We Did It! The Baby Elephant Rescue Operation Was a Success!

We Did It! The Baby Elephant Rescue Operation Was a Success!

Just days ago, we were alerted to a baby elephant in Zimbabwe with a wire snare wound tightly around the top of its leg. The swelling was so severe, veterinarians worried the calf would lose its leg if the snare wasn’t removed soon enough. The only option we had to save this baby elephant was […]

Elephant Appreciation Day

Elephant Appreciation Day

Today is Elephant Appreciation Day – a day to reflect on these great, grey, gentle giants which never cease to evoke a sense of awe in humankind. The more we learn about them, the more we marvel at their social structures, their caring family lives and the sheer wonder of their being. Yet, we are […]

This is our BEST CHANCE to end the horror of snaring!

This is our BEST CHANCE to end the horror of snaring!

We have told you before about the atrocities caused by LEGAL snaring – daily acts of murder that kill up to 1.7 million animals in the United Kingdom (UK) every single year. But now, we have a chance to put an end to this horror, and we need your help. Every 20 seconds, another innocent […]

Unable to respond to animals in need! Time is running out!

Unable to respond to animals in need! Time is running out!

We’ve told you before that an estimated 3,000 snares have been set around the unfenced Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe – so many that the very survival of entire populations is threatened. Lying in wait, these cruel devices trap and strangle animals, causing severe pain, injury and ultimately death. Our partner in Zimbabwe, DART (Dete […]

Two more pangolins have just been rescued! THEIR SURVIVAL IS TOUCH-AND-GO!

Two more pangolins have just been rescued! THEIR SURVIVAL IS TOUCH-AND-GO!

Last week, we told you about five baby pangolins rescued from the illegal bushmeat market in Nigeria who are in desperate need of our help. As the Animal Survival International (ASI) team was preparing to rush life-saving funds to the Saint Mark’s Animal Hospital and Shelter, two more pangolins – a mother and newborn baby […]

Wildlife Traffickers Exploit Weak Law Enforcement in the Shipping Industry

Wildlife Traffickers Exploit Weak Law Enforcement In The Shipping Industry

By Melissa Reitz Maritime supply chains are becoming increasingly exploited by wildlife traffickers who use loopholes and lax law enforcement to smuggle illegal wildlife products. Despite the growing demand for and movement of these products, many shipping companies are unaware they are being misused. A recent report has revealed that an estimated 80% of wildlife […]

UK Announces Plan to Ban the Keeping of Captive Elephants

UK Announces Plan to Ban the Keeping of Captive Elephants

By Melissa Reitz Years of research proving that keeping elephants in captivity is cruel is finally paying off. The United Kingdom (UK) has announced its intention to ban the captivity of elephants in zoos and safari parks. Initiated by environment minister, Zac Goldsmith, the amendment to the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill to outlaw elephants […]

More than 800 of some of the world’s most endangered creatures face an horrific crisis!

More than 800 of some of the world’s most endangered creatures face an horrific crisis!

More than EIGHT HUNDRED critically endangered radiated tortoises were recently rescued from smugglers on the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar. Hidden in vehicles with no food or water and suffering life-threatening injuries, these animals needed intensive care to survive the days and weeks following their rescue. The death of these rare tortoises will be a […]

The End of South Africa’s Shameful Lion Breeding Industry – What Now Happens to the Lions?

The End of South Africa’s Shameful Lion Breeding Industry – What Now Happens to the Lions?

By Melissa Reitz Originally published in Africa Geographic Last month, South Africa’s government took a significant step forward for animal welfare and lion conservation when the Minister of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE), Barbara Creecy, announced a complete ban on the controversial captive lion breeding industry. But as we stare into the […]

Even PREGNANT FEMALES and BABY pangolins are being poached and trafficked!

Even PREGNANT FEMALES and BABY pangolins are being poached and trafficked!

Pangolins are in CRISIS! Despite international protection, this shy, nocturnal creature is still the most trafficked mammal in the world. Now, with COVID-19 regulations easing, more pangolins than ever are being stolen from the wild. Pangolins are racing towards extinction. Two species could be gone in a decade. More than ONE MILLION pangolins have been […]

How we are helping RIGHT NOW: May 2021

How we are helping RIGHT NOW: May 2021

The Political Animal Lobby (PAL) exists to be a voice for animals and the planet. We tackle pressing issues threatening animals around the world. Over the past month, PAL has provided water to drought-stricken elephants in Namibia; kept up the fight to ban snares in the UK; helped a legal battle to save toads in […]

800 of some of the world’s most endangered creatures face an horrific crisis!

800 of some of the world’s most endangered creatures face an horrific crisis!

One of the world’s most critically endangered creatures faces an horrific crisis that could wipe them from the face of the earth. Radiated tortoises, who are native to the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar, will be extinct in less than 20 years – unless we act immediately! In a daring rescue operation by our partners, […]

How we are helping RIGHT NOW: April 2021

How we are helping RIGHT NOW: April 2021

Animals around the globe are in extraordinary peril. From the rampant illegal trade in wildlife, poaching, habitat loss and poor enforcement of wildlife legislation, thousands of species are becoming critically endangered. We need to take heed before it’s too late. If we continue to destroy biodiversity, no life on Earth can survive. The Animal Survival […]

Breakthrough for African Elephant Conservation as Two Distinct Species Are Recognized

Breakthrough for African Elephant Conservation as Two Distinct Species Are Recognized

By Melissa Reitz In a massive breakthrough for elephant conservation, two recent and significant decisions are set to ensure that Africa’s elephants are better protected. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the global authority on the status of natural species and measures needed to safeguard them, has elected to assess African elephants […]

Nearly 300 Elephants to Be Shot as Botswana Opens Its Hunting Season

Nearly 300 Elephants to Be Shot as Botswana Opens Its Hunting Season

By Melissa Reitz Originally published in Africa Geographic Botswana has granted permission for 287 elephants to be hunted, as it gears up for its first trophy hunting season since its ban was controversially lifted two years ago. With COVID-19 restrictions disrupting last year’s hunting season, 187 existing elephant licenses have been tagged onto this year’s […]

Illegal Wildlife Trade Set to Boom Once COVID-19 Restrictions Are Lifted

Illegal Wildlife Trade Set to Boom Once COVID-19 Restrictions Are Lifted

By Melissa Reitz New evidence reveals that the illicit wildlife trade is set to boom as traffickers take advantage of COVID-19 disruptions to stockpile products. Despite data suggesting a drop in arrests and seizures of products such as ivory, rhino horn and pangolin scales in 2020, additional research finds that wildlife trafficking has not dropped, […]

Over Half a Million Viruses Threaten to Create an Era of Deadly Pandemics

Over Half a Million Viruses Threaten to Create an Era of Deadly Pandemics

By Louzel Lombard Steyn Human infringement on wild spaces and the destruction of Earth’s biodiversity is setting the stage for an era of deadly pandemics, according to a recently published United Nations report. The report says that up to half of the existing 1.7 million viruses found in mammals and birds are deadly to humans. […]

How we are helping RIGHT NOW: March 2021

How we are helping RIGHT NOW: March 2021

The future of the animals in the natural world has never been more in danger. Climate change, habitat destruction and poor enforcement of international wildlife laws have already pushed numerous species to extinction and will continue to do so if we don’t act now! The Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby) exists to be a voice […]

COVID Aftermath Knocks Conservation Efforts

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By Louzel Lombard Conservation is the latest casualty of COVID-19, with 22 countries backtracking on anti-poaching efforts and protection of natural areas. The countries, mainly in Africa and Asia, favored developments like road construction and oil and gas extraction in areas designated for conservation, new research by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) […]

Victory for Elephants as Global Ivory Bans Gain Momentum

Victory for Elephants as Global Ivory Bans Gain Momentum

By Louzel Lombard More than 20,000 elephants are killed every year for their tusks. Conservationists and animal welfare groups, such as the UK’s Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby), have been urging the British government to implement a full ban on the sale of ivory. This week, the government made a step forward. The […]

It’s the toads versus City Hall! REALLY, and it’s gravely SERIOUS!

It’s the toads versus City Hall! REALLY, and it’s gravely SERIOUS!

Yet another species is in trouble because of heartless decisions by authorities who seem not to care that their actions threaten the survival of an endangered species. This time, it’s toads. Western leopard toads are harmless, beautiful creatures who help keep nature in balance by eating insects and snails. They are so endangered that they […]

Again, Gray Wolves in Montana Are Under Siege, as State Considers New Hunting Bills

Again, Gray Wolves in Montana Are Under Siege, as State Considers New Hunting Bills

By Melissa Reitz Gray wolves, in US state Montana, are once again under threat by a series of proposed legislative bills to relax trapping and hunting regulations. This comes less than six months after their removal from federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. According to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the […]

Edited: Rhino Poaching in Botswana – Is Pride Hampering Prevention?

Edited: Rhino Poaching in Botswana – Is Pride Hampering Prevention?

By Melissa Reitz Botswana’s recent upsurge in rhino poaching is reaching a crisis point. More than 100 rhinos have been poached in under two years from a population of less than 400. Yet, the government remains resolute in its denial of a growing catastrophe. Former Botswanan president Ian Khama recently announced on social media that over […]

Africa’s First Dedicated Pangolin Hospital Ward Soon to Open

Africa’s First Dedicated Pangolin Hospital Ward Soon to Open

By Melissa Reitz In commemoration of World Pangolin Day, the first-ever dedicated pangolin veterinary ward in Africa has been announced. Fitted with state-of-the-art equipment to assist in the treatment of rescued pangolins, the ward will be built at the existing Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital (JWVH) and funded by international banking group, Investec. JWVH is the […]

Namibia’s Wild Elephants Destined for Foreign Zoos, Say Lobby Groups

Namibia’s Wild Elephants Destined for Foreign Zoos, Say Lobby Groups

By Melissa Reitz Despite global opposition, Namibia is going ahead and selling 170 wild elephants and the buyer will be announced once the sale is finalized, says the country’s environmental ministry. By going ahead with the sale, Namibia is flouting CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) regulations. CITES is the international body charged […]

How we are helping RIGHT NOW: February 2021

How we are helping RIGHT NOW: February 2021

The future of animals and the wilderness they live in has never been more at risk. Climate change, habitat destruction and poor enforcement of international wildlife laws is driving species after species to extinction. We cannot be silent or sit idly by and watch this happen. The Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby) exists […]

Today Is World Pangolin Day – Save the Most Threatened Mammal on Earth

Today Is World Pangolin Day – Save the Most Threatened Mammal on Earth

Today the world celebrates World Pangolin Day. But unless action is taken soon, there will be very few such days in the future. As the most trafficked mammal in the world, these quiet, solitary creatures are being wiped out at a rapid rate. Pangolins are being pushed to the very edge of extinction. An estimated […]

New Study Reveals What Chinese Wildlife-Product Buyers Really Think

New Study Reveals What Chinese Wildlife-Product Buyers Really Think

By Melissa Reitz A ground-breaking new study confirms legalized trade and commercial breeding of wild animals significantly stimulates buyers-demand and is ultimately pushing wild species to extinction. To determine the impact wildlife trade bans and breeding farms have on consumers of wild animal products, the study led a survey of a thousand Chinese citizens, focusing […]

Shocking Evidence Reveals Hunting Fraternity Flouting the UK’s Hunting Ban

Shocking Evidence Reveals Hunting Fraternity Flouting the UK’s Hunting Ban

By Melissa Reitz Fox hunting is illegal in England, Scotland and Wales, but hunters have found a way to get around this with trail hunting which mimics traditional hunting by following an animal-based scent trail. Now leaked webinars reveal longstanding suspicions that hunters use trail hunting to cover up illegal fox hunting. British TV channel, […]

Namibia Confirms Its Wild Elephants Are up for Sale – Despite Massive Outcry

Namibia Confirms Its Wild Elephants Are up for Sale - Despite Massive Outcry

By Melissa Reitz With the tender for auction now closed, Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT) is finalizing buyer details for the sale of 170 wild elephants. Namibian authorities say there are too many elephants in the country. But conservationists are up in arms, saying the ministry has inflated actual elephant numbers. MEFT […]

Shocking News as Kruger’s Rhino Numbers Are Finally Revealed

Shocking News as Kruger’s Rhino Numbers Are Finally Revealed

By Melissa Reitz A sobering new report by South African National Parks (SANParks) has confirmed the shocking decline in rhino numbers in Kruger National Park, home to the highest concentration of rhino in the world. Figures have plummeted to an estimated 3,529 white rhino and 268 black rhinos. This information, which come after years of […]

Albatrosses to the Rescue: Policing Illegal Fishing

Albatrosses to the Rescue: Policing Illegal Fishing

Words: Melissa Reitz Albatrosses are proving invaluable in the fight against illegal fishing in international waters. Fitted with tiny radar-detecting trackers, these huge birds help spot fishing boats that have turned off their automatic identification system (AIS) to hide illegal fishing. In a six-month pilot project, 169 wandering and Amsterdam albatrosses fitted with GPS trackers […]

In World-First, Germany Outlaws the Mass Culling of Male Chicks

In World-First, Germany Outlaws the Mass Culling of Male Chicks

With the approval of a new draft law, Germany is set to lead the way in the poultry industry by becoming the first in the world to ban the mass culling of male chicks. Every year, millions of male chicks are either shredded or gassed to death soon after hatching as they are not suitable […]

Mink Farms: Denmark Shows No Remorse for Gross Animal Cruelty

Mink Farms: Denmark Shows No Remorse for Gross Animal Cruelty

Disturbing photographs and video footage shared worldwide of mink gassed and buried in mass graves in Denmark has highlighted how little we value the lives and deaths of so-called factory farm animals. Millions of mink have been mercilessly slaughtered at the Danish government’s instruction since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. This, after a handful […]

Good News for Polar Bears, as Trump Fails

Good News for Polar Bears, as Trump Fails

Heeding the warnings of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby), other environmentalists, watchdog groups, and native Alaskans alike, major oil companies steered clear of fossil fuel leases in the vulnerable Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The refuge is a breeding ground for endangered polar bears. Bears give birth in dens they create in […]