just like him – including newborn infants and wounded mothers – are taken in by our partner every year after successful sting operations. It is because of the success of anti-poaching operations that more pangolins are being rescued from the hands of cruel poachers, who snatch them from the wild for their meat, skin and scales. Once they are saved, they need YOUR help to recover. Credit: Umoya Khulula At one rehabilitation facility, the influx of rescued pangolins has increased from 30 to 100 every year. These rescued pangolins provide hope for the survival of the entire species – IF we can do everything in our power to rehabilitate them. Together with our partner, we are on the frontlines of the fight to help save pangolins. Every month, our team rescues and rehabilitates scores of sick and injured animals, including severely compromised pangolins, all confiscated from the illegal trade. Renzo, stuffed into a backpack and wrapped with wire, was saved in the nick of time from the brutal illegal wildlife trade in South Africa. Credit: Umoya Khulula We are sorry to tell you that in many instances, pangolins are hacked with shovels and machetes by poachers, stuffed into sacks, hidden in car engines and starved for weeks on end. We are helping to end this cruelty, but we NEED your support to continue. Credit: Umoya Khulula A mobile pangolin clinic will be a lifeline for these brave survivors. Can they count on your donation today? Our partner recently acquired a caravan trailer, which we urgently need to transform into a fully-equipped mobile clinic to respond swiftly to pangolins in peril. This clinic will dramatically shorten emergency response times, ensuring vulnerable pangolins in critical condition receive immediate, life-saving treatment following their rescue. It will also be a crucial asset during their soft release, giving them the best chance at a safe, successful rewilding. Pangolins are easily stressed and suffer from travel sickness, making this mobile clinic their best hope of successful recovery after the trauma they have experienced. Please, will you support this vital project? Credit: Umoya Khulula A pangolin mobile clinic will deliver IMMEDIATE, life-saving medical care the moment these gentle creatures are rescued. It will also ensure a smooth, stress-free release, transforming the future for countless pangolins. Credit: Umoya Khulula Once the mobile clinic is fully equipped, our team can respond quickly to save and treat pangolins following successful undercover sting operations. Additionally, during the soft-release process, pangolin caregivers will be able to stay on-site in reserves, ensuring rescued pangolins’ smooth transition back into the wild. Releasing rehabilitated pangolins into fenced, protected and patrolled wild spaces is vital for their survival. During the soft-release process, pangolin caregivers closely monitor their progress through daily walks, medical and behavioral check-ups and weight gain observations. With pangolins’ delicate health in mind, having the necessary equipment and supplies on-site is ESSENTIAL for their continued wellbeing. We are in a race against time to save every pangolin life we can! If we can raise $16,000 (£12,500), we can provide a critically needed mobile clinic for pangolins in South Africa. Your support means everything in our fight for these fragile and important animals. Please, donate RIGHT NOW! Credit: Umoya Khulula Your donation is urgently needed to cover all internal and external renovations to the caravan, including a dedicated pangolin and carer room, off-road tyres for fast response, solar power for reliable, continuous operation, and air conditioning to regulate pangolins’ body temperature, a crucial step in ensuring their survival. If we raise enough, we will also include a portable X-ray machine and a fully stocked pangolin medical kit to ensure IMMEDIATE care. Every moment counts – please donate now and help us save pangolin lives. Please donate as generously as you possibly can to Animal Survival International today and help us continue our critical work protecting vulnerable, desperate pangolins in South Africa.

The tragic elderly elephant forced to work for 60 YEARS.

With her disfigured spine and decades-old scars, Pai Lin’s 60 years of hard labor are etched into every inch of her battered body. Asian elephant Pai Lin, left, has a deformed spine. A fellow WFFT resident, Thung Ngern, right, displays a healthy dome-shaped spine. Spinal deformities in elephants can be caused by malnutrition or heavy labor. Credit: WFFT Pai Lin, 75, has endured more agonizing pain and abuse in her long life than it is possible to fathom. For decades, she was used as a working elephant, probably in the commercial logging industry before it was banned in 1989. After logging was banned, this tortured, tragic animal was likely used to haul as many as six tourists at a time on her back in a heavy wooden seat that would have ground relentlessly into her body. At some point during her horrific 60-year “working career,” she was forced to beg on the streets. Her deformed spine speaks volumes about her life of abject cruelty. This helpless animal, completely reliant on cruel humans, almost certainly lived in daily agony, but no one cared. She was making money for her owners, and to them, that was all that mattered. For illustrative purposes only.  Credit: Jack Board When Pai Lin was about 60 years old, her owners finally declared her “useless,” complaining that because she was in constant pain, she was “too slow” to work. Our partner, Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT), stepped in and now Pai Lin lives at its sanctuary – Asia’s first completely chain-free elephant haven. The forested land around the rescue center gives the elephants a chance to roam in near-natural surroundings and to socialize with other elephants. Here, they are finally given the chance to find peace and friendship. Pai Lin is now 75, the oldest elephant our partner has rescued. She prefers to spend her days alone, quietly enjoying her hard-won freedom in the protected forest she now calls home. Most of the rescued elephants at WFFT have experienced decades of abuse in Thailand, where cruelty towards wild animals is sickeningly common. Pai Lin, in particular, touched our hearts. This contraption is called a “howdah.” People will sit in them and force these poor elephants to carry them and other heavy objects for hours on end. Credit: WFFT/Amy Jones/Moving Animals The vast majority of our partner’s 23 rescued elephants were exploited in trekking camps and/or for logging. Others were forced to perform tricks or were used for street begging. It is hard to comprehend the trauma they have experienced in their lives. Most of these animals arrive covered in lice and wounds, severely traumatized and requiring intensive treatment and care – not to mention up to 660 pounds (300 kilograms) of food every day per elephant. To feed their 23 elephants, WFFT needs over 15,000 pounds (almost 7,000kg) of food every day, or 227,7 tons every month. Our partner is completely dependent on donations to provide their rescued elephants with the daily care they need, and desperately wants to give the animals the very best nutrition, treatment, enrichment and care it can. We want to help. For illustrative purposes only. This is an example of some of the abuse Pai Lin could have endured for 60 years.  Credit: Aaron Gekoski/Lady Thinker Captive elephants in Thailand endure relentless, excruciating labor until they collapse in agony and exhaustion, or simply drop dead. The survivors are hoping for your compassion today. We really want to give Pai Lin and her fellow rescued elephant friends every bit of happiness we can – and for elephants, that starts with a delicious and varied diet of fresh fruit and vegetables, banana trees and leaves, and special, nutrient-rich pellets. Many elephants do not survive Thailand’s brutal tourist trade. For the amusement of tourists, elephants are chained, starved and beaten, forced to work through searing pain in blistering heat, day after dismal day. Above and below, you will see some photographs of elephants like Pai Lin, who undergo daily abuse. Unfortunately, in Thailand, there are currently no laws to prevent this abuse and mistreatment, which is why our partner works tirelessly to rescue, treat and care for the survivors. Pai Lin endured these cruel and exhausting conditions for 60 years. But no more. After lives of unending suffering, will you help give Pai Lin and her friends this small kindness, which will make a huge difference in their lives? Pai Lin in her new home. Credit: WFFT For every $300 (roughly £240) we raise, we can provide a month’s worth of heavenly food and treats for an elephant at WFFT. If we raise $3,000 (roughly £2,400), we can provide 99 tons of food, feeding 10 elephants for a month. Pai Lin’s particular favorites are jackfruit and papaya, and we really want to give her these delicious treats. Pai Lin may only have a few years left, and after six decades of sheer hell, we want to make her last years the best of her life. Can she count on you for that kindness today? Please, donate as much as you can now, and help us give this brave survivor the golden years she deserves.

This eight-week-old wildebeest orphan really needs you!

When wildebeest calf Wanda was just two months old, she was found lying beside the lifeless, mutilated body of her mother, who was tragically killed by a cruel wire snare in South Africa. Credit: ASI/Taryn-Slabbert Heartbreakingly, orphan Wanda stayed faithfully by her mother’s side for days, repeatedly headbutting her in an attempt to suckle without realizing that she was already dead. Wanda and her mother are among the most recent victims of brutal, noose-like traps, which are ruthlessly laid by wildlife traffickers and bushmeat poachers across Africa to hunt and kill precious wild animals. It was too late for Wanda’s mother, but with your help today, we can give her calf the second chance she deserves. Credit: ASI/Taryn-Slabbert Please help us support the rehabilitation of orphaned wildebeest calf Wanda. Our partner, the Umoya Khulula Wildlife Center in Limpopo, South Africa, specializes in rehabilitating orphaned indigenous wildlife and is ready to nurse little Wanda back to health. But they cannot do it without your support today. Wanda needs intensive care and a special milk formula to ensure her healthy growth and well-being, but the formula is costly and hard to find in this area. Each day, Wanda consumes 1.3 gallons (five liters) of this vital milk – a cost that quickly adds up. Because she was separated from her mother at such a young age, this little fighter will need milk and probiotic additives for the next six months to receive the nourishment she needs to grow, get stronger and eventually be released back into the wild. For illustration purposes only. Wanda never got the chance to be cared for and nourished by her mother during her critical developmental months. A wildebeest calf suckles from its mother for at least four months and females usually remain in the same herds as their mothers for life. Unfortunately, Wanda does not have this chance and is relying on animal lovers like you to help care for her in this critical stage of her development. If we can raise $3,000 (£2,400), we can purchase enough special milk formula to feed Wanda for the next six months, so she will be ready to join her new herd. Credit: ASI/Taryn-Slabbert Wildebeest are sociable, playful animals that rely on one another for survival. After six months of rehabilitation, Wanda will be integrated into a new herd and released into a protected, predator-free nature reserve where she can live out the rest of her days in peace. Can Wanda count on you today for her second chance? Umoya Khulula is being inundated with orphaned wild animals. Should we exceed our fundraising goal, your generosity will benefit other young animals in our partner’s care – animals like Bagheera, a two-week-old large-spotted genet who was orphaned after falling from his nest during the terrible heatwaves ravaging Limpopo. Credit: ASI/Taryn-Slabbert The resilience of brave souls like Wanda and Bagheera warms our hearts. But to continue facing this cruel world with such courage, they need you. Please donate as generously as you can to Animal Survival International today. Your donation will help us give sweet Wanda and other orphaned wild animals like her the critical care they need to survive so they can be released back into the wild where they belong.

Rising rhino poaching in South Africa

Article written by Keith Somerville Originally published by The Ecologist (Apr 24, 2024) Shock and disappointment at rise in rhino poaching in South Africa. Poaching in South Africa surged in 2023, with a staggering 499 rhinos killed – 51 more than in 2022. This disappointing figure is a chilling reminder that the South African government and wildlife authorities have not got poaching under control. Barbara Creecy, the minister of forestry, fisheries and the environment (DFFE), said when releasing the annual poaching figures that poaching had dropped in Kruger National Park, previously the focal point of rhino crime. However, she added: “The pressure again has been felt in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, with Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park facing the brunt of poaching cases.” A total of 307 of the 499 deaths nationally took place there. Creecy said the KZN figure for 2023 was the “highest poaching loss within this province” recorded for any one year. In Kruger NP, 78 rhino were killed in 2023, compared with 124 in 2022—a decrease due to improved security, careful vetting of staff in the park to weed out corrupt rangers and other staff, and the dehorning of many of the rhinos, but also because there is a much smaller rhino population due to over a decade of heavy poaching. Gangs  White rhino numbers in Kruger fell from 10,621 in 2011 to 1,988 at the end of 2022 and there is now likely to have been a further fall in 2023 when natural mortality is added to the poaching figures and balanced against births: black rhino numbers are down from 415 in 2013 to 208 at the end of 2022. KZN became the main focus for poaching in 2023, with 307 poached in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi alone, compared with 93 in 2020 and a jump to 244 in 2022 (228 on reserves and 16 privately-owned). Pelham Jones of the private Rhino Owners’ Association predicted a level of 282 in 2023 in the province’s reserves (especially Hluhluwe-iMfolozi), a prediction that turned out to be too optimistic, with 307 rhino killed in 2023 in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi alone and 325 across the whole province according to DFEE figures. KZN and Hluhluwe-iMfolozi have a number of problems that make poaching easier, now that security has been tightened in Kruger. Cedric Coetzee, head of rhino protection at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi in KZN, told me when I visited him there in 2016 that while it might take poachers days to track a rhino in Kruger, the high density of animals in the KwaZulu-Natal reserves meant they might only spend two to three hours there before killing a rhino and escaping with its horns. The upsurge in poaching in KZN demonstrates how the accessibility of rhino in reserves like Hluhluwe-iMfolozi exposes them to poaching as gangs move in. KZN is a province beset by corruption, and both political and criminal violence, with violent factional struggles within the governing African National Congress Party. Bribes  Corruption in provincial government, law enforcement, and the judiciary is rife. The major example of this has been the investigation and suspension of KZN Regional Court President Eric Nzimande following accusations of corrupt payments, racketeering and receiving bribes to appoint unsuitable candidates as attorneys in cases. The Save the Wild NGO had campaigned for Nzimande’s suspension, believing him to have been key in obstructive cases against suspected rhino poaching kingpins—kingpins being the term used to describe the leaders of highly organised poaching syndicates, which are often involved in a wide range of violent criminal activities. Nzimande was charged with offences related to corruption and is awaiting trial.  Implicated in his crimes is Z.W. Ngwenya, who represented the suspected rhino poaching kingpin Dumisani Gwala in his court appearances. Gwala was arrested in 2014 on rhino poaching charges. Over a period of nine years, there were 30 postponements of his trial after a series of objections by his defence team. The man’s poaching case was dismissed by a magistrate in July 2023. He was found not guilty due to the prosecutor’s evidence being deemed inadmissible. However, he did receive a suspended sentence and a small fine for resisting arrest. Toxic  The corruption, incompetence, and often political interference in cases mean that those at the top of the poaching syndicates escape justice or spend years on bail, during which time they can continue directing the poachers on the ground. With 325 rhinos poached for their horns in KZN 2023, KZN recorded only 49 arrests and 13 seizures of illegal weapons, and these were low-level poachers, not gang leaders. Work has been done to end corruption within Kruger staff and to track payments to corrupt rangers and poachers (with the Hawks and the international accountancy and management company KPMG having some success in this field), with more integrity testing of employees and those applying for park jobs. Ending corruption within Kruger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi and other parks or reserves is crucial to reducing poaching in the long-term, as 40–70 percent of Kruger’s anti-poaching and law enforcement staff are thought “to be aiding poaching networks or involved in corrupt or criminal activities in some way, including high levels of fuel theft”. Hluhluwe-iMfolozi is riven with corruption, incompetence and sheer fatigue of those fighting poaching. The criminal syndicates involved in poaching often have close political connections with corrupt police, judges, and members of the governing ANC. The diverse links with corrupt individuals in key state institutions has enhanced their ability to recruit national park and provincial reserve employees and use them to aid poaching operations. As Julian Rademeyer, the investigative journalist and rhino trade expert, acutely observed: “Toxic politics, deep-seated inequality, corruption and embedded organised criminality have profoundly affected the park and surrounding communities. Crime and corruption in the Kruger National Park should not be viewed in isolation without taking the impact of organized crime in Mpumalanga, including kidnappings, cash-in-transit heists, ATM bombings, illegal mining, extortion and corruption, into account.” Incorruptible  Police and judicial corruption and the role of provincial ANC postholders as godfathers of a diversity of crimes makes this criminal nut a very hard one to crack.

Namibia rhino poaching on rise in first quarter of 2024

Original article written by Vitalio Angula Originally published by VOA News (Apr 17, 2024) Environmentalists in Namibia have accused local wildlife officials of hiding the real extent of rhino poaching in the Etosha National Park, which holds the highest concentration of black rhinos in the world. The Ministry of Environment recently acknowledged that rhino killings at the park quadrupled during the first quarter of 2024. Namibian police apprehended two suspects Sunday for the killing of an adult female black rhino and a medium-sized male calf black rhino at the park’s waterhole earlier that day. The two were found in possession of four rhino horns with an estimated value of $55,000. The park has seen a steep increase in rhino poaching, with 28 rhinos killed during the first three months of the year, compared to seven in 2023. Environmental activist and journalist John Grobler attributed the increase, in part, to a three-week mourning period for the passing of Namibia’s president, which led to a security lapse by law-enforcement officials. But Grobler suspects officials are still not disclosing the full extent of the rhino poaching. “They still refuse to show us the rhino horn stockpile to show if everything is there, if all the ivory is there,” he said. “When you ask them things like this, they tend to sit on their hands for as long as they can before they make any kind of disclosure. My fear is that it could actually be worse than 28 rhinos, it could be more than that.” A large number of rhino carcasses were discovered during the annual dehorning exercise undertaken in March. The media is usually invited but were not this year, further fueling concern that police did not want the public to know the real extent of rhino poaching in the area. Police spokesperson Kauna Shikwambi said he could not verify or deny the extent of rhino poaching at the Etosha National Park and referred all queries to the newly appointed police commander for Etosha, Theopolina Nashikaku. Nashikaku also refused to comment on the extent of poaching in the park. “All I know is that the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, through the spokesperson of his ministry, has shed light on the number of rhinos discovered during the dehorning exercise,” Nashikaku said. “The ministry has enough scientists with the capacity to establish how long the animal has been dead. Perhaps for now let me just concentrate on my mandate.” Rhinos are critically endangered, and Namibian authorities have previously said that disclosing the number of rhinos in the national park only puts them in harm’s way. That idea is rebuffed by some conservationists, who say that organized poachers, because of their high level of sophistication, already know the rhino population, estimated at 6,000 black rhinos and 15,000 white rhinos globally. A spokesperson for the environment ministry, Romeo Muyunda, said the plight of Namibia’s rhino population is a priority. “Based on the urgency of this situation, the ministry is undertaking an assessment to establish the full extent of this problem and, also based on that urgency, we have called for an urgent meeting with the security cluster which includes the police and NDF [Namibian Defence Force] to make sure that we dissect the matter and come up with possible interventions,” Muyunda said. In addition to the arrest of two men Sunday, Namibian police are reaching out to communities for assistance in identifying and apprehending more suspected rhino poachers.

Ringleader of global monkey torture network, ‘The Torture King’, was charged

Article written by Joel Gunter and Rebecca Henschke Originally published by BBC News (Apr 5, 2024) A ringleader in a global monkey torture network exposed by the BBC has been charged by US federal prosecutors. Michael Macartney, 50, who went by the alias “Torture King”, was charged in Virginia with conspiracy to create and distribute animal-crushing videos. Mr Macartney was one of three key distributors identified by the BBC Eye team during a year-long investigation into sadistic monkey torture groups. Two women have also been charged in the UK following the investigation. Warning: This article contains disturbing content Mr Macartney, a former motorcycle gang member who previously spent time in prison, ran several chat groups for monkey torture enthusiasts from around the world on the encrypted messaging app Telegram. The groups were used to share ideas for custom-made torture videos, such as setting live monkeys on fire, injuring them with tools and even putting one in a blender. The ideas were then sent, along with payments, to video-makers in Indonesia who carried them out, sometimes killing the baby long-tailed macaque monkeys in the process. According to charging documents, Mr Macartney, who lives in the US state of Virginia, is accused by prosecutors of collecting funds from his chat groups and distributing videos depicting the “torture, murder, and sexually sadistic mutilation of animals, specifically juvenile and adult monkeys”. Mr Macartney has cooperated with investigators from the Department of Homeland Security and agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy charges. He will formally make a plea later this month and is facing up to five years in prison. Speaking to the BBC Eye investigations team last year, Mr Macartney confessed to his role in the torture network, describing himself as the “king of this demented world”. “I was the man,” he said. “You want to see monkeys get messed up? I could bring it to you.” Mr Macartney also described the moment he joined his first Telegram monkey group. “They had a poll set up,” he said. “Do you want a hammer involved? Do you want pliers involved? Do you want a screwdriver?” The resulting videos were “the most grotesque thing I have ever seen”, Mr Macartney said, and yet he went on to become a key player in the monkey torture groups. The BBC understands that more charges are expected to follow soon for other key players in the monkey torture network. At least 20 people were placed under investigation last year globally, following the BBC’s investigation. Three participants have already been charged in the US, including Mr Macartney. Two torturers were arrested and jailed in Indonesia, and three women have been arrested in the UK, two of whom have been charged. Holly LeGresley, 37, of Kidderminster and Adriana Orme, 55, of Upton-upon-Severn, were charged last month with publishing an obscene article and causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal. Ms LeGresley and Ms Orme were high-profile members of the online torture groups. Ms LeGresley, who went by the screen name “The Immolator”, was a moderator in a group run by Mr Macartney and was involved in commissioning some of the most extreme videos. In the US, two others have been charged with the same counts as Mr Macartney. David Christopher Noble, 48, a former US Air Force officer who was previously court-martialed and dismissed from the military, and Nicole Devilbiss, 35. They are both facing up to five years in prison.

Scotland’s snare ban “an important day for animal welfare”

Article written by Dave Pickering Originally published by North Edinburgh News (Mar 22, 2024) Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill passed Scotland’s wildlife will benefit from increased protection thanks to a new law passed by the Scottish Parliament yesterday. The Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill includes a range of measures that will help tackle raptor persecution, and ensure that the management of species on grouse moors is done so sustainably and with animal welfare as a priority. The Bill: bans the practice of snaring in Scotland bans the use of glue traps to catch rodents gives greater powers to Scottish SPCA inspectors to tackle wildlife crime introduces a new licensing framework for grouse moors strictly regulates the use of muirburn, the controlled burning of vegetation on peatland Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie said: “This Bill is a significant step in our wider journey to ensure Scotland’s environment is managed sustainably. “People who live and work on our land have shown that it’s possible to manage wildlife. They have shown that muirburn, which is a key approach to helping manage wildfires, can be undertaken responsibly and in a way that protects biodiversity. “We have struck the right balance between improving animal welfare, supporting rural businesses and reinforcing a zero-tolerance approach to raptor persecution and wildlife crime.” Cats Protection says Scotland’s ban on snares is a turning point for animal welfare and will prevent cruel and horrific deaths being inflicted on pets and wildlife. The UK’s largest cat charity has been campaigning for an outright ban on snares throughout the UK and says it is delighted Scotland is taking a step forward to protect cats and other animals from unnecessary suffering with the Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill. Alice Palombo, Advocacy and Government Relations Officer for Scotland at Cats Protection, said: “The introduction of this law is an important day for animal welfare in Scotland, and will put an end to the cruel and horrific deaths that snares inflict on pets and wildlife. “Whether it’s domestic pet cats, feral or community cats, or any other animal captured in them, snares cause incredibly distressing injuries, often leading to animals suffering long, painful deaths. “Those animals which do manage to free themselves, or are found and released, cannot be considered lucky as they will most likely suffer life-changing injuries requiring extensive veterinary treatment. “We are delighted that Scotland has introduced an outright ban on snares, recognising the indiscriminate suffering they cause. These outdated, inhumane and cruel traps have no place in a modern, caring society.” The Bill was also welcomed by cat owner Marion Brownlie, of Aberdeenshire, whose pet cat Harry was found collapsed in a field with horrific injuries last year. Harry’s injuries were so appalling that she at first believed he had been “cut in two” when he was discovered close to his home in St Cyrus. It is thought the ginger-and-white moggy may have been trapped in the snare for five agonising days before he was able to drag himself to safety. Having confirmed his injuries were caused by a snare, vets carried out surgery to repair a deep wound running from hip to hip across Harry’s abdomen. He was later able to return home but needs to be confined to a cage for rest during his recovery. Marion said: “Harry had been missing for five days when we found him collapsed in a field and it was like something from a nightmare – I was afraid to pick him up as it looked as though he’d been cut in two. “He must have been in agony, but somehow he was still alive and after lots of veterinary treatment and rest he pulled through. “No animal deserves the pain and suffering that these inhumane devices inflict, and I’m incredibly relieved that they have finally been banned.” Major blow to the grouse shooting industry as Scottish Parliament passes reform Bill Grouse moor management is to be regulated for the first time as snaring animals is also banned The Scottish Parliament has now passed a Bill to license grouse shooting, to tackle illegal wildlife persecution on grouse moors. The killing of Scotland’s birds of prey has been associated with grouse moor management for decades and campaigners hope that this legislation will tackle the ‘national disgrace’ of raptor persecution. The passing of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill (by 85 votes in favour to 30 votes against) means that if a wildlife crime takes place on a grouse moor it could lose its licence to operate. It also means that heather burning (known as muirburn) will also be licensed and restricted on peatlands which are considered a vital carbon resource. Meanwhile environmental and animal welfare campaigners are celebrating the Bill’s banning of snares: the animal traps which they deem as ‘cruel and indiscriminate’. Responding to the grouse moor reform bill, Max Wiszniewski, the Campaign Manager for REVIVE, the coalition for grouse moor reform said: “This Bill marks a significant intervention into land management practices in Scotland and finally regulates a controversial industry that’s responsible for environmental destruction, that restricts economic opportunities for rural communities and that kills hundreds of thousands of animals so a few more grouse can be shot for sport. “While it doesn’t go far enough to end the ‘killing to kill’ on grouse moors, banning snares – the cruel and indiscriminate traps that are common on grouse moors – is an important win for animal welfare against an industry that was desperate to keep them. “The extra protection of peatlands is welcome but with three quarters of Scots against moorland burning for grouse shooting, the Parliament still has some catching up to do. “Nevertheless, this legislation will hopefully go some way to tackling the persecution of Scotland’s birds of prey, something that our first First Minister Donald Dewar called a ‘national disgrace’ in 1998.”