Wildlife Trade

DAYS REMAIN to relocate 15 elephants before its too late.

A herd of 15 hungry elephants who wandered in search of food face being killed. Why? Because in their quest for food across drought-stricken Southern Africa, they stumbled onto residential land. Credit: FreeMe Wildlife The herd, including seven calves, need sanctuary. they need our help right now – without it, they will be killed by […]

Animal welfare: UK passes legislation to tackle cruel “wildlife tourism”

Adapted from article written by by EUToday Correspondents Originally published by EU Today (Wed, 20 Sep, 2023) The Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act passed into UK law this week. The legislation – which was introduced by Angela Richardson MP and Lord Black of Brentwood, supported by the government – allows the government to bring forward […]

Update on Ljubo the captive bear in Montenegro

Montenegro continues in a state of political flux, as attempts continued to form the new government by the end of September. The effect of this has been more delays on decision-making regarding the bear cub recently acquired by the same sanctuary where six-year-old Ljubo is kept, and any action plan to improve and monitor the […]

Rhino numbers rebound as global figures reveal a win for conservation

Article written by Patrick Greenfield Originally published by The Guardian (Fri, 22 Sep, 2023) Tally rises to 27,000 but is still a far cry from former half a million, and Javan and Sumatran rhino remain critically endangered Global rhinoceros numbers have increased to 27,000 despite populations being ravaged by poaching and habitat loss, new figures […]

LAST CHANCE to save 29 tigers and critically endangered leopards from CAPTIVITY!

A tiger farm that has kept big cats cruelly caged in appalling conditions in Thailand has been shut down by the authorities. Now, the big cats who live there are in urgent need of rescue. If we do not help get them to safety as soon as possible, a caged zoo existence is likely to […]

Tourists taking selfies and feeding dingoes blamed for rise in K’gari attacks

Article written by Eden Gillespie and Andrew Messenger Originally published by The Guardian (Sat, 22 Jul, 2023) A cull has been ruled out in the wake of dingo attacks but authorities are faced with protecting what locals say are a ‘national treasure’ on the world’s largest sand island For thousands of years, the Butchulla people […]

Gabon takes down international ivory trafficking network

Article written by Ngala Killian Chimtom in Yaounde Originally published by All Africa (Sun, 10 Sep, 2023) Authorities in Gabon have dismantled a broad network of international ivory traffickers who smuggled the prized elephant product from Gabon to Cameroon and on to lucrative Asian markets. The operation involved the Gabonese judicial police and government directorates […]

UK gov orders removal of animal cruelty content from social media

Originally published by Mirage News (Fri, 8 Sep, 2023) Social media firms will be forced to remove online content facilitating animal torture in a further push to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online. Under new proposals, social media platforms will be required to proactively tackle the illegal content and […]

Elephant calf rescue in South Africa.

Africa is in the midst of a horrifying elephant poaching crisis. For every mother elephant killed, a calf is left behind – traumatized, helpless and alone. There are many knock-on effects. When poachers lay wire snares to trap elephants, calves are often caught, and they become orphaned when their mothers abandon them after fruitless hours and days of […]

WARNING: Graphic images! Critically endangered pangolins FOR SALE at Nigerian meat markets!

A growing appetite for “bushmeat” in Nigeria is seeing hundreds of thousands of animals – many of them endangered – slaughtered to feed the demand for “exotic” meat. Primates, bushbuck, turtles and critically endangered pangolins are just some of the species strung up at markets, often alive, and then brutally killed when they are purchased […]

Lions are still being farmed in South Africa for hunters and tourism. They shouldn’t be, say researchers

Article written by Neil D’Cruze and Jennah Green Originally published by The Conversation (Wed, 9 Aug, 2023) A man was arrested at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 23 June 2023 with five lion carcasses in his luggage. He was about to board a flight to Vietnam, where the use of lion bones in traditional […]

More than a ton of endangered pangolin scales seized in Thailand

Article written by The Associated Press Originally published by abc NEWS (Thu, 17 Aug, 2023) Thai authorities say they have seized more than a ton of pangolin scales worth over 50 million baht ($1.4 million) that are believed to have been headed out of the country through a land border BANGKOK — Thai authorities said Thursday […]

9 rescued lions and a leopard saved from forced breeding.

Captive lion breeding is one of wildlife’s biggest scandals in South Africa. Forced breeding sees lion cubs born in cages, petted by tourists until they are too big, and then shot by trophy hunters who think it’s clever to shoot a defenseless animal. If not hunted, they are slaughtered so their body parts can be […]

Can you imagine a world without elephants? It could happen in SEVEN YEARS?

Every year, tens of thousands of African elephants are killed, and their ivory tusks are used for trinkets and ornaments. This out-of-control slaughter means the species faces the urgent threat of extinction. A world without elephants is a real and harrowing possibility – which is why we are using advanced AI technology to track every […]

BREAKING: Montenegro’s shame, illegal zoo gets another illicit BEAR CUB.

The man who keeps Ljubo, a brown bear we have been fighting to relocate to a specialist sanctuary for almost a year, has this week acquired a new bear cub. The man – keeper of the six-year-old Ljubo in Montenegro – claims the cub was left on the doorstep of his unlicensed “zoo”. Incredibly, Montenegrin […]

Avian flu may have killed millions of birds globally as outbreak ravages South America

Article written by Victoria Milko Originally published by The Guardian (Sat, Jul 22, 2023) Virus has spread around the world, with 200,000 wild birds dead in Peru alone and concerns Australia could be next Millions of wild birds may have died from bird flu globally in the latest outbreak, researchers have said, as the viral […]

75 suspects arrested in 106 rhinoceros poaching cases in Namibia during 2022: report

Originally published by news.cn (Tue, Jul 18, 2023) WINDHOEK, July 14 (Xinhua) — Namibia’s anti-poaching and crime prevention initiatives managed to apprehend 75 suspects in 106 cases related to rhinoceros poaching in Namibia during 2022, according to a report released Friday. The year 2022 saw the most rhinoceros poached in the country since 2015 when […]

It’s heartbreaking: Two elephants could die as snares cut deep into their flesh. We have a plan to help.

Two elephants in Zimbabwe are in life-threatening situations as you read this. Each has fallen victim to cruel wire snares – torture devices that cut dangerously deep into the flesh, cause severe tissue damage and likely leave the animal in agony. Credit: KAWFT The elephants – members of two separate herds roaming the vast Lake […]

Ljubo, the bear, suffering in a cage in 93-degree heat. Why won’t authorities act?

Our worst fears have been realized. After briefly being rehomed to an enclosure, Ljubo, a six-year-old brown bear, in the Balkan nation of Montenegro is back in a cage. We have proof that he is being exhibited to the public with no valid zoo license and while his permission to exhibit the bear is under […]

Your urgent help is needed, a young rhino battles for his life!

As the African rhino poaching crisis continues to wipe out animal populations across the country, its latest victim – just 18 months old – is fighting for his life. Credit: Care For Wild Now named Bavati, the young calf was orphaned when his mother was slaughtered by poachers, effectively leaving him for dead as rhino […]

Iceland suspends annual whale hunt in move that likely spells end to controversial practice

Article written by Agence France-Presse Originally published by The Guardian (Wed, Jun 21, 2023) Decision comes after a government report found the hunt does not comply with Iceland’s Animal Welfare Act Iceland’s government has said it is suspending this year’s whale hunt until the end of August due to animal welfare concerns, a move that […]

Giraffes are extinct in SEVEN African countries. This is why (and how we plan to help).

In Zimbabwe, there is a poaching crisis! Amid the region’s lush vegetation, criminals lay hard-to-see snares which trap and kill giraffe and other wildlife. Once snared, excruciating death is inevitable: the animal dies from starvation, the injuries sustained, or the cold steel of a poacher’s blade. Sickeningly, giraffes are being killed for no better reason […]

UK diverges from EU rules with cosmetics animal testing ban

Article written by Vanessa Zainzinger Originally published by Chemistry World (Fri, Jun 09, 2023) UK will no longer allow Reach-required animal tests intended to prove worker safety The UK has taken another step away from EU policy by re-enforcing a ban on animal testing for ingredients used exclusively in cosmetics. Such tests can be permitted […]

Report raises alarm over state of provincial nature reserves in South Africa

Article written by Paul Geiss Originally published by GroundUp (Fri, May 23, 2023) Protected areas critical to the country’s biodiversity and conservation efforts are being badly mismanaged, says the Endangered Wildlife Trust For a long time there has been grave concern among conservationists over declining standards in South Africa’s provincial nature reserves. Now a recent […]

Treatment of kiwi bird at Miami zoo enrages New Zealand

Adapted from article written by Tess McClure Originally published by The Guardian (Wed, May 24, 2023) The zoo apologized after footage emerged of the bird being handled and petted under bright lights by members of the public. The treatment of a kiwi at a Miami zoo has enraged thousands of New Zealanders, who launched a […]

Electrocuted pangolin struggling to survive after colliding with an electric fence.

In the town of Hoedspruit in South Africa, a young Temminck’s ground pangolin recently suffered horrific injuries after being repeatedly electrocuted by an electrified farm fence. A fence that cuts through her natural environment. The shock was so severe that it almost cooked the creature alive, tearing through her scales and flesh, and exposing the […]

We must move this captive leopard to a spacious sanctuary – his relocation permit is about to expire!

Today we come to you with an urgent plea for help: a captive wildlife facility in South Africa is shutting down. They have found new locations for most of their animals, but a hand-reared 13-year-old leopard remains. He has just days to be rehomed, which is why our partner, Panthera Africa Big Cat Sanctuary, has […]

Islamabad Supreme Court disallows import of elephants for zoo

Adapted from article written by Nasir Iqbal Originally published by Dawn (Tue, May 09, 2023) ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a plea seeking an approval for import of African elephants for a zoological garden in Peshawar. A three-judge SC bench comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Shahid Wahid dismissed the […]

There is one thing standing between these orphaned pangolins and death (and YOU can provide it!).

A little while ago, we appealed to you for help in purchasing critically-needed milk formula for eight infant pangolins in Nigeria. Today, we really need your help once again. Our partner in Nigeria, Pangolins International, has 15 fragile pangopups all rescued from the horrific illegal trade. They must have special milk formula to survive – […]

Unbelievable! Three arrested with a stolen Nile CROCODILE

Article written by Michelle Swart Originally published by The South African (Mon, April 24, 2023) Three people were arrested after they were found to be in the possession of a stolen Nile CROCODILE worth around $1,300 (£1,050) On 24 April, three suspects aged between 20 and 35 are expected to face charges before the Klerksdorp […]

This holiday island hides SICKENING wildlife brutality – flying foxes beaten to death and turned into DINNER!

The Seychelles is one of the world’s most beautiful and exclusive holiday destinations, but behind the scenes, sickening wildlife brutality is taking place. Flying foxes, a species of fruit bat, are hunted from the wild using crude and cruel nets and hooks – so they can be eaten by locals and tourists. Once caught, flying […]

Africa’s painted dog are racing to extinction. Please help them.

Africa’s painted dogs are among the most endangered mammals in the world. Half a million of these extraordinary predators once roamed African plains – but now, there are fewer than 7,000 left in the wild. They are facing the very real threat of extinction. The biggest threat to painted dog populations was once lions – […]

Fox rescued after being ‘bagged’ and trapped underground for illegal hunt

Members of the Cirencester Illegal Hunt Watch and Three Counties Hunt Sabs have rescued a fox which hunters had tied up in a bag and stored under the ground. According to a report by the Hunt Saboteurs Association, the ‘Sabs’, as they are known, rescued the animal during the Cotswold Hunt Meet in Gloucestershire last […]

Ljubo the caged bear is STILL suffering. Here is the progress we have made so far.

We promised our supporters we will not stop fighting to free Ljubo, a five-year-old brown bear who has been held captive in Montenegro his entire life. We are working tirelessly to have Ljubo relocated to a bear sanctuary, but the fight to free him is fraught with challenges. Here is the situation. Firstly, his […]

The African elephant population has PLUMMETED from more than 5 million 100 years ago to just 415,000 today!

The elephant population in Africa is in the midst of a devastating poaching crisis. At least 20,000 African elephants are killed each year for the illegal ivory trade, driving them headlong to extinction. Routinely, we have to deal with the harrowing sight of the bloody, butchered carcass of a once magnificent animal, its tusks hacked […]

UNBELIEVABLE! TRAGIC! Crocodile destroys anti-poaching patrol boat. Elephants, giraffes, leopards are in MORTAL DANGER!

The area along the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls is a poaching hotspot. Poachers cross the river from Zambia into the Matetsi Private Game Reserve (MPGR), slaughtering vulnerable and endangered wildlife as they go. Elephants and hippos for their ivory tusks and meat; leopards and giraffes for their skin and meat; countless antelopes and other animals simply because they are there for the taking. Countless animals […]

Chinese, South African ‘mafia’ decimating wildlife in Kruger National Park

Article written by Darren Taylor Originally published by The Epoch Times (Monday, March 20, 2023) JOHANNESBURG—A new report from the European Union-funded international crime response group, Enact, says organized crime groups from South Africa and China—in collaboration with corrupt wildlife officials—are “decimating” big game animals in one of the world’s premier game reserves. The Kruger […]

Miami art dealer convicted of smuggling ivory sculptures

Miami-based art dealer Eduardo Ulises Martinez has been sentenced to more than four years in prison for illegally transporting sculptures containing ivory, reports The Art Newspaper. He was also found guilty of obstructing the course of justice. Martinez was caught with ivory in his luggage in September 2021, as he made his way through Miami […]

Conservation Action Trust: OUR KIN DISCARDED – South Africa’s inhumane and indefensible trade and killing of (nonhuman) primates

Adapted from article written by EMS & BAT Originally published by Conservation Action Trust (February 2023) South Africa is failing in their oversight of the legal export of non-human primates and their body parts, effectively condoning needless cruelty to these innocent animals. In only 7 years, between January 2016 and December 2022, through just a […]

Urgent Action Needed: Help orphaned pangolins survive poaching tragedy!

We have told you before about the near obliteration of endangered pangolins in Africa and throughout the world. The clock is ticking for this species, which is being driven to extinction by the illegal wildlife trade, for its meat and scales. Credit: Nancy Gelman / USFWS; Jefri Tarigan / AP Every pangolin life lost pushes […]

Study Warns European Demand for Frog Legs Could Drive Amphibians to “Irreversible Extinction”

Frog legs are one of the most infamous dishes on French restaurant menus – but the demand for the delicacy is destroying frog populations in Turkey, Albania and Indonesia, says a new study published in Nature Conservation journal. According to Euronews.green, European countries imported over 40 million kilograms (over 88 million pounds) of frog legs […]

Elephant and Rhino Numbers Rising in Uganda After Years-Long Poaching Wave

Populations of endangered elephants, rhinos and other wildlife in Uganda’s reserves is steadily growing, following years of decline as a result of poaching, illegal trafficking and conflict, according to state-run Uganda Wildlife Authority. A population of northern white and eastern black rhino wiped out in the 1980s by poachers has grown back to 32, reports […]

Critically important vultures are being ruthlessly poisoned and pushed to EXTINCTION.

Vultures are perilously close to extinction. If they die out, the consequences for human life will be catastrophic. We need to pay attention to this rapidly dwindling species right now because our health and perhaps our very survival is at stake. Credit: VulPro Tragically, maligned and often misunderstood vultures are given little support because of […]

Illegal traders refer to giraffes as “motorbikes” because selling their body parts can fetch enough money to buy a motorcycle.

Endangered reticulated giraffes, native to the horn of Africa, are in terrible trouble with poaching being a major cause. It is estimated that there are only 8,500 of these unique animals left in the wild today. Most reticulated giraffes are found in Kenya, where a massive drought and economic hardship – leading to a poaching […]

IMPORTANT UPDATE on the fight to FREE LJUBO, a bear in despair!

In my work as executive director of Animal Survival International, it is a sad fact that all-too-frequently I encounter cruelty to animals, but I have rarely come across cruelty that affected me as much as the plight of Ljubo, a bear in despair. ASI is working to FREE LJUBO from a cage in Montenegro, and […]

Rhino poaching soars by 93 percent in Namibia

A shocking all-time high of 87 endangered rhinos were poached in Namibia last year, reports Al Jazeera. This in comparison to 45 slaughtered in 2021, according to local government data. Africa’s rhino population has been decimated over the past decades as the demand for rhino horn has surged in East Asia. The horn is considered […]

Unique Madagascan Mammals on Fast Track to Extinction

Over 20 million years of evolutionary history could be wiped from the face of the earth if action is not taken now to stop Madagascar’s unique mammals going extinct, according to a new study published in Nature Communications journal. Species at risk include the threatened ring-tailed lemur and the aye-aye, a nocturnal primate native to […]

Poachers could wipe gentle bonobos off the face of the earth!

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Central Africa, the rampant illegal wildlife trade is destroying many precious endangered animals. Bonobos, an endangered great ape species which shares more than 98% of its DNA with humans, are a tragic example. These peaceful, forest-dwelling creatures are native only to the DRC and are routinely hunted […]

Gentle, shy pangolins are in grave danger of EXTINCTION! Here’s how you can help!

I come to you with a heartfelt plea for help on behalf of pangolins in Nigeria. Every day, these shy, gentle, nocturnal creatures in this African nation are at risk of being captured for the horrific illegal wildlife trade. Pangolin scales are used in Asia for phony ‘traditional medicines’. Animals are stripped of their scales […]

President Biden Bans Ownership of Big Cats in the United States

The US’ President Biden signed legislation earlier this week banning the private ownership of several species of big cats, including lions and tigers, reports the New York Post. The ban follows a years-long campaign by Carole Baskin, infamous antagonist of the Netflix hit series, Tiger King. The Big Cat Public Safety Act was signed after […]

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