It’s a staggering task to rescue and save four baby rhinos. Please, help us!
We have terrible news! Right now, four baby rhinos have been orphaned after their mothers were killed for their horns in the South African bush. We have been asked to help save them. Taking advantage of freak storms, likely driven by climate change, poachers swooped in on a game area in South Africa’s Mpumalanga area and slaughtered every rhino they could find. These orphans need our help! They are the innocent victims of a poaching epidemic that has swept the country. Poachers have killed 24 rhinos in South Africa since the beginning of December, according to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. Each baby rhino story is more heart-wrenching than the next… it’s a miracle that four babies survived! One baby was no more than 12 hours old when she was found lying next to her mother’s mutilated carcass with the umbilical cord still attached. Now named Daisy, she had yet to take her first steps; she couldn’t even stand. She was rushed to our partner, Care for Wild’s (CFW) sanctuary where she received an emergency blood transfusion from an older rescued rhino. Daisy now has intensive round-the-clock care. She is fed hourly and always has a caregiver with her. She is a tiny, tiny baby and has already lost out on receiving the nourishing colostrum from her mother’s milk that should’ve kick-started her development. Only with our help, does she have a chance to survive and grow strong. One of the last of his species, baby Taro wandered hungry and alone for days… followed by hungry hyenas! It couldn’t be more important that Taro, a baby black rhino, survives because black rhino are hurtling towards extinction, with only 5,000 left in the world. Taro’s survival could make an important contribution to breeding – if we can keep him alive. Poachers used the cover of a storm to brutally kill his mother and he wandered alone in the wilderness for several days before an anti-poaching unit found him and sent him to our partner. For 18-month-old Taro, proper nutrition is crucial – he must eat between 20 and 30 different shrubs and trees every day as well as take special medication for the next two months if he is to have a chance. So traumatized by his ordeal, Aquazi had to be sedated and blindfolded before his pneumonia could be treated! Aquazi was found when he was just three weeks old. He’s another little miracle because he had wandered the bushveld on his own for several days and still survived, just. He was so stressed that he had to be blindfolded, given earplugs and sedated before he could be put on a drip to fight pneumonia in his body. Aquazi is now stable. He has a sweet nature and has befriended an orphaned zebra at the sanctuary. Shiloh was so close to death she had to be medevacked by helicopter during a ferocious storm! Shiloh was found lying motionless close to her mother’s body just as a ferocious storm rolled in. A rescue helicopter managed to get the baby to our partners just in time and veterinarians immediately began treating him on the helipad. All four babies are so stressed by their ordeals that they must be given medication to prevent the development of deadly ulcers. Without it, vets say all four would die. It is amazing that these defenseless babies survived long enough to be rescued. Although they are now safely in the hands of a devoted team of caregivers (in an undisclosed location – for their safety), it remains a touch-and-go situation for all of them. The CFW team is working in shifts to ensure a caregiver is always by the orphans’ sides – they must be monitored around the clock. The youngest calf, still only a few days old, must be fed every hour because she is not stable, and her condition is of major concern. All of the babies are severely traumatized and fighting for their lives, we must urgently raise $7,000 (£5,285) for costly medical treatment and 24-hour care for these orphaned rhinos to survive! We have never before been called upon to save four baby rhinos at the same time – it is a staggering task and one we cannot complete without the help of animal lovers like you. If these rhino calves are to survive these crucial weeks of recovery, we need urgent help so we can rush emergency funds to CFW. Your donation will be put to immediate use for comprehensive medical treatment and continuous care. Each one of these animals is vital to the survival of their species, and we must do everything within our power to ensure that all four babies survive and are released to a protected area.
Poachers have already killed 75% of Zimbabwe’s majestic lake elephants. Now, THE REST ARE IN PERIL!
A few months ago, we told you about the terrible slaughter of Zimbabwe’s lake elephants and the efforts of the Bumi Hills Anti-Poaching Unit (BHAPU) to protect the last of these magnificent creatures. BHAPU is a small, committed team that put their lives on the line every day. But now, the team, and the animals they protect, are in trouble! Their anti-poaching boat is out of commission and without it, there is no one to patrol the waters of the vast Lake Kariba, where poachers pose as local fishermen. We must urgently raise $5,500 (£4,100) to repair the boat before poachers take advantage of its absence! 65% of BHAPU’s arrests are made by boat! For the sake of the elephants, we MUST get the team back on the water NOW! Poachers killed 75% of the majestic lake elephants. But then, BHAPU was formed to defend them. This expertly trained team has been successful in protecting these iconic creatures for years, but without their boat, they have lost their first line of defense. Lake Kariba, the largest man-made lake in the world, is used as a highway for illegal wildlife smuggling. The lake forms 140 miles (220 kilometers) of the international border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. Poachers and smugglers take advantage of the difficulty of patrolling this enormous stretch of water and regularly move wildlife contraband across the lake. With BHAPU’s operations limited to the land, smugglers are now free to move with little fear of being caught. We have promised to send help, but we need your support. Please donate generously today to get BHAPU back on the water! The anti-poaching boat has been an important tool in protecting these animals for over 25 years. But thousands of operations and chases have battered the boat badly, causing the fiberglass hull to collapse completely. Only the support of animal lovers like you can keep these elephants safe. Elephants are highly intelligent, emotional beings who form strong bonds with each other. They protect each other fiercely and mourn the deaths of their kin for months, even years. Across the African continent, these animals are in peril. Poaching, habitat loss and climate change threaten their survival as a species, making every single elephant population a priority for conservation. Please, help us protect the last of the lake elephants! Without their boat, BHAPU is unable to respond to wildlife emergencies! BHAPU must often respond to wildlife emergencies where animals’ lives are imminently at stake. Snared animals, human-wildlife conflict incidents and trapped baby animals all rely on the BHAPU team to come to their rescue. But without their boat, the team must travel by land – and many of these animals won’t survive long enough for them to make the long arduous journey across miles of rugged terrain. Please, for the animals, donate generously today!
The Yorkshire Post: Lack of Action on Illegal Hare Poaching Not Good Enough – David Bean of Countryside Alliance
Adapted from article written by John Blow Originally published by The Yorkshire Post (Tuesday, November 16, 2021) Having dashed, zigzagged and seasonally boxed across British fields since Roman times at least, few inhabitants of our landscape are more iconic than the hare. Changes in farming practices, especially in the West of the country, saw significant declines in the hare population through the middle of the last century, but numbers have stabilized in recent decades and, especially where farming is predominantly arable, there remain high densities of hares in many areas. However, nearly everywhere that hares are abound, including many parts of Yorkshire, poaching with dogs has become endemic. In its wake comes criminal damage, theft, vandalism, and violence. The “season” usually begins after harvest, as poachers take advantage of bare fields. A single incident can cause thousands of pounds worth of damage to land and crops, and see farmers and landowners violently abused. This is not the romantic poaching of rural myth. A local going abroad with his dog to take ‘one for the pot’. Poachers in powerful four-wheel-drive vehicles smash down gates, drive through crops and hedges to run their dogs on hares in competition with one another. At its extreme, it can involve organized criminal gangs betting thousands of pounds on the outcome of matches. Police forces have struggled to tackle this sort of blatant criminality despite their best efforts and increasingly close cooperation between different forces. One of the issues they face is that hare poaching is most often prosecuted under the Game Acts, which date back to the 19th century. The offenses in the Acts precisely describe the problem: “trespassing in pursuit of game”, but they are burdened by a range of deficiencies that have been rectified in more modern wildlife law. For instance, they lack robust powers to seize dogs and vehicles or recover kennelling costs, or penalties stiff enough for effective deterrence. For many years the Countryside Alliance has campaigned for reforms that would strengthen the power of the police and courts to act in partnership with groups as diverse as the Country Land and Business Association, the National Farmers’ Union and the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). In May, it appeared that this activity was at last bearing fruit: the government’s much-vaunted Action Plan for Animal Welfare finally included a commitment on hare poaching, and its specific proposals closely resembled the measures we had sought for so long. What we lacked was a timetable: a firm indication of when the government planned to act and as such, how much longer the rural community must wait for action. With no government legislation in the pipeline the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which was already before parliament, seemed the ideal vehicle for reforms that already enjoy broad consensus. Our proposals would increase penalties, allow the courts to disqualify offenders from owning or keeping dogs and let the police recover kennelling costs for dogs that have been seized. They have the support of all politicians of all parties, rural organizations, the RSPCA and the police, and would deliver almost everything the Government says it wants to achieve without the need for another piece of legislation. Last Wednesday, therefore, when the Police Bill was being considered in the House of Lords, amendments to tackle hare poaching were tabled by a group of sympathetic peers headed by the Lord Bishop of St Albans. He opened the debate with a powerful exposition of the threat illegal hare poaching poses to rural life, and as it progressed it quickly became clear that unlike much of what has been a controversial bill, the measures attracted broad cross-party support. Yet as the crossbench peer Lord Carrington observed, when similar amendments were brought to the House of Commons, “[t]he response by the Minister was that Defra was aware and dealing with the issue. Nothing further has been heard yet.” It was therefore more with dismay than surprise that we learned the government was once again fumbling a prime opportunity for action. It would not accept the amendments and they were withdrawn. Responding on behalf of the Government, Lord Sharpe of Epsom repeated what we have heard time and again: ministers are looking at it, there are detailed discussions, it will take time, we need to get it right; however, he failed to explain any objections to the proposals, what the government wants as an alternative or what timescale it has in mind. All he could offer was action “when parliamentary time allows.” That is simply not good enough when there is a clear and urgent need for action and parliamentary time now. Given the level of support for these measures, and the concern across the countryside about the activity of hare poachers, we fully expect these proposals to be revisited in the House of Lords. The government’s opportunity has not yet passed, but there can be no more excuse for delay. Rural communities have been waiting far too long for the Government to get serious about tackling hare poaching. It is time for talk to give way to action. David Bean is the Parliamentary and Government Affairs Manager for the Countryside Alliance.
BADGER BAITING! Hunters call this “SPORT” – ripping PREGNANT badgers from their dens and letting savage dogs TEAR THEM APART!
Each year in the United Kingdom (UK), it is estimated that more than 10,000 badgers are tortured and killed for entertainment by huntsmen and their dogs! The barbaric and illegal blood sport of “badger baiting” is wreaking havoc on this protected species. We need your help to bring this carnage to an end by putting the cruel perpetrators where they belong – behind bars. Badger baiting involves sending trained dogs down badger setts (dens) to locate and hold the animal at bay while hunters dig them out. Once exposed, the badger is dragged from its sett and TORN APART by a pack of savagely trained dogs. And this is considered “sport!” With your help, we can raise the £5,000 ($6,800) to fund undercover investigations into the networks responsible for this horror and BRING THEM TO JUSTICE! Badger baiting takes place mostly between November and March when badger sows are pregnant or giving birth… Badgers are typically shy and peaceful creatures. But during the cold winter months, they become defensive – ferociously protecting their homes when females are pregnant or nursing their young. Badger baiters exploit this defensive behavior which makes for “better sport”. So-called “better sport” also means graver injuries to the hunters’ dogs. A badger has great strength and their powerful digging claws can do serious damage when they’re fighting for their life. The dogs are often left with horrific wounds. Worried that veterinarians may report them, hunters usually stitch the dogs’ wounds themselves, without giving the animal pain relief or antibiotics. If the dogs are severely hurt, they are simply shot or tied up and left to die. We must do our best to bring this horror to an end, but we need your help. A horror that is becoming more common is underground badger baiting events, where a badger is brought to a makeshift arena and as many as 15 blood trained dogs are set on it – and tear it to pieces. Even if a badger manages to best one of the dogs, its fate is sealed. Either through injury or exhaustion, the terrified creature will eventually succumb while crowds place bets and cheer on the pack of dogs. A large badger, such as a pregnant female, can be sold for as much as $970 (£700) to the gangs who run these underground torture events. In addition to the horrific injuries from being viciously attacked, the badgers are often deliberately wounded to guarantee a longer fight or to “protect” valuable winning dogs. This is usually done by either breaking their jaw or leg or pulling their teeth out! These animals suffer long, agonizing deaths. It is critical that we fund investigations to identify these criminal networks and bring them to justice! The badger is the UK’s last remaining large carnivore – an iconic creature who urgently needs our help. Despite being a protected species since 1992 – despite badger baiting being illegal for almost 200 years, the unspeakably cruel “sport” continues to thrive on a terrifying scale, particularly in Wales and the surrounding areas. ASI cannot – will not – allow this to continue. Please, donate today and help us root out the people responsible! Those found guilty of badger baiting face sentences of up to six months in prison per offense, hefty fines and lifetime bans on owning animals – but the challenge lies in catching them. That is why it is critical that we fund undercover investigations to root out the callous criminal gangs at the heart of this horror.
EMERGENCY! Lily the pregnant pangolin has taken a SUDDEN TURN FOR THE WORSE!
In October, we told you about Lily, the terribly emaciated pangolin who was rescued from traffickers in South Africa and miraculously turned out to be pregnant despite her horrific ordeal at the hands of callous criminals. We reached out to you for support, and you responded generously, allowing us to send critical funds to kick-start her intensive medical care and rehabilitation. But Lily has taken a sudden turn for the worse! Her red blood cell count has plummeted, and her only chance for survival is a blood transfusion! We cannot give up on Lily and her unborn baby now. Please, help us raise the $3,000 (£2,200) needed to give her and her baby a chance of survival! If we are to save Lily and her baby’s lives, two teams must work simultaneously to meet a tight deadline. A medical team will be at the wildlife hospital working to stabilize Lily’s condition so that the procedure can be successful, while a second team will have just hours to track another pangolin, draw a safe amount of life-saving blood for Lily and rush it back to the hospital! An undertaking like this has NEVER BEEN ATTEMPTED before! We MUST try to save Lily and her baby! Lily was rescued from traffickers in a shockingly emaciated state Lily and her baby are lucky that a large adult male pangolin was recently rehabilitated and released in a nearby protected area. Using his state-of-the-art GPS tracking tag, the team know exactly where to find him and is standing by to deploy. Rangers will track him on foot and an expert wildlife veterinarian will draw blood after confirming that it will not negatively impact his health or affect his strength. The blood will be packed into cold storage and rushed to the hospital to hopefully give Lily the strength she needs to recover and see her pregnancy through. Pangolins are the most trafficked mammal on earth. Every pangolin life is critical for their survival! Every single species of pangolin in Africa and Asia are at risk of extinction. Their scales are used widely in phony traditional “medicines” and their meat is served as an illegal delicacy in many countries. A thriving black market for these gentle creatures is driving them to extinction at a rate we have never seen before, and if we don’t do everything we can to save pangolin lives now, they will be wiped out in a matter of years. Lily has been fighting so hard to survive and to see her pregnancy through, and her team of caregivers continues to give her the best possible around-the-clock care. But pangolins are very delicate creatures and Lily won’t be able to recover from her dangerously low red blood cell count without our help. Please, donate now and help us rush emergency help to Lily and her baby!
OUTRAGEOUS! Leopards slaughtered by the thousands for their skins! In the name of FASHION!
Leopards are the most persecuted big cats in the world! In the last 50 years, almost ONE MILLION of these magnificent animals have been killed in Africa for trophies, to make coats from their beautiful skins and because some farmers view them as pests. It takes EIGHT leopard skins to make one coat! Fashion has played a big role in pushing leopards to the brink of extinction. Sadly, in the 1960s, their beauty fueled the slaughter of 50,000 of these exquisite creatures for their skins to be made into coats and hats – every year. Even today, thousands are being killed for their skins annually. It’s only a matter of time before they disappear forever – unless we do something. It’s OUTRAGEOUS! Leopards slaughtered by the thousands for their skins! In the name of FASHION! There is a booming illegal trade in leopard skins too, but because we know so little about leopard numbers, it’s difficult to pinpoint from where these animals are being poached. Please, will you help us raise the $8,000 (£5,812) needed to learn this critical information and give leopards the protection they so desperately need? Leopards’ massive territories and their secretive behavior make it exceptionally difficult to determine how many are left. There is a dreadful suspicion that a conservation disaster is looming. Researchers say that their populations are declining faster than they can understand – and at a rate that surely cannot continue for long. The Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe may just be one of the leopards’ last strongholds in Africa. But we need to find out how bad the situation is and establish the threats they face to protect them. Please, help us raise the funds needed to humanely collar and track leopards in Hwange to secure a future for these mysterious, imperiled big cats before it’s too late. Leopards have lost almost 70% of their habitat – and the rest is shrinking fast! This leopard was saved just in time from a snare thanks to a tracking collar Leopards are solitary animals who each need territories of up to 270 square miles (700 square kilometers). But with human settlements growing and encroaching on wild areas, these creatures are being put into fierce competition with each other for space or killed when they enter farms or communities in search of food. Sometimes, these cats are shot by farmers who view them as pests. Those who don’t die immediately are left to suffer and slowly succumb to bullet wounds or starvation. We must do everything we can to protect these magnificent creatures! At almost 6,000 square miles (15,000 square kilometers), the Hwange National Park could be a haven and support a large breeding population of leopard. But we must first learn more about their behavior, movements and the threats they face here. Please donate today and help us secure a future for these cats.
African Elephants Evolving Towards Tusklessness, New Study Finds
A recent study on African elephant genetics has found that the species is evolving towards tusklessness in areas where ivory poaching has been rampant. This is according to research published this month in Science and based on findings observed in the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique. What was observed was that a genetic mutation that caused elephants to be born without tusks has now become much more common in groups that were once relentlessly massacred for their tusks. Slaughtering elephants for ivory skyrocketed in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s when global demand for the material reach an all-time high. It was during this period that the elephant population in Africa was reduced by half – a major contributing factor being the Mozambican civil war between 1977 and 1992. Armed forces all but decimated the country’s elephant population, using ivory as currency to fund the conflict. Only 10% of the animals survived. Naturally, elephants without tusks were ignored by poachers. As a result, the once-rare mutation is now being seen in growing numbers of female elephants at Gorongosa during periods of heavy poaching, elephants without ivory are more likely to pass on the gene. “One of the conspicuous features is that a lot of the female elephants don’t have tusks and we were getting intrigued by this phenomenon,” said Robert Pringle of Princeton University’s department of ecology and evolutionary biology, which led the study. “We realised that although there had been a fair amount written with people observing the fact that elephants were sometimes tuskless, especially in places where there had been a lot of poaching, nobody really understood why. And nor had anybody really quantified or documented the phenomenon and been able to really attribute it to a cause, as opposed to just speculating about the origins.” The research shows that tooth-building genes are most likely involved in the syndrome, which also presents in humans and is lethal to males in both species. But, while the mutation might protect some elephants from poaching, could it have implications for the species, in light of the fact that males with the syndrome do not develop properly in utero? “About half of male elephant calves with a tuskless mother will have this genetic abnormality, which means elephant herds where there has been a lot of poaching can end up severely depleted of males,” said Pringle “But this problem is reversible over time.” “There’s such a blizzard of depressing news about biodiversity and humans in the environment and I think it’s important to emphasise that there are some bright spots in that picture,” he added. Elephant numbers have risen steadily for two decades and the population has more than tripled in size since being pushed to the brink of extinction in the 1990s. Given those statistics, Pringle says it’s expected that the prevalence of the mutation will once again decrease provided that concerted conservation efforts remain firmly in place. Adrienne West of Animal Survival International (ASI), an organization that works extensively with elephants in South Africa’s Addo Elephant National Park, said that the findings match her experience at Addo. “The area experienced extensive elephant hunting in the last century and today the number of tuskless elephants is of such concern that Park officials enlisted our aid to bring big tuskers in from other areas,” she said. “Our program commenced in 2019 and it is too early to know the results but we are optimistic, and the findings that with good conservation, tusks will return is encouraging indeed.”
IT’S WRONG! Top UK vet body supports CRUEL AND POINTLESS badger slaughter!
We have told you before about the horrific cruelty involved in the slaughter of more than 160,000 badgers in England in a futile bid to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle. In the face of overwhelming scientific evidence that badger culling has not and never will have any significant impact on the transmission of the disease to cattle, the UK government said it would phase out the killing. Instead, it broke that promise and announced that up to 76,000 more badgers will be slaughtered this year alone! We really need your help to STOP THIS KILLING! The cull, which has already killed over ONE-THIRD of England’s badger population and cost $96 million (£70 million) does no good and is inherently cruel, yet the British government and British Veterinary Association (BVA) continue to support it! A PROTECTED SPECIES is being trapped, maimed and killed en masse – with the blessing of the UK’s vets, the very people trusted to care for animals! The BVA represents 18,000 of the UK’s 28,900 veterinarians, each of whom takes an oath, which includes the statement: “…above all, my constant endeavour will be to ensure the health and welfare of animals committed to my care.” How can this cruelty be in the interest of these animals’ health and welfare? The simple answer is that it cannot. These creatures are being betrayed by the people whose duty it is to protect them! Badgers have the highest protection status of any animal in the UK. It is ILLEGAL to willfully kill, injure or remove a badger (or even attempt to do so!) in England. These animals and their homes have been protected by law since 1973, yet the same government that gave them this protection now flouts its wildlife laws and for no other reason than what many people say is to pander to the ill-informed views of a powerful lobbying group of commercial farmers! The scientific evidence is clear! Badgers are not to blame! Defra, the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, claims that its bTB policy of killing badgers is science-led but independent scientific experts agree that culling badgers is ineffective. The government continues to ignore this evidence and is continuing with an impractical and ineffective policy – signing death sentences for an additional 76,000 badgers in 2021 alone. Even though cows are twice as likely to contract bTB from other cattle than from badgers, these shy creatures who are an icon of the English countryside continue to be blamed and executed. Please donate today so that our work to save these creatures from senseless and painful extermination can continue.
50% of the Badger Population in the UK to be Wiped Out by 2026 Makes for a Somber National Badger Day
October 6th is National Badger Day in the United Kingdom (UK). Usually, this would be a day to celebrate one of Britain’s most iconic animals, but this year, any celebration is marred by the recent announcement that the controversial badger culls are set to expand to seven additional counties. Up to 75,000 badgers could be killed this year, bringing the cull’s total death toll to roughly 200,000 – almost half the UK’s badger population. Culling badgers has been the nationwide policy for controlling bovine tuberculosis (bTB) since 2011, in an attempt to manage the spread of the disease in the interest of commercial beef and dairy industries. This is despite bTB vaccinations being readily available, and data consistently showing that culling badgers makes no meaningful contribution to the control of the disease. In May of this year, the UK government confirmed that no new cull licenses would be issued after 2022. But the four-year licenses will allow thousands more badgers to be killed before they expire in 2026. By this time, close to 60% of the UK’s entire badger population will have been wiped out courtesy of £700-million in taxpayer money. Wildlife conservation organizations warn that the cull will not achieve its objective and could have severe impacts on ecosystems. “It is desperately frustrating that the UK government continues to ignore scientific data proving that the cull is ineffective,” says Adrienne West of Animal Survival International (ASI). “Instead, they continue to massacre a protected animal which is also a keystone species. The knock-on effect on natural habitats could be devastating.” Authentic scientific data indicates that the UK government’s current attempt to bring the spread of bTB under control is failing dismally. Badgers are the UK’s last remaining large predator and despite being legally protected throughout the UK, they have become the scapegoat for the spread of bTB.
On the verge of death! Starved and wounded pregnant pangolin in need of critical medical care!
In a daring undercover sting operation in South Africa, a pangolin on the brink of death was rescued from traffickers. The most trafficked mammals in the world, pangolins are prized in Asian restaurants as a delicacy and their scales are used in phony Chinese ‘medicines’. Pangolins are racing towards extinction, and every single life is important for their survival. The pangolin had been badly injured by her captors and was terribly emaciated. She was rushed to a veterinary center where the team made a shocking discovery – she’s pregnant! But now, both her and her baby’s lives are at risk. We urgently need your help to provide critical medical care to this pregnant pangolin if she is to survive these crucial weeks and keep her baby. Starved and wounded by her captors, we must urgently raise $6,500 (£4,700) for costly medical treatment and around-the-clock care for this pangolin and her baby to survive! It is nothing short of miraculous that the stress of her ordeal didn’t cause her pregnancy to fail. Our partner, Umoya Khulula, informed us that the pangolin, named Lily, is in the worst condition they have ever seen. Tied up and stuffed into a backpack for at least 12 days with no food or water, she is critically underweight and her condition is very fragile. Her captors ripped off fistfuls of her protective scales, causing immense pain and leaving her delicate skin bleeding and exposed. Although Lily is now safely in the hands of a committed team of caregivers in an undisclosed and closely guarded location, she is not out of the woods yet. She needs to be carefully rehydrated on a drip, anesthetized and fed through a tube to receive critical nutrients and monitored 24-hours a day for signs of pneumonia, which is a common but deadly side effect of stress in pangolins. There are two lives at stake! Please help us rush funds to provide intensive medical treatment and around-the-clock care! This gentle creature is in desperate need of our help. We have pledged to provide support, but, we need your help to do so. Please help us raise the $6,500 (£4,700) so urgently needed. Your donation will be put to immediate use for intensive medical treatment and around-the-clock care. Each one of these animals is vital to the survival of their species, and we must do everything within our power to ensure that Lily and her baby survive and return to a protected area. If we do not save every pangolin we can, these rare and unique creatures could become extinct in our lifetime. We are working towards a long-term solution to the worldwide illegal trade in pangolins for traditional ‘medicine’ and meat. But in the meantime, rescuing individual pangolins from traffickers, rehabilitating and releasing them into protected areas with high-tech tracking equipment, is our best course of action to try to prevent their extinction. Lily’s captor has been arrested and faces a lengthy prison sentence, but it is now a race against time to save his victim and her unborn baby. Please, can we count on your support? Rescuing a pangolin from traffickers and securing arrests is a big success, but this is only the start. These criminals have no regard for the welfare of the captured pangolins, who are often close to death when they are confiscated. As a result, it becomes a race against time to assess the animal and start emergency treatment. In Lily’s case, the team must provide the emergency care she needs, but also be very careful to keep her stress levels down and her treatment as non-invasive as possible for the sake of her pregnancy. Any additional stress could cause her body to abort the baby. Lily’s medical costs are already skyrocketing, but she and her baby are worth it. Please donate to help us secure their survival. Lily has a long road to recovery ahead of her, and the team must work harder than ever before to ensure that she is healthy enough to be released and give birth in the wild. She will need to be stabilized as soon as possible so that she can begin her rehabilitation and build up her strength. Thankfully, she has dedicated caregivers who are committed to giving her the best possible care. But they cannot do it without our support. Please, help us save Lily and her baby. They have a chance of survival, but only with our help.
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 to charter a helicopter, dart the elephant from the sky and send in a team of experts to treat it as quickly as possible. It was a race against time to save the baby elephant! A nail-biting two days passed while waiting for the flight plan to be approved by all the relevant authorities, as a team of Zimbabwe National Parks Rangers kept a vigilant eye on the herd. But early yesterday morning, the team took to the sky. They quickly located the herd and darted the baby from the helicopter. The ground team of vets and rangers worked fast to clean and treat the wound, administer antibiotics and reverse the immobilizing drugs, while the expert helicopter pilot kept the mother elephant at bay for the team’s safety. Once the baby elephant (who the vets discovered is a girl!) started to wake up, the helicopter pilot herded the mother back to her baby. The team watched as they reunited with the rest of the herd and moved off together. This baby elephant is expected to make a full recovery, but something MUST be done to prevent this from happening again! The snare had cut deeply into the elephant’s leg, but treatment came just in time, and she is expected to make a full recovery. This, however, is not always the case and that is why ASI is committed to ending the use of snares. Snares are horrific devices that torture and kill animals indiscriminately; not even elephants are safe from their cruelty. Thanks to your support, ASI was able to make a generous donation to the Kariba Animal Welfare Fund Trust, which will sponsor regular snare sweeps in the area. We will do everything we can to prevent this from happening to another animal!
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 destroying our elephants, pushing them to the brink of extinction through trophy hunting, ivory poaching and habitat destruction. Greed and corruption beset elephants at every turn. Even CITES (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), the international body tasked with protecting elephants from exploitation, has blatantly justified Namibia selling its wild elephants into captivity. Read more… At Animal Survival International (ASI), we strive to protect African elephants in every way we possibly can. At Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa, ASI is providing water for more than 600 elephants as the worst drought in a hundred years takes its toll. In Zimbabwe, we financially support anti-poaching efforts to help save the last of Kariba’s famous Lake Elephants, the targets of ongoing ivory poachers. Just this week, we provided emergency funding to prevent a baby elephant from losing his leg to a deadly snare in Zimbabwe. In Namibia, we provided water for some of the last free-roaming elephants in the country, so that they would stay in safe areas and not be shot at by farmers and hunters. But the efforts we have made are being undermined by the Namibian government which has announced it intends to sell 57 wild elephants, many of which will almost certainly end up in zoos. Sometimes it seems that we are fighting a losing battle as with every elephant life we save, another is lost. More than 50 elephants die every day at the hands of ivory poachers. The situation has become so serious that if humanity doesn’t change the way it exploits elephants, they will soon be gone forever. To prevent this from happening, we need to act now. We at ASI promise that with the commitment of our supporters, we will be at the forefront of the fight to save elephants. Please don’t let today be the only day you think about these majestic creatures. Be part of the daily effort to save elephants. Become a supporter of Animal Survival International, and we promise to do whatever it takes to protect elephants across Africa.
International Body Tasked With Protecting Endangered Species Shamefully Allows Namibia to Export Wild Elephants
By Melissa Reitz The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the international body that oversees trade in endangered species, has given Namibia the go-ahead to capture and sell 57 wild elephants, of which around 35 will be exported to captive destinations. According to an investigation by US welfare organization, Animal Survival International (ASI), these elephants, including calves, are likely to be sent to zoos and safari parks in the Middle East. The Al Ain Zoo in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has confirmed that it is expecting elephants early next year but would not say from where. Previous elephant exports to the UAE have required a five-month quarantine period. This green light by the CITES Secretariat flies in the face of the Convention’s legislation to prohibit Namibia from exporting its live elephants outside their natural habitat under their, and according to conservationists is a deliberate misinterpretation by Namibia of, trade regulations. “Namibia is making a mockery of international laws with its deliberate abuse and misinterpretation of trade regulations which are meant to protect elephants,” says Adrienne West, Chief Campaigner of ASI. “What is deeply concerning to conservationists is that it is not the role of the CITES Secretariat to verify Namibia’s elephant exports, instead, it is the duty of CITES signatory countries.” The legality of Namibia’s actions will be examined by CITES Standing Committee (its executive body) at its next meeting in 2022. But by this time, the sold elephants will have already been freighted to their destination. In a convoluted statement, the CITES Secretariat attempted to justify the sale with a complex set of explanations that highlight the ineffective role CITES plays in protecting endangered species from trade exploitation. In essence, the statement alleges that Namibia is permitted to export the elephants under a questionable interpretation of elephant Appendix II listing, saying that under certain circumstances, the country may export its elephants abroad using an Appendix l listing. Appendix I-listed elephants can be exported under certain conditions, which includes being sold to zoos. CITES approves zoos and safari parks as “acceptable destinations” if they cite “education” or “captive breeding programs” as their purpose for import. This leaves plenty wiggle room for zoos to invest in elephants, which draw high ticket sales, under the guise of wildlife conservation efforts. Elephant experts, including the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Elephant Specialist Group, say keeping elephants in captivity has no conservation value to the species and is severely traumatic for individuals. Research shows conclusively that elephants in captivity suffer significant physical and psychological suffering, with high calf mortality and low reproduction rates. The capture has already begun in the northwest regions of Namibia, where the famous and extremely vulnerable population of desert-adapted elephants live. A recent two-month on-the-ground investigation, partly sponsored by ASI, found that elephant populations in the northwest regions are on the verge of collapse, and removing elephants from these areas will be devastating to the future existence of the population. “The capture of just a few individuals in the Kunene Region will have serious consequences on this isolated population of desert-adapted elephants already reeling from years of trophy hunting, drought, habitat encroachment and human persecution,” says Dr Adam Cruise, who carried out the investigation. “If elephants are removed from this area, we may as well bid farewell to Namibia’s desert elephants for good.” While it is not clear what the Secretariat’s motivation is in backing the exports, Namibia’s motivation is clear. The sale of the wild-caught elephants will amount to $4.1-million (£3-million), which Namibian officials claim will be used for wildlife conservation and benefit community conservancies. But no evidence has been provided to support how the money will be spent. “We’ve seen African states exploiting international agreements over and again to sell elephants to zoos or safari parks in the US and Asia,” says ASI’s West. “A complete overhaul of CITES outdated Treaty Terms is long overdue.” This controversial endorsement by the Secretariat of Namibia’s elephant transaction, underlines a deep dissatisfaction with CITES by those African countries seeking to protect elephants, making it clear that CITES does not act as “a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals” but rather as a treaty to keep score and support the trade in natural endangered resources to the best of its ability.
EMERGENCY RESCUE OPERATION! Baby elephant has wire snare wound tightly around his leg – cutting off blood-flow. WE CAN’T LET HIM DIE!
A baby elephant in Zimbabwe’s Kariba region urgently needs your help – and the clock is ticking! The Zimbabwe National Parks Authority has been alerted to a baby elephant with a wire snare wound tightly around the top of his leg. Now, together with the Kariba Animal Welfare Fund Trust (KAWFT), we are working as quickly as possible to help arrange the logistics, specialized equipment and personnel for an emergency rescue operation. We are in a race against time to save a baby elephant’s life! Every step he takes is tightening the device and putting him in greater danger of death. We must urgently raise $7,000 (£5,000) to charter a helicopter and buy medical supplies to dart the baby elephant and remove the snare before it’s too late! The wound is already dangerously swollen, and vets fear his time is running out! The team at KAWFT saw this baby elephant just five days ago, with no sign of a snare. That means the damage is worsening dangerously fast, and he will soon lose the use of his leg. It is critical that we relieve the swelling and return blood-flow to the leg as soon as possible. Please, donate now so that we can rush life-saving assistance to this injured animal. It will be a dangerous rescue operation, but we are committed to saving this baby elephant! This elephant herd is well known by KAWFT, and the calf’s mother is notoriously unpredictable. We anticipate that she will protect her baby fiercely from human interference. This means the expert team of Zimbabwe National Park rangers, veterinarians and a highly trained pilot must execute the rescue with military precision and with the highest level of care. The adult elephants are already on edge because the calf is struggling. But they will need to be kept at a safe distance from the rescue team and the injured calf once he has been successfully darted from the air. Again, we are in a race against time to raise $7,000 (£5,000) to charter a helicopter and purchase medication to save this baby elephant. The team on the ground is busy preparing so they can be ready to mobilize at a moment’s notice. Another team of rangers are keeping as close as possible to the calf, while the veterinarians, who are donating their time and expertise to save the life of this baby elephant, are standing by. All that remains is to secure the helicopter and to purchase the immobilization drugs and medical supplies to dart and treat the injured calf. Please, donate right away so that we can get the team in the air! This baby elephant is an example of why ASI is so committed to ending the use of snares! Snares are horrific devices that torture and kill animals indiscriminately. No animal is safe from their cruelty. This calf is the second baby from the same mother to be caught in a snare. ASI cannot stand by and let this baby elephant suffer and die because of a snare. We have promised to send emergency help, but we cannot do it without you. Snares function like a noose – tightening with pressure! The wire where the snare was anchored to a bush or tree is now catching under the calf’s foot with each step, causing it to become tighter and tighter. We cannot imagine the pain and stress this little elephant is experiencing. Please help us end this anguish and save his life.
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 animal is caught in a snare. Our partner, the National Anti-Snaring Campaign (NASC), has worked tirelessly towards a complete ban on snaring in the UK, and the government has finally responded: “The Government recognises that some people consider snares to be an inhumane and unnecessary means of trapping wild animals and will launch a call for evidence on the use of snares…” To secure a ban, we must ensure that in-depth reports and damning evidence of the cruelty of snares are submitted by the NASC and other organizations as soon as possible. Can we count on your support of our plan to sponsor the development of these reports and collate the evidence? This is extremely important and perhaps the only chance animals have to avoid being trapped and dying in agony. Please, help, us raise the $9,000 (£6,500) needed to secure evidence and develop reports on the atrocities of snaring! Sadly, the animals are up against the might of the UK government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), which has publicly stated that snares are “an effective and relatively humane form of control.” We cannot fathom how being slowly tortured for hours – or sometimes days – until finally succumbing, could ever be considered “humane”! Nor can we count on vets who belong to the authority created for the welfare of animals, the British Veterinary Association (BVA). Even the BVA’s so-called “Ethics and Welfare Group” supports snaring. These two major decision-makers in the UK, which exist for the care of animals, are advocating for the slow and agonizing torture of millions of animals. So, it is up to us! We do not accept that millions of animals will continue to suffer such horrific pain that some resort to gnawing off their own limbs in an attempt to free themselves. With your help, we have a chance to show the UK government what snares truly are: devices of torture that must be totally banned! Snares trap indiscriminately – it could be a fox, a protected species or even a beloved family pet. These so-called “humane” traps do not know the difference, and whichever animal it catches, will never die humanely. Authorities claim that ‘non-target’ animals such as badgers are able to free themselves from snares, but even adult deer are not strong enough to break free! We will sponsor independent, professional testing, which we are confident will prove that no animal is strong enough to break free from one of these torture devices without suffering life-threatening injuries. Please, donate now towards securing this critical evidence. As of 2020, it is estimated that a quarter of the UK’s native mammals are now at risk of extinction. NASC is taking on the government, and they reached out to Animal Survival International for support. We agreed and are now reaching out to you. Please donate so that we can stop this horror once and for all! There are simple and effective alternatives to the cruelty of snaring. For example, fox and rabbit-proof fencing are animal friendly, safe and more effective at protecting livestock and crops. There is no reasonable argument to support the continued use of these torture devices. This is exactly what these in-depth reports will show the government. We need your support if we are going to help protect millions of wild animals from torture and death. Please, donate now to support this very important cause. Together, we have a chance to outlaw this horrific practice and secure a victory for the animals.
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 Animal Rescue Trust) is a dedicated team that works around the clock to remove snares and rescue injured animals in the Hwange area. But now, DART faces an emergency that is preventing them from doing this vital work! The organization’s only two vehicles, vital for its operation, are out of working order and need costly repairs. Without these vehicles, the team cannot respond to emergency calls to rescue snared and injured wild animals. We must help DART continue saving animal lives. It will cost $4,800 (£3,500) to repair the vehicles and get them back on the road. Every day they are out of action means more suffering for animals trapped in snares. Please donate generously today so we can get help to the animals RIGHT NOW. The snares are primitive, yet deadly. Made with any available material such as telephone wire, steel fencing wire, nylon rope, electrical cable, and even braided tree bark – the Hwange area has become a lethal killing zone for wild animals. Even elephants and lions aren’t spared the torture and possible death caused by deadly snares. We cannot ignore the suffering Hwange’s wild animals are enduring. We need your help to save Zimbabwe’s already endangered wildlife from being caught by these deadly devices. Without DART able to do its job, hundreds of animals who become trapped by snares will die long, painful deaths. Or the few lucky enough to get away will live with horrific festering wounds that, in the end, will also kill them. Each life saved is hope for an entire species. Several years ago, DART saved a snared female cheetah on the verge of death. Thankfully, the team got to her just in time and managed to treat and release her. A short time ago, we received news from DART that this cheetah had recently given birth to a SECOND LITTER of cubs since her rescue! These babies have increased Hwange’s critically endangered cheetah population by 25%. This goes to show how vital DART’s work is. Please help us get them back in action. We have no time to lose. With snares, no animal is safe. Endangered creatures such as wild dogs, lions and elephants are at risk of being caught, tortured and killed. The animals of the national park roam free, crossing main roads, even passing through villages. Every step they take is a possible disaster waiting to happen. They need the assistance and life support that DART gives them. Please, help us today to support DART and save indiscriminately snared animals from excruciating pain, prolonged suffering and death. Donate as generously as you can – together we can get DART back on the road.
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 – were rescued. The mother’s condition is critical and if she doesn’t survive, we cannot guarantee the survival of her baby. We must urgently raise an additional $2,500 (£1,800) if they are to have a chance of survival. We’ve told you before about the crisis facing Africa’s pangolins. This shy, scaly creature is the most poached and trafficked mammal in the world. Asia’s insatiable demand for pangolin scales and meat is fast-tracking the species to extinction, which means every single pangolin life is important. Right now, seven pangolins, who were rescued from the illegal bushmeat market in Nigeria, are in desperate need of our help. Five mothers have already been killed, but with medical attention, specialized milk formula and around-the-clock care, we can give the rest a chance at survival. Please will you help us help them? If we don’t act immediately to help these unique and rare animals, pangolins could become extinct in our lifetime. ASI received news that our partner, the Rare and Endangered Species Trust (REST), had been called upon to provide urgent critical care for the five baby pangolins. Despite travel difficulties amidst COVID-19 restrictions, pangolin rescue expert, Maria Diekmann, immediately journeyed from her home in Namibia to Saint Mark’s Animal Hospital and Shelter in Lagos, Nigeria, to care for the fragile babies. Nigeria has become Africa’s epicenter for illegal wildlife and bushmeat trade. A criminal cocktail of lax governance, corruption and powerful trafficking syndicates has caused rapid growth in poaching and illegal wildlife exports over recent years. Yet, Saint Mark’s is the ONLY animal rescue center in Nigeria’s capital city of Lagos, where nearly 15 million people live. Founder, Mark Ofua, has made it his mission to save as many wild animals as he can from the many illegal markets. Our pangolin emergency fund has run dry. We must urgently raise an additional $2,500 (£1,800) to provide the emergency care these rescued pangolins need. With each passing year, the number of rescued animals being brought to Saint Mark’s is growing. Right now, the small, basic center is struggling with the influx of rescued baby pangolins saved from the bushmeat market where their mothers were killed for food. Mark says on average the center receives three to four rescued adults every month and this number goes up during breeding season when more babies are rescued. Every pangolin we can save from this horror is a victory for their species. Earlier this year, we asked you to help us set up an emergency fund for rescued pangolins in need of critical care. Your generous response allowed us to rush Saint Mark’s funding to help the five baby tree pangolins in Maria’s care. But these funds have run out, and the rescued pangolins are still months away from recovery. The road ahead is long, and these fragile creatures need 24-hour, hands-on care to ensure they are stable and can grow strong enough to be released back into a safe wild area. They must be fed a specialized milk formula every four to six hours, be taken on regular walks to help them build their strength and encourage their instinctive ability to forage for food. It’s also critical that their environment is stable, calm and the temperature regulated in these early weeks to ensure they can thrive without unnecessary stress. It will be at least three months before the strongest of the seven is ready to be released into the wild. During this time, we must help provide enough milk and medical care for them to survive. Before the baby pangolins were rescued and brought to Saint Mark’s, their only contact with humans was being snatched from the wild and then separated from their mothers who were killed and eaten. The noise of the markets and the barbaric way they are handled by poachers is mentally and physically traumatizing for the tiny pangolins. This means that not only do they need physical care, but it’s imperative they receive emotional support too. We cannot ignore how precious each baby pangolin life is to the entire species. We must do whatever we can to help every single one survive! Please help us take care of these precious creatures to make sure every baby pangolin survives long enough to be released back into the wild with a tracker to monitor its wellbeing. We have promised to provide more help, but we need your support.
Celebrating World Lion Day by Supporting the Shut Down SA’s Captive Lion Breeding Industry
Today is World Lion Day, a day to celebrate one of Africa’s most iconic species and raise awareness on lion conservation globally. And this year we have something well worth celebrating. The South African government recently announced a complete ban on its controversial and shameful captive lion breeding industry. For more than 20 years, the cruel industry which supports breeding lions for cub petting, canned lion hunting, and trade in lion bones has been growing at an unprecedented rate. Over 10,000 captive-bred lions have been living in squalor waiting to either be ‘hunted’ or slaughtered for their bones. In the meantime, only about 20,000 lions are left on the entire African continent. Conservation and lion experts have proven that breeding lions in captivity has no conservation value whatsoever because of genetic deficiencies and human habituation. The South African government has recognized this and that the squalid captive facilities are a breeding ground for zoonotic diseases, posing a major threat to people. There is still much work to do to finalize this major move in securing a better future for lions in South Africa. Many decisions need to be made and 10,000 lion lives still need to be accounted for. We are not there yet. But this is a major step forward which Animal International Survival (ASI) supports. Lions belong in the wild. “We applaud this move in the right direction for lion conservation. Although there is much work to be done in realizing this massive shut down of nearly 350 captive lion breeding facilities, it is the only way forward if we are going to secure the lives of lions in the wild,” says Adrienne West of ASI.
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 products are trafficked by sea. With 90% of all international trade in goods carried by ships, it’s become easy for illegal trade syndicates to use the shipping industry to transport illicit wildlife products undetected. While live creatures are mostly smuggled using air freighter and courier services, container ships are a popular choice for smuggling large quantities of wildlife products. Heavy loads of elephant ivory, pangolin scales and rhino horn, are easily moved in containers where there is a low likelihood of being detected. Bribes of between $130 (£93.50) and $260 (£187) per ton are frequently, and successfully, pushed on to law enforcement or customs officials. Employees are also routinely bribed into falsifying documentation, including CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) permits, which are meant to regulate legal trade and ensure it does not threaten the survival of wildlife and plant species. In recent years, Nigeria, with its well-developed transportation system, has become a key export point for illegal wildlife products to major Asian consumers, namely China and Vietnam. Earlier this year, 8.8 metric tons of elephant ivory, pangolin scales and rare animal bones were found at a Nigerian port. In 2019 alone, 15.5 tons of elephant ivory and 90 tons of pangolin scales were seized on container ships heading to Asia from Africa. “Wildlife smugglers are growing bolder as the demand for animal products grows in Asia. It’s vital that the global maritime industry clamps down on this reckless lawlessness,” says Adrienne West of Animal Survival International. “We are prepared to support initiatives that tackle and respond proactively to this rampant illegal trade in wildlife.”
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 in captivity, is part of a broader set of zoo reforms that will be passed later this year. The UK government already banned circuses from keeping elephants in January 2020. Research has repeatedly shown that keeping elephants in captivity is cruel and has no conservation value whatsoever. As highly intelligent and sentient beings with complex family structures, captivity does not provide for the needs of normal elephant behavior and reproduction. As a result, captive elephants suffer both physical and emotional trauma including hernias, arthritis, mental degradation, and high calf mortality. The average lifespan of a captive elephant is 17 years; in the wild, elephants can live for 50 years or more. “We applaud this move by the United Kingdom,” says Adrienne West of Animal Survival International. “It is long overdue, and we appeal to the rest of the world to take heed of this progressive decision and follow suit.” There are 51 elephants in 11 zoos across the UK. Once the ban is in place, existing captive elephants will be allowed to live out their natural lives, but there will be no elephants bred or captured to replace them. Photo by Irene Grace Tolentino on Unsplash
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 critical blow to the survival of the entire radiated tortoise population. With your help, ASI provided emergency funding for food, water and medical supplies for their recovery. But with drought ravaging the island, food and water for the tortoises is now dangerously scarce, and costly. Already, 68 have died! But we have a chance to save the rest. We urgently need to raise $6,500 (£4,700) to get food and water to the tortoises. In a daring operation, Turtle Survival Alliance Madagascar (TSA Madagascar) rescued the tortoises which were found in a shocking state, crammed on top of each other and covered in their own urine and feces. Some of the creatures had been brutally manhandled by their captors and sustained life-threatening injuries, including open wounds and broken shells. Radiated tortoises can survive without water for more than a month, but these were dangerously dehydrated, meaning they had been kept without food or water for a very long time. Some were too weak to even drink, and the rescue team resorted to injecting water under their skin to keep them alive. Unless we act now, radiated tortoises will be extinct in less than 20 years! Rampant poaching for the illegal pet trade, has caused the number of radiated tortoises to drop by 80% in just 30 years. Their beautiful star-patterned shells and the ‘rain dance’ they perform when sprayed with water, make them popular pets – but they don’t survive for long in captivity. Each one of these rescued radiated tortoises is vital to the survival of its species. If protected, these individuals could produce thousands of baby tortoises. But before that can become a reality, they must survive a new threat, a result of climate change: drought! In the wild, radiated tortoises eat specific types of grasses and leaves that are high in protein and nutrients. When they are in recovery, they are fed a combination of fruits and vegetables such as sweet potato, loose-leaf greens, berries and prickly pears for extra nutrition. But, in the face of a devastating drought, the TSA Madagascar team are traveling further and further afield, and paying increasingly more to secure fresh organic food so that these animals can recover. We have promised to support them and are counting on your donation today to help this critically endangered species survive.
We Celebrate World Giraffe Day by Taking a Moment to Consider the Plight of These Gentle Giants
Traditionally, the tallest mammal on Earth has not received as much attention as other wild African species such as elephants and rhinos. So, with today being World Giraffe Day, we’d like to shine the spotlight on this graceful creature which is becoming increasingly threatened. Dubbed the ‘silent extinction’, giraffe populations have quietly been declining over the past two decades. Once teeming across Africa, now fewer than 100,000 mature individuals are left on the continent – a 40% decline since 1980. Like so many other threatened African species, giraffe numbers are dwindling because of climate change, habitat loss, urban encroachment, poaching, and the effects of war and civil unrest. Considered ‘easy prey’ by poachers, these gentle giants are especially targeted for the bushmeat trade in countries where unrest and lax law enforcement prevails. Trade in giraffe ‘products’ is also rife, and in some regions, giraffe bone marrow and brains are now being consumed as a ‘cure’ for HIV/AIDS. It wasn’t until 2019 that the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) finally agreed to protect giraffes under an Appendix ll listing, to regulate international trade in giraffe parts. Before that, an average of one giraffe a day was imported into the United States (US) by trophy hunters, who enjoy the exotic prize that giraffes represent. Half of all the giraffe species and sub-species are listed as critically endangered and endangered. The most endangered of all is the Nubian giraffe found in northeast Africa, of which only 450 are left. What’s more, the entire giraffe genus has declined overall in eight out of its 21 range countries. “It’s time we take notice of this iconic African species and do whatever we can to save it from sliding into extinction,” says Adrienne West of Animal Survival International (ASI). “Until now, there has been limited conservation research on giraffes. ASI is committed to supporting giraffe conservation wherever possible.” New findings show that there could be nine species and subspecies of giraffe. This information is still under review and will hopefully soon be taken into consideration for future conservation assessments, giving each giraffe their own taxonomical status and mandate for greater conservation action.
The horror and pain that snares indiscriminately inflict on defenseless animals, EVEN ELEPHANTS, is UNIMAGINABLE!
We have told you before about the horror and pain that snares inflict on defenseless animals. Today, we must tell you about the plight of wild animals living around Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, who are indiscriminately caught and severely injured by illegal snares. Please, will you help us? Together, we can save many animals from this horrific fate. More than 3,000 of these deadly devices lie in wait to trap and torture defenseless wild animals! COVID-19 has intensified unemployment and poverty in Zimbabwe so severely that rural communities in the Hwange area have turned to snaring wild animals to feed their families. As people’s desperation has grown, so have the number of snares surrounding the unfenced National Park. Experts estimate that more than 3,000 deadly snares now surround the protected area. Simple, yet lethal, the snares are made from telephone wire, steel fencing wire, nylon rope, electrical cable, steel wire brake cables from cars and bicycles – or even braided tree bark. These devices are set along pathways that wild animals use, often on their way to find water. Tethered to a tree or bush, the loop of the snare, which is almost invisible, catches an animal by the neck or leg and pulls tighter as the animal tries to get away. The wires cut deep into the animal’s flesh as it fights to free itself, causing terrible pain and injury, and often death. No animal is safe from a snare. Even animals as large as an adult elephant can fall victim to snaring! The Animal Survival International (ASI) team traveled to Zimbabwe to meet with the Dete Animal Rescue Trust (DART) and see firsthand the challenges that these snares present. DART has been working tirelessly for more than 20 years in the Hwange area to remove snares and rescue animals injured by them. With their funding now running dangerously low, they urgently need our help to continue their vital work. This small team is winning daily victories by locating and removing snares and giving snared animals life-saving medical treatment. We joined them on a snare removal patrol through the dense bush and tough terrain, where the expertly trained team quickly located the almost invisible deathtraps. One of the snares we found was big enough to trap an adult elephant! DART urgently needs medications and darts to rescue snared animals! During their patrols, the DART team often comes across snared animals, terribly stressed and with various levels of injury. In these situations, they spring into action immediately to rescue and treat the animals. Careful not to cause additional stress, the team first darts the animal with a sedative. Once it has been successfully immobilized, the team gets to work assessing and treating the animal’s wounds. Quickly and carefully, the snare wire must be removed, and the wounds cleaned with antiseptic. Long-acting anti-inflammatory medication and antibiotics are then administered, and the sedative is reversed. From a safe distance, the team makes sure the animal is able to move away. We need to support DART so that they can continue to remove these deadly devices and save injured animals. We need to raise $7,500 (£5,500) as quickly as we can – please help us provide life-saving medication and darts. Every snare removed is a life saved! One of the biggest problems with snares is that no animal is safe from them. Endangered creatures such as wild dogs and elephants risk being caught, tortured and killed. The animals of the National Park roam free, crossing main roads and even passing through villages. Every step they take is a possible disaster waiting to happen. In 2020 alone, DART collected 387 miles (623 kilometers) of decommissioned copper-coated, high tensile steel telephone wire weighing more than 26 tons! That is approximately 207,666 potential snares removed, and thousands of animals saved from injury and death! Please, help us today to support DART and save indiscriminately snared animals from excruciating pain, prolonged suffering and death.
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 face of the horror created over two decades, one question remains: what will happen to the thousands of captive-bred, genetically impaired and diseased lions and cubs? Conservationists and welfare experts have pushed to shut down the captive lion breeding industry for years, saying it is cruel, has no conservation value, and is damaging to South Africa’s international image. The industry has been exposed for the unethical ‘canned’ or captive lion hunting, the questionable tourist cub petting industry and, more recently, the lion bone trade to Asia. Now, as processes to close the industry are unfolding, welfare activists ask: “What will become of all the lions?” The answer is not only shocking but also sobering. With so many welfare and genetic defects, more than half, if not all, of the approximately 12,000 captive-bred lions will need to be euthanized. The unregulated captive industry has led to the inbreeding of lions, resulting in physical defects, inferior genetics, and a breeding zone for pathogens that threatens other lion populations and humans. “We must not ignore the catastrophic consequences created by this horrific industry. Let’s hope South Africa and the rest of the world does not easily forget the shameful outcome of such animal exploitation,” says Adrienne West of Animal Survival International. Conservationists say rewilding captive-bred lions is no solution due to their diseases, compromised genes and human habituation. And there is simply not enough wild habitat available to accommodate so many lions. Furthermore, despite many facilities promoting themselves as wildlife sanctuaries, only a handful of true sanctuaries exist in South Africa. None have the capacity or financial ability to home hundreds of big cats. Yet the industry must be stopped. Left unchecked, the captive predator breeding industry is a self-perpetuating animal welfare disaster. During the mid-nineties, when the Cook Report first exposed the horrific cruelty of the industry and Director of Blood Lions, Ian Michler, began his intensive investigations, there were fewer than 1,000 lions held in captive facilities. “When I started investigating, there may have been about 800 predators living in captive facilities. In 2005, I submitted a report to the government at the time, estimating that there were roughly 3,500, and when we researched Blood Lions, the number was in excess of 6,000. Today it’s estimated that there are over 10,000 lions in about 300 captive breeding facilities,” says Michler. If the captive breeding of lions were left to continue, the number could explode to tens of thousands of genetically inferior lions living in captive squalor and destined for trophies or slaughtered for their bones. “Captive lion breeding does not contribute to the conservation of wild lions and… legal trade in lion body parts risks stimulating demand and illegal trade, posing major risks to wild lion populations in South Africa and among vulnerable wild lion populations in other countries where poaching is on the rise,” says Dr. Paul Funston, director at the international wild cat organization, Panthera. In addition, a recent study found that captive lion facilities create a dangerous breeding ground for zoonotic diseases, highlighting the potential health risk to thousands of tourists and staff working at the facilities. According to Blood Lions, the first plan of action needs to be an immediate ban on captive breeding through sterilization. Following that, there needs to be an audit to ascertain exact population numbers, the welfare of individual lions and the state of the facilities. The audit will also reveal true sanctuaries from commercial breeding facilities. A true sanctuary provides a permanent home for animals and does not buy, sell, breed or trade-in animals or their parts, nor do they allow any human interaction. “Strict guidelines on breeding, keeping, animal husbandry and welfare need to be imposed on such facilities and a definition of a true sanctuary must be addressed in existing legislation” Environmental and animal welfare NGOs are now eagerly awaiting the DFFE’s Policy Paper to begin the process of shutting down the captive predator breeding industry. But lion breeders and canned hunting outfitters are frantically lobbying Creecy to reconsider her decision, and many fear this an attempt to bully the minister into watering down the policy report, which would be a devasting blow to such a bold move by government. In addition, there is a concern that lion breeders may begin illegally killing their lions and pushing illicit lion bone trade before new legislation comes into effect and clamps down. “It’s a matter of urgency that the process is swift as we would hope that the industry is not allowed to flourish while details are being sorted,” says Michler. Banning the captive predator breeding industry is a significant shift in South Africa’s attitude towards utilizing its wild animals. Hopefully, we will not easily forget the shame of being forced to dispose of nearly 12,000 lions humanely.
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 poached and trafficked in the last decade. Highly sought after in Asian countries, pangolins are brutally killed for their scales which are used to make traditional Chinese ‘medicines’. But not only that, they are also considered a delicacy and eaten as a status symbol in some countries. But, with your help, we can save many of these creatures. In 2019 alone, 195,000 pangolins were poached in the wild; each one endured horrific suffering. Many were boiled alive! Smugglers get more money for live pangolins because some cooks like to boil them alive. This means the poor creatures suffer horrific physical manhandling and trauma as they’re captured in the wild and smuggled to wet markets in Asia where they are crammed into tiny cages to be sold. There are dedicated people working to rescue and rehabilitate pangolins saved from smugglers, but they often do not have the resources to respond to emergencies. We at PAL exist to prevent animal extinction, and we must ensure that when there is a chance to save a pangolin, we are ready and able to respond. We never know when a trafficked pangolin is going to be found and confiscated by law officials. It is essential that we are ready to respond to pangolin emergencies at any given time. We must be able to help rescue, transport and provide medical care immediately. Rescued pangolins need costly, emergency medical care to survive. Rescued pangolins need immediate, critical care if they are to survive the days following their rescue. Often, they are suffering from immense physical and mental trauma inflicted on them by their captors. Many have severe injuries, are critically dehydrated and too stressed to eat. Pangolins are as vulnerable as newborn babies during their rehabilitation process and must be cared for around the clock. They need to be kept at a constant temperature and rehydrated intravenously. They’re also highly susceptible to stress which makes keeping them alive in captivity difficult. But, it is critical to save them so that they have a chance of recovering and being released back to protected wild areas. All eight pangolin species are at risk of being lost forever. We need to do everything possible to save every pangolin life that we can. Sometimes pregnant females are amongst the rescued pangolins. Saving these pangolin mothers is critical if we are to ensure the existence of the next generation. If we don’t help this important species, it will only be a matter of time before pangolins become extinct.
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 South Africa; given emergency aid to critically endangered tortoises in Madagascar and supported an anti-poaching team fighting ivory poachers in Zimbabwe. But we couldn’t have done it without our supporters. We are deeply grateful to all our donors who make this work possible. Take a look at how your donations are making a difference to animals worldwide right now. United Kingdom Supporting a total ban on the use of wire snares In the United Kingdom (UK), snaring is still legal! We told you last month how this causes shocking suffering and kills up to 1.7 million animals every single year. Incredibly, it is still encouraged by the UK government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and supported by the British Veterinary Association (BVA)! Millions of innocent animals are left in such horrific pain that they resort to gnawing off their limbs to free themselves. PAL plans to continue fighting against this until it is stopped. Thanks to your donations, we are supporting the National Anti Snaring Campaign (NASC) in convincing the UK government to ban the use of snares outright. We’ll keep you updated on NASC’s progress. South Africa Court action to fight for the survival of western leopard toads In Cape Town, the beautiful and endangered western leopard toad is under severe threat, thanks to plans to build a road through one of its last remaining breeding grounds. These endangered toads are clinging to survival in just a few small areas of South Africa’s Western Cape and only an estimated 320 are left. But their habitat is under serious threat. We support the Noordhoek Environmental Action Group (NEAG) which is taking the toad’s fight to court, seeking to prevent the City of Cape Town from moving forward with the road development. NEAG’s lawyers say the toads stand a good chance of winning. We will keep you posted on the outcomes. Namibia Providing water for one of the last remaining free-roaming elephant herds We’ve secured water for one of the last free-roaming elephant herds in Namibia! Ongoing drought put these vulnerable elephants at risk, forcing them to wander from the safety of a 20,000-acre (8,000-hectare) preservation area in search of water, into places where they are shot at. But now, thanks to our supporters’ help, we’ve managed to drill and strike underground water, which tested safe for elephant consumption. We’ve also erected two water tanks to store the water which is then pumped into a waterhole made easily accessible for the elephants and their babies. Our partners in Namibia have been sending us regular reports that the elephants are visiting the waterhole, which means they are safe and now have a chance of surviving this drought. Madagascar Saving endangered radiated tortoises In Madagascar, radiated tortoises are racing towards extinction. These beautiful tortoises with unique star-patterned shells are highly sought after for the illegal pet trade. Our partner, Turtle Survival Alliance Madagascar (TSA Madagascar), called on us for help when they discovered 800 radiated tortoises being smuggled in shocking conditions and destined for the illegal pet market. These helpless creatures were on the brink of death when the TSA Madagascar team discovered them. But thanks to the help of our supporters, TSA Madagascar will be able to give them the emergency treatment they need to survive. It will take a few months of rehabilitation before these precious tortoises can be released back into the wild and breed. But we are confident that, with your donations, TSA Madagascar will be able to keep them alive until they are ready. With so few left in the wild, saving these 800 radiated tortoises will give the entire species new hope. Zimbabwe Helping an anti-poaching team protect the rare Lake Elephants Zimbabwe’s iconic lake elephants in the Sebungwe region are falling victim to a poaching epidemic. Up to 11,000 of these elephants have been brutally killed for their ivory in the last 15 years. Only 3,500 remain, living in a 580 square mile (1,500 square kilometer) area surrounded by the vast Lake Kariba and hunting areas, both offering ample opportunity for poachers to move in and out. A small anti-poaching team, the Bumi Hills Anti-Poaching Unit (BHAPU), is desperately trying to protect them, but they are running dangerously low on critical supplies and equipment. We visited the area and were shocked by how vulnerable these elephants have become. We asked our supporters to help us raise funds for essential supplies like fuel for their patrol vehicle and boat, rations, and equipment like boots and radios, so that BHAPU can keep fighting for the elephants. Thanks to your generosity, BHAPU will be able to buy critical equipment and supplies and continue its vital work to protect these majestic creatures. Once again, we are deeply grateful for your generous donations and support in raising awareness of these critical issues. You make it possible for us to make a difference, protecting wildlife and wild spaces across the globe.
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, Turtle Survival Alliance Madagascar (TSA Madagascar), over 800 of these beautiful creatures were recently rescued from smugglers. The team discovered the poor animals in a shocking condition. Ready to be shipped, these rare tortoises were destined for the international illegal pet trade, but many would have died before they even reached their destination. The tortoises were crammed into vehicles and hidden under dirty covers, with no food or water, and covered in their own urine and feces. Some of the poor creatures had been brutally manhandled by their captors and were suffering terrible injuries including open wounds and broken shells. Many people don’t know that a tortoise’s shell is a living part of their body and is sensitive to pain. When the shell is broken, it is not only excruciating but the creature’s spine and organs can easily be damaged. Even a small crack can lead to a deadly infection. Radiated tortoises can survive without water for more than a month, but these were dying of thirst. That means they must have been kept for a very long time without food or water. Many were too weak to even lift their heads to drink! To keep them alive, the team had to hydrate the tortoises by INJECTING WATER UNDER THEIR SKIN, where it is naturally stored. These creatures are in terrible trouble. Some of the poor animals are suffering from agonizing eye and mouth infections and need antibiotics and vitamin supplements, plus intensive treatment for the debilitating pain. The good news is that if we can care for them properly, they will survive and be released back into the wild. But they will need our help for many months – to provide lifesaving food, water, medicine and a safe space to recover. Each one of these tortoises is vital to their species. We must act now to save them! We at the Animal Survival International exist to help prevent species from going extinct. It is rare that we have such a clear-cut opportunity to make a difference to the survival of a species, but in this case, we can. Saving these 800 radiated tortoises will give the entire species new hope – if we can keep them alive until they are ready to breed. Half of the rescued tortoises are female and when they reach breeding age, each one will produce an average of eight babies every year for the next 80 to 90 years. That makes their survival as a species a little more achievable. Your donation today will mean the world to generations of tortoises for decades to come. Please help by making a generous donation right now. In the wild, radiated tortoises eat specific types of grasses and leaves that are high in protein and nutrients. When they are in recovery, they must be fed a combination of fruits and vegetables like sweet potato, loose-leaf greens, berries and prickly pears to give them the nutrition they need. But feeding 800 tortoises is terribly costly in Madagascar, where a drought has made fresh foods scarce and expensive. Please, if you possibly can, donate today so that these tortoises can be saved. Unless we act now, radiated tortoises will be extinct in less than 20 years! Because of rampant poaching, the number of radiated tortoises has dropped by 80% in just 30 years. These 800 tortoises are desperately important to the future of their species. We must help them! Radiated tortoises are beautiful, fascinating animals. The biggest threat to their survival is the illegal pet trade. Their beautiful star-patterned shells and the ‘rain dance’ they perform when sprayed with water, make them very popular as pets, but they do not survive for long in captivity. You can imagine how difficult it is for a small team to care for 800 tortoises with extensive injuries and medical needs, but that is not the full story Every day, other sick and injured tortoises are also brought to the center for care. In addition to food and medicines, TSA Madagascar’s conservation center needs an enclosure to house these tortoises while they are recovering. The price tag for food, supplies and the enclosure – all URGENT – is $10,000 (£7,250). We have our work cut out for us, but, we are fortunate to have you on our side. As an animal lover, we are relying on your support. Please donate generously right now to help save yet another species from extinction.
Barbarians intend on continuing to snare helpless animals. Sometimes these animals GNAW OFF THEIR LIMBS!
We have told you before about the atrocities caused by LEGAL snaring – a daily act of murder that kills up to 1.7 million animals in the United Kingdom (UK) every single year. Sadly, this fight is far from over. Every 20 seconds, another innocent animal is caught in a snare! Snares are still laid across the country, and incredibly, still encouraged by the UK government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). This government body even goes so far as to publicly state that snares are “an effective and relatively humane form of control”. We cannot fathom how being slowly tortured for hours – or sometimes days – until finally succumbing to death, could ever be considered humane. Even worse, an authority created for the welfare of animals, the British Veterinary Association (BVA)’s so-called “Ethics and Welfare Group”, also supports snaring. It is unimaginable that these two major decision-makers in the UK, who are supposedly involved in caring for animals, advocate the slow and agonizing torture of millions of animals. A cat and rabbit, just two of the many victims caught by indiscriminate snares We cannot and will not let this go unchallenged. We do not accept that millions of innocent animals will be left in such horrific pain that they resort to gnawing off their limbs in an attempt to free themselves. Snares trap indiscriminately; it could be a fox, a protected species or a beloved family pet. These so-called humane traps do not know the difference, and whichever innocent animal it catches, will definitely not die in a humane way. This barbaric cruelty is LEGAL in the UK and considered to be HUMANE! As of 2020, a quarter of the UK’s native mammals are now at risk of extinction! A snare killed this badger. There is an alternate, brave voice, in this scenario, The National Anti Snaring Campaign (NASC) in the UK is a volunteer organization that sees snares for what they truly are: devices of torture that must be totally banned! NASC is taking on the ‘authorities’ and reached out to the Animal Survival International for support; we agreed to help – now we are reaching out to you. There are simple and effective alternatives to snaring! A fox caught in a snare Clearly, snaring is cruel and inhumane, and there are more effective solutions available to keep livestock and crops safe. For example, fox and rabbit-proof fencing are animal friendly, safe and more effective at protecting livestock and crops. The simple fact is that there is no reasonable argument to support the continued use of these torture devices. We are supporting NASC in its efforts to ban snares and urge you to lend your voice to this campaign. To guarantee action, we need to make people more aware of just how bad snaring is, and for that, we need your donations so we can continue to support our anti-snaring friends in this fight to end the sale and use of snares in the UK. We need your support if we are going to help protect millions of wild animals from pointless torture and death. Please, donate now to support this very important cause. Together, we have a chance to outlaw this horrific practice and secure a victory for the animals.
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 International exists to be a voice for animals and the planet. We tackle pressing issues threatening animals. We are deeply grateful to our supporters who make our work possible. Take a look at our most recent projects and how your donations are making a difference to animals worldwide. Namibia Securing water for one of the last remaining free-roaming elephant herds A family of elephants is at risk from the ongoing drought in the northwest of Namibia. If these 20 elephants and their babies wander from their home range on a 20,000-acre (8,000-hectare) preservation area in search of water, they face being shot at. All the other land in the area is used by hunters and the elephants would be at risk of death or injury. Thanks to our supporters’ swift response to donate funds, we were able to act quickly. ASI is paying for new waterholes to be established by drilling to reach deep underground water sources. After two attempts, we struck water. We are now waiting for test results to make sure that the water is safe for the elephants to drink. If it proves to be contaminated, we have a drilling team standing by to redrill. We will not give up on these elephants. Stay tuned! United Kingdom Supporting a total ban on the use of wire snares Up to 1.7 million animals are brutally killed by snares every year in the UK. Animals endure untold anguish and pain when they are caught in snares. Usually set to catch foxes and rabbits, other wild animals are also caught, including wild cats, hedgehogs, badgers and red squirrels. In some horrific cases, animals have gnawed off their own limbs to free themselves. But despite this horror, the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the British Veterinary Association (BVA) condone and support snaring! – even though there are more humane and effective solutions available to keep livestock and crops safe from rabbits and foxes. The National Anti Snaring Campaign (NASC) in the UK is fighting to have snaring completely banned. They called on ASI to help them to secure a total ban on the sale and use of snares. Your generous donations allowed us to give NASC £2,500 ($3,500) to continue their fight to bring about an outright ban on wire snares. South Africa Court action to fight for the survival of western leopard toads A plan to build a road through one of their last remaining breeding grounds is threatening the survival of the beautiful endangered western leopard toad in Cape Town. There could be as few as 360 toads left! The Noordhoek Environmental Action Group (NEAG) called on ASI to help its legal battle to prevent Cape Town authorities from building the road. And thanks to our supporters, NEAG may just win a rare, but critical, victory for the animals. Zimbabwe Saving painted dogs in Hwange National Park In Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, some of the world’s last remaining painted dogs are facing a new threat. With COVID-19 taking its toll on already poor communities, thousands of illegal snares set to catch antelope for food, are being scattered around the park. Each snare means horrific injury and potential death to the beautiful painted dogs. With only 6,500 left in the wild and 160 living in Hwange, we cannot let this continue. Every day, rangers patrol the park on the lookout for snared painted dogs. When they find them, it’s a race to get the suffering animal to help. We partnered with the Painted Dog Conservation (PDC) and asked ASI supporters to donate towards medication essential to transport and treat the wounded animals, and to help them return to their pack in the wild. Thanks to your generosity, we were able to help PDC continue with their vital work of treating and releasing painted dogs back into the wild, as well as teaching villagers about conservation and snare removal. Once again, thank you for your generous donations and your support in raising awareness of these issues. You make it possible for us to make a difference, protecting wildlife and wild spaces across the globe.
UNACCEPTABLE! Intelligent and highly social painted dogs are being indiscriminately SNARED and dying slow, excruciatingly painful deaths!
Painted dogs are beautiful, intelligent, social beings, who play an important role in the ecosystem, but there are only 6,500 left in the wild, and they need your help today! One of the biggest challenges to their survival is being caught in illegal snares. Painted dogs travel over 30 miles (50 kilometers) a day in search of prey. This puts them at constant risk of being caught in one of the thousands of snares set by poor people to catch small antelope for food. From half a million painted dogs to 6,500 in just 50 years! Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe is one of the last wilderness areas big enough for these creatures to survive in. 160 painted dogs live in the entire area of 14,651 square kilometers (over 5,600 square miles). Thousands of snares lie in wait surrounding the National Park. Each one could mean death for the dogs. Researchers track and monitor the wild dog packs. Every day in Hwange, rangers patrol the National Park. When they find a snared painted dog, it becomes a race against time to get the suffering animal help! What is urgently needed right now are medicines to treat injured painted dogs. Medicines are essential to transport and treat wounded animals and give them a chance to return to their pack in the wild. We have partnered with Painted Dog Conservation (PDC) and agreed to ask our supporters to help get these wonderful creatures the help they need. Painted dogs caught in these nightmare devices die slow, painful deaths. Snares are horrible devices. A painted dog caught in one faces days of terrible pain and stress before dying from their injuries or starvation. The cruelty is simply dreadful and because there are so few painted dogs left, every single one killed by a snare is a serious blow to their survival as a species. Your donation today can help save these majestic creatures, so please be as generous as you possibly can. Painted dogs are fiercely loyal to each other. The pack leader is chosen by character and not size, unlike many other species, and if one becomes sick, the rest of the pack will take turns caring for the sick individual. Painted dogs are social creatures. They start their days with a greeting ceremony – each of them sniffing and licking one another, making high-pitched greeting sounds and wagging their tails. They are emotional creatures who mourn the loss of a pack member. Each one of these animals deserves the best possible treatment for a chance at life. We know our supporters will do all they can to save this iconic species from extinction, but it is not enough to rescue painted dogs from a snare, only for the poor creatures to be released and trapped again. To solve this problem for the long term, PDC is engaging volunteers from local villages and teaching them about conservation and snare removal. These villagers will scour the wilderness for snares, remove them and use the salvaged wire to make wire ornaments they sell to tourists Please, help today. We will rush lifesaving medicines as quickly as possible!
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 as two distinct species: forest elephants and savanna elephants. This is a major step forward for elephant conservation because their individual populations, smaller than when recognised as a single species, each endure shared, but also very unique threats. In addition, the IUCN has reclassified the status of each species. The forest elephant is now listed as ‘critically endangered’ and the savanna elephant as ‘endangered’. Previously all African elephants were categorised as only ‘vulnerable’. By blanketing both species into one category it has been found that the real status of forest elephants has, until now, been largely overlooked. Furthermore, forest elephants are more elusive, living in remote and often inaccessible habitats. This has exacerbated the inattention they’ve received in comparison to savanna elephants, which live in more open areas. Highlighting the different elephant species and redesignating their IUCN status will greatly change how each is studied and conserved. Ecologists can now focus on understanding their unique ecology and addressing the specific threats each elephant species face. “These decisions by the IUCN are a giant step forward for elephant conservation,” says Adrienne West of Animal Survival International. “If we are to protect elephant species, we need to understand as much as we possibly can about each so that we can find intelligent solutions to the threats they face.” Elephant numbers across Africa have plummeted over recent decades due to rampant ivory poaching and more recently habitat fragmentation and loss, which specialists are calling the ‘silent killer’. As human encroachment pushes into elephant habitat areas, human-elephant conflict intensifies, leading to more elephants being killed. Forest elephants have declined by over 80% within three generations, while savanna elephants declined by over 50% within three generations. The last complete survey, done in 2016, revealed that just over 400,000 savanna and forest elephants remained in Africa. The majority of the critically endangered forest elephants are in the Congo basin in Gabon, West Africa. Botswana has the largest population of some 130,000 savanna elephants. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which regulates the international trade in endangered species, has yet to recognize the two types of African elephants as separate species.
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 100 licenses. The licenses were auctioned for up to $43,000 (£31,087) each. A variety of other species are also allowed to be shot between April and September, including leopards. In the face of a global outcry, president Mokgweetsi Masisi reopened trophy hunting in 2019 after former Botswanan president, Ian Khama, banned it in 2014 to conserve the country’s wildlife. Masisi’s government cites that the sport provides a solution to the growing human-elephant conflict and provides income for local communities. “Human-driven habitat loss is fast becoming the ‘silent killer’, almost as big a threat as poaching is to elephants,” says Adrienne West of the Animal Survival International. “We are losing Africa’s elephants at a rapid rate, and it is outrageous that one of their most important range states would choose to put their lives up for sale.” Conservationists and ecological experts dispute hunting as an effective measure against human-wildlife conflict. “Shooting these elephants will do nothing to reduce the incidence of crop raiding in farming areas, as most of the killing would take place in trophy hunting blocks that are some distance away,” says Dr. Keith Lindsay of the Amboseli Trust for Elephants. “In fact, shooting elephants could increase tensions between farmers and elephants – they can communicate over many kilometers and when elephants are killed in one area, the alarm and disturbance would be felt some distance away.” Elephants are a keystone species, and scientists say there is no ecological reason to reduce their numbers by killing them as they play an important role in ecosystem health and diversity. Over the past decade, Africa has lost more than 30% of its elephants to ongoing ivory poaching, which is having devasting effects on populations across the continent. Figures on the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) international trade database reveal that Botswana’s trophy hunting ban of seven years saved more than 2,000 elephants and 140 leopards from being shot. Botswana holds the world’s largest population of approximately 130,000 elephants, which share transboundary migrations routes with neighboring countries, including Namibia and Zimbabwe. During the hunting ban, reports of increased numbers in Botswana suggested that migrating elephants sought refuge in the safety of the then hunt-free country.
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, and we could be in for a significant upsurge in global illicit trade. Wildlife crime experts say COVID-induced tasks have limited law enforcers’ capacity to detect and report illicit shipments. As a result, seizure and arrest data alone are not reliable indicators to measure illicit trade activity. According to the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), traffickers are stockpiling wildlife products in Africa and Asia because of disruptions caused by the pandemic. Recent reports of seizures of smaller individual parcels with an overall higher volume suggest that traffickers are dividing larger amounts into smaller parcels to evade detection. Research also shows an increase in other indicators of wildlife crime, including poaching numbers and online sales of wildlife and their parts, highlighting that seizure data alone is not a sufficient gauge for on-the-ground activity. Now the concern is that as lockdown restrictions are lifted, leading to increased flights and other travel, stored contraband will quickly be sold, feeding a pent-up demand and fuelling an explosion of animal poaching. “While we may have believed that wildlife was benefitting from pandemic lockdowns and reduced illicit trade, we cannot afford to lose our vigilance,” says Adrienne West of the Animal Survival International. “We must brace ourselves and be prepared to tackle a surge in demand and poaching. We need to be ahead of the game if we are to protect what wildlife remains.” According to the Alliance to Counter Crime Online (ACCO), the size of the booming online markets and illicit online advertisements for exotic pets, such as cheetahs, remained unchanged in 2020.
Barbarians want to keep snaring helpless animals. Sometimes these animals GNAW OFF THEIR LIMBS!
In the United Kingdom (UK), up to 1.7 million animals are brutally killed by snares every single year… Every 20 seconds, another innocent animal is caught in a snare! There can be no worse death than by a snare. Snares cause untold anguish and pain as snare wires cut deep into their flesh while the helpless animals frantically struggle to free themselves. This torture lasts hours, sometimes days, before the animals either succumb to their injuries, the elements, predation, or are executed by the snare-setter. There are horrific cases of frantic animals gnawing off their own limbs to try and free themselves. In some brutal instances, a snare tightens around the creature’s abdomen, slowly cutting them in half! This must be stopped! This barbaric cruelty is LEGAL in the UK and considered to be HUMANE! The UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) not only condones the use of snares, but states that these devices are “an effective and relatively humane form of control”. Even the British Veterinary Association (BVA)’s so-called “Ethics and Welfare Group” supports snaring, particularly when the victims are badgers – a protected species in the UK. When will the UK’s decision-makers wake up and realize that their policies are endorsing the senseless torture and killing of their dwindling wildlife numbers? As of 2020, a quarter of the UK’s native mammals are now at risk of extinction! Snares are usually set to target foxes and rabbits, but as many as 50% of snaring victims are other creatures, including those that are priorities for conservation. Snares are indiscriminate because these wire death traps cannot tell the difference between a fox, a family pet or a protected species. According to the first Red List of UK mammals, animals such as wildcats, red squirrels and hedgehogs are all under imminent threat. Snares present a serious risk to protected and vulnerable species throughout the UK. This is one of the main reasons snares are banned in many European countries, where they follow the general principle that a device which could accidentally catch and injure any animal which is protected by law, cannot be made lawful. There are simple and effective alternatives to snaring! Clearly, snaring is cruel and inhumane, and there are more effective solutions available to keep livestock and crops safe. For example, fox and rabbit-proof fencing are animal friendly, safe and more effective at protecting livestock and crops. The simple fact is that there is no reasonable argument to support the continued use of these torture devices. We must ACT NOW to have snares completely banned in the UK, and together, we have a real chance to end this horrific practice. Your donation can go a long way in helping us achieve that. Volunteer organization, the National Anti-Snaring Campaign (NASC) in the UK, has an opportunity to bring this to the UK Parliament and potentially secure a total ban on the sale and use of snares. They reached out to the Animal Survival International for support, and we agreed to help. We need your support if we are going to help protect millions of wild animals from pointless torture and death. Please, donate now to support this very important cause. Together, we have a chance to outlaw this horrific practice and secure a victory for the animals.
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. On average, five new diseases are transferred from animals to humans every year – all with pandemic potential. Some of these include the deadly Ebola virus (contracted from fruit bats), HIV (most likely from chimpanzees) and Lyme disease (from ticks) which alone affects 300,000 people every year in the United States and 65,000 in Europe. Since the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918, which affected 500 million people and killed 50 million, COVID-19 is at least the sixth global health pandemic. Animals carry microbes that can be transferred to people in close proximity. With environmental destruction, including deforestation, intensive agricultural expansion, climate change and increased trade in wildlife, boundaries between humans and wildlife are jeopardized. According to the report, the cause of COVID-19, or any other modern pandemic, is “no great mystery”, and the same human activities that drive climate change and biodiversity loss also increase the risk of pandemics through their impacts on the environment. “Biodiversity loss has directly corresponded with an increase in new zoonotic diseases (diseases capable of being transferred from animals to humans) over the past 100 years. This means that the more we destroy the natural world, the greater the number of pandemics will be in the future,” says Adrienne West of the Animal Survival International. “Pandemics will spread more rapidly, have a higher mortality rate and do more damage to the world economy than COVID-19, unless there is a determined change to the global approach in preventing such diseases. For humanity’s own sake, it is essential that we prioritize nature and leave enough space for wildlife.” Compiled by 22 leading experts from around the world, the report calls for a change to the current approach to outbreaks. This means prioritizing and investing in biodiversity protection, instead of countries scrambling to contain diseases once they’ve already emerged. It’s also pointed out that preventing future pandemics would be more than 100 times cheaper than fighting the deadly outbreaks after they appear.
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 for animals, and we will do everything within our power to fight for their future. Right now, we are hard at work to support the protection of African pangolins, the most trafficked mammal on earth. We can’t share details yet, but keep an eye on your inbox in the coming weeks to learn more. We are incredibly grateful to our supporters who help make the work we do possible. Here’s what ASI is doing now and how your donations are making a difference to animals worldwide: Taking on a City for the future of endangered toads in South Africa Another species is on the brink of extinction because authorities do not care about their survival. This time, it’s the endangered Western Leopard Toads in Cape Town’s Noordhoek valley. The City of Cape Town in South Africa plans to bulldoze a road right through one of their last breeding ponds, even though residents don’t want it. Local organizations, ToadNUTS, and the Noordhoek Environmental Action Group (NEAG) are the toad’s only hope for a future. They are taking the City to court – and the lawyers think they can win. NEAG and ToadNUTS do not have enough funds to fight the big legal teams and carry out their critical day-to-day work. They turned to ASI for aid. With your help, we’re going to do everything we can to help them. A fighting chance for Cape Town’s last Caracal cats in South Africa In the fragmented wild areas of Cape Town, South Africa, as few as 50 caracals cling to survival. Caracals – secretive and nocturnal – are famous for their golden fur and long, elegant ears. They are exquisitely beautiful… and seriously endangered. Caracals are nocturnal, and poorly lit roads crisscross the area where they live. Speeding and negligent drivers have killed 83 of these cats in the past five years. If we act now, we can save many of them from this tragedy. We want to provide a simple and effective solution. The first step is putting up warning signs on the roads, alerting drivers to their presence. The long-term goal is to build tunnels for the caracals to cross safely. The caracals need help now, and that’s why ASI is stepping in; ensuring that effective warning signs are erected in high incident areas while working on a longer-term plan. Bridges for Survival in Kenya Just 5,000 rare Angolan Black and White Colobus Monkeys remain in the entire country of Kenya. Once a stronghold for these gentle creatures, deforestation and illegal bushmeat hunting has destroyed their populations. Naturally living in the treetops, they must now risk their lives crossing dangerous roads to travel between the forest patches that remain. Many try to cross the road using the overhead powerlines, where they are often electrocuted to death. Luckily, there is a simple and effective solution. ‘Colobridges,’ ladder-like structures that provide safe passage across roads, have been tested and have shown to be effective by a local organization, Colobus Conservation. With ASI’s help, the remaining monkey populations will be provided with a network of bridges to keep them safe in their tree canopy sanctuaries. Good News! Life-giving water flows again in South Africa’s Addo Elephant National Park. The ASI team returned to Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa to install state-of-the-art solar-powered pumping equipment that our generous donors helped us purchase. The situation was dire when we arrived, with temperatures soaring and thousands of animals desperate for water. We turned on the tap and animals flocked from miles around for a share of the cool, clean water that will now run every day. Once again, thank you for your generous donations and your support in raising awareness of these issues. You make it possible for us to make a difference, supporting wildlife across the globe.
COVID Aftermath Knocks Conservation Efforts
By Louzel Lombard Conservation is the latest casualty of COVID-19, with 22 countries backtracking on anti-poaching efforts and protection of natural areas. The countries, mainly in Africa and Asia, favored developments like road construction and oil and gas extraction in areas designated for conservation, new research by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) shows. More than half of Africa’s protected areas reported they were forced to halt or reduce field patrols and anti-poaching operations while a quarter of protected areas in Asia had to reduce conservation activities, including anti-poaching efforts of rhinos and tigers in NeASI. A total collapse of international tourism caused severe revenue losses in wildlife parks and destinations, resulting in budget cuts for both human resources and wildlife protection. In government, “more funding and more economic stimulus went towards activities that undermine nature rather than that support it, globally,” the IUCN research found. “We are not moving in the right direction. The root cause is that our use and abuse of nature has reached the Earth’s limits.” “We need to stop destroying nature and end the trade in wildlife if we want to avoid the next pandemic,” said Adrienne West of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby). “Destroying habitats and cramming wild animals from all corners of the globe together in unsanitary conditions has dire consequences for human populations. Deadlier pandemics are imminent if we disregard nature.” Scientists warn of close to half a million wildlife (zoonotic) viruses with the potential to threaten human lives and have similar or worse outcomes than the current COVID pandemic. To avoid this, natural areas must not only be protected, they need to be expanded. Only 17 of the countries surveyed by the IUCN, including New Zealand and Pakistan, maintained or increased support for protected and conserved areas. Less than 15% of Earth’s land area and about 3% of the ocean is protected. These protected areas encompass some of the world’s most precious ecosystems which include forests, wilderness areas and natural habitats that support endangered species.
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, 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 UK’s Ivory Act was passed in 2018 but implementation was delayed because of lobbying from art and antique traders. Now, the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) intends to move ahead with a near-total ban on the import, export and dealing of items containing elephant ivory in the UK. In the US, the State of New York rejected a challenge by trade groups to its landmark ban on elephant ivory and rhino horn trade. This is particularly important because the State was one of the biggest destinations for ivory traffickers in the US. Before the law came into effect in 2014, the State of New York was home to the country’s largest ivory market. “These moves should have been taken decades ago,” said Adrienne West of ASI. “The world has known for 50 years that elephants will be wiped out if the ivory trade continues.” In 2016, experts estimated that Africa’s elephant population had dropped by 111,000 elephants in the span of a decade. Today, it is estimated that there are little more than 400,000 elephants across Africa. “We are glad the UK government is moving ahead, even if it is at a far too slow pace. It is also worth noting that the government announcement leaves plenty of wriggle room which could see the trade continue for a long time to come.” “The truth is that much more needs to be done. For example, China ‘banned’ the sale of any ivory within the country in 2017, yet in certain parts of China the trade openly continues.”
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 cling to survival in just a few small areas of South Africa’s Western Cape. In 2020, ToadNUTS, a small volunteer organization in the area where the toads live, conducted a census during the breeding period – they could only count 369 toads and 55 of those were dead! Roadkill is already a significant problem. A new road would be the final straw. City plans to bulldoze endangered species’ critical breeding habitat! Now, the Cape Town City Council has decided to bulldoze a road through one of the last breeding areas left for the toads in the Noordhoek valley of Cape Town. This makes their long-term survival even more doubtful. It just gets worse – there are viable alternatives to this road development! This makes destroying their habitat completely senseless. The Noordhoek Environmental Action Group (NEAG), a small volunteer group living in the Noordhoek area, challenged Cape Town’s decision to destroy the toads’ habitat, but the powers that be gave the go-ahead anyway. It’s the toads versus City Hall! Now, the only hope the Noordhoek toads have is if NEAG can successfully take court action to stop the road from being built. Lawyers say that the toads have a good chance of winning, but court documents must be filed very soon, or the case will not be heard. NEAG and ToadNUTS simply do not have enough money to fight the might of the city and continue their hands-on work, so they turned to ASI for help. No one who cares about animals, and is aware of the massive catastrophe that threatens them because of habitat destruction, could ignore a plea like that. We are not a rich organization and our budget is already stretched, but we promised to ask our supporters to join the fight to save these poor creatures, whose only sin is to be born in a place where roads are more important than the survival of a species. What a crazy world it is where bureaucrats can say a road – and not even an important road at that, and when there are alternatives – is more important than one of the last pockets of an endangered species. This is such a frustrating issue because it is so unnecessary. There is no good reason for this road to go ahead. Local people don’t want it, but big developers do. So, these toads will die, and the species may even go extinct. WE SAY NO, let’s fight this and win a rare victory for endangered creatures in the battle against the machines. It is our view that governments and local authorities get away with doing things like this because they know very few people have the ability to fight unjust decisions. One of the reasons ASI exists is to right wrongs. WHAT CAPE TOWN IS DOING IS WRONG! It will result in an endangered species becoming closer to extinction… and there’s no coming back from extinction! We really hope that you can find it in your heart to make a donation today so that we can help leopard toads live to breed another day. Please, be as generous as you can so that at least one endangered species has a chance of survival.
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 legislation is an “unprecedented attack” on the state’s wild animals and if passed, Montana will be declaring “an outright war against wildlife.” The bills, currently under consideration by legislators, will impact wolves and grizzly bears, both of which have historically struggled to maintain viable populations in the area. Two bills have already been passed by the state’s House to allow wolf snaring and to lengthen the wolf trapping season. In response to calls by farmers and hunters that there are too many wolves and numbers should be reduced to save deer, elk and moose, two more bills are being considered with an aim to reduce wolf populations. One of the bills allows any individual with a single wolf hunting or wolf trapping license to “harvest” an unlimited number of wolves and permits hunters to use artificial light for night hunting. Under this bill, all but 15 breeding pairs can be killed. The other bill allows licensed hunters to be reimbursed for the money spent on hunting or trapping wolves. The HSUS is equating this to a “bounty system”. Grizzly bears, which are protected under the Endangered Species Act, are also at risk of being impacted by the proposed bills. Under the new legislation, it will be legal to kill grizzly bears if they are considered “threatening” to people or livestock. The bill also claims that Montana’s grizzly population has recovered, and it should be removed from the endangered species list. Historically, wolf populations in Montana have been devastated by trapping and hunting. By the mid-1900s, wolves had almost completely vanished in 48 states. It wasn’t until the 1980s that wolves were able to start establishing populations again in parts of Montana. Today, a population of about 850 gray wolves remain in Montana, with the highest densities in the northwest. In 1995, wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. The project was a ground-breaking ecological success; the wolves’ presence triggered an unexpected chain reaction in the ecosystem that saw other species, including beavers and fish life, dramatically recover, baffling researchers who are still studying the effects. Now HSUS says that removing their federal protection is leaving wolves across that country vulnerable and that the proposed bills are set to unleash “a mass slaughter of wildlife”, jeopardizing ecosystems and creating huge losses in the tourism economy. “With so many threats facing wildlife, we should be strengthening laws to protect remaining wild populations, not weakening them,” says Adrienne West of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby). “These proposed hunting bills by the State of Montana, in addition to the delisting of gray wolves, is an assault on the State’s biodiversity.”
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 120 rhinos have been poached in the past 18 months. The post said that poachers were ‘killing rhinos with or without horns,’ and that ‘after corona (virus) there will be none left for tourists to see.’ Botswana’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) has denied the accusation – saying Khama’s announcement is irresponsible and will negatively impact tourism. In a statement, the DWNP claims that wildlife-related crimes are down by 70 percent since the COVID-19 period from March 2020. But on the same day as DWNP’s statement release, Bhejane Trust, a Zimbabwean rhino conservation organization, publicized the massacre of 12 more rhinos in the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana saying, ‘Urgent action is required by the Botswana authorities, and they should bring in expert advice and assistance immediately if any rhino(s) are to survive.’ Conservationists are concerned that Botswana’s rebuttal to its growing poaching crisis is encouraging rhino horn poachers to focus on the remaining rhino in the Okavango Delta area. ‘The current government already has a poor conservation record, and it seems to be following the same policy of denial it used with the elephant poaching over the last few years,’ says Ian Michler, conservationist and specialist wilderness guide. ‘Let’s be clear; the poaching syndicates have seen the weakness and have turned their attention on this country. Without a strong and effective response, Botswana runs the risk of seeing rhino disappear from its parks and reserves for the third time.’ After numbers crashed in the early nineties, Botswana engaged in a rhino relocation project in 2001 which spanned over ten years, introducing viable populations of black and white rhinos back into the Okavango Delta. In June last year, the Botswanan government began removing rhino horns and relocating rhinos away from the Delta in an attempt to reduce the risk of poaching. The official count for poached rhinos was 56 since 2018, marking it the worst onslaught since the country’s black rhino population was wiped out in 1992 and white rhinos dropped to below 30 individuals. According to Dereck Joubert, who leads the Botswana non-profit Rhinos Without Borders, the relocation of rhinos away from the Delta was essential amid the coronavirus pandemic as poachers were using the absence of safari tourists during lockdown to their advantage. Asian rhino horn traders had also begun to tout rhino horn as a cure for the virus. At that stage, nearly 50 poached rhinos had been recorded since late 2019. In August 2020, the poaching crisis was still showing no sign of let-up and the government went back on its decision to reduce the military capability of the arms carried by its wildlife rangers. With 17 poachers shot dead in six months in gunfire exchange with the army, it was decided to re-arm anti-poaching rangers with military weapons. Is this what it seems to be? An attempt by the government to minimize what is obviously a devastating onslaught on the last few remaining rhinos in Botswana; a repeat of their stance on elephants just two years ago? In 2019, the newly elected President Mokgweetsi Masisi denied that elephant poaching was at a crisis point when aerial surveys revealed that almost 400 elephants had been poached between 2017 and 2018. “The question remains: why is the Botswanan government not engaging the international community for help? Other countries are using NGOs and civil society to assist them with wildlife crime,” says Adrienne West of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby). “Botswana cannot expect to tackle an issue of this magnitude alone.” Originally published by Africa Geographic
Asia Turns to Africa’s Coastline to Satisfy Its Taste for Marine Delicacies, in a Free-for-All Unpoliced Environment of Trade
By Melissa Reitz Africa’s coastal waters have been hard hit by Asia’s surging demand for marine delicacies, putting immense pressure on delicate ocean ecosystems. A recent report by Traffic, the wildlife trade monitoring network, focusing on the trade in high-value marine products from Africa to Asia, has found that sea horses, fish maw (dried fish bladders) and sea cucumbers are being harvested and traded in massive volumes with little to no monitoring. More than 80% of African coastal states are exporting fish maw to Asia. Together with shark fins and abalone, sea cucumbers and fish maws are considered delicacies in East Asia. Highly prized and sold at top prices, these luxury seafood products are consumed as symbols of status or wealth. They are also used in traditional Asian medicines. With no effective legislation in place to monitor trade, populations are declining rapidly under this rampant and mostly illicit trade. The mass harvesting of sea cucumbers, fish maws and seahorses is threatening their long-term survival and the health of fragile ecosystems. Traffic says it has seen major discrepancies in the reported imports and exports of these marine products, indicating significant levels of unsustainable harvesting and illegal trade. With a rise in market price for dried cucumbers, fishing has increased in poorly managed fisheries across Africa. As a result, the East African coastline has seen up to a 70% decline in sea cucumber populations from Madagascar, Tanzania, Kenya and the Seychelles. According to Traffic, Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa show the highest occurrence of under-reported and illegal trade and harvesting. This stimulates smuggling networks to exploit poor legislation and move illegally harvested sea cucumbers for transit into international supply chains. “This unpoliced harvesting and trade of marine products is putting Africa’s marine ecosystems under immense pressure,” says Adrienne West of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby). “Not only that, but it is yet another avenue of illicit trade that is threatening state security across Africa and impoverishing communities.” The number of African countries involved in trade of sea cucumber products has increased from 18 countries in 2012 to 33 at the end of 2019. Yet only six of these countries have reported trade in the last 10 years.
Today Is World Wildlife Day – But for Millions of Animals Around the World, Today Is Not a Day of Celebration!
Today is World Wildlife Day. For millions of animals around the world, today is not a day of celebration. Our world’s wildlife is being wiped out. According to a 2019 UN report, one million species are threatened with extinction – some within a matter of years. As many as 30 to 50 percent of all species could be extinct by 2050. It’s worth pointing out that this information is two years old already, and the situation will undoubtedly have gotten worse since then. Although every day there is more gloomy news in the media warning of the rapid onset of extinction, the truth is that’s humanity has not yet fully realized the extent of the catastrophe that is about to take place on our planet. A catastrophe that would have devastating consequences for animals and humans. In coming years, we could say goodbye to pangolins (two species critically endangered), rhinos, (three species of black rhino are critically endangered and the northern white rhino is functionally extinct), mountain gorillas (critically endangered), vultures (eight species critically endangered) and painted dogs (critically endangered). Gone, never to return. And those are just the tip of our melting iceberg. Habitat loss is the biggest culprit, but climate change is also a major contributing factor. As is the poor enforcement of rules governing the international trade of animals. All of this is our fault and our responsibility to fix. Unwittingly, in some cases but deliberately in others, human actions have made the world a deadly place for animals. The Animal Survival International exists to fight for animals affected by these problems and to try and stem the tsunami of destruction that is affecting mammals, birds, marine life, reptiles, insects, amphibians… In fact, nearly every category you can think of is under pressure. We finance scientific research to find practical solutions to a wealth of problems – from Anatolian water frogs, who die by the thousands to be served as culinary delicacies to tracking the movement of elephants and lions across our last remaining wildernesses. We also provide medical supplies and fund treatment for injured, sick and rescued wild animals, and we work to raise public awareness of the calamity that will befall us all unless we fight to stabilize the natural world. You can help our crusade by donating today.
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 global leader in pangolin veterinary treatment and rehabilitation. The hospital is the only facility in South Africa mandated to treat and rehabilitate pangolins confiscated by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and conservation law enforcement officers. Pangolins are the most trafficked mammal on Earth, with estimates ranging between 10,000 and 100,000 poached every year. The snatched pangolins are often severely mistreated by poachers and smugglers – transported for days without food and water, taunted and manhandled. As a result, the confiscated creatures arrive at the hospital malnourished and dehydrated, frequently with other complications like pneumonia and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The ward, which will contain an oxygen generator, anaesthetic machine and hand-held dental X-ray machine, will be designed specially to suit the needs of these solitary, nocturnal creatures. The dedicated space will be offsite at an undisclosed location, to help reduce stress and improve chances of recovery. The room will also be kept at 23°C which is the average temperature in their burrows in the wild. Since its establishment in 2017, over 130 pangolin patients have already been treated at the JWVH facility. Together with the African Pangolin Working Group (AWPG), the facility also oversees the release and post-release monitoring of all pangolins discharged from the hospital. Before being released, each animal is fitted with satellite and VHF (very high frequency) telemetry devices so they can be tracked and monitored. Pangolins are highly sought after in Asia for their scales which are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. They are also eaten as a delicacy. “We applaud this level of corporate investment in the race to save Africa’s pangolins from being wiped out by illegal wildlife trafficking,” says Adrienne West, of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby). “This is a global crisis that calls for effort from all sectors.”
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 with regulating wildlife trade and has ruled that elephants must not be exported beyond their natural and historical range states. Namibia is ignoring this, saying that overpopulation and growing human-elephant conflict is the reason for the sale. However, observers say Namibia’s elephant counting method seems flawed and there are far fewer elephants than the ministry says. Namibian authorities won’t say who has bought the elephants or where they are going, despite the tender closing more than two weeks ago. But John Grobler, long-standing environmental investigative journalist in Namibia, said: “The obvious market for these elephants is China, who will buy them for zoos. Or hunters. No game farms are going to buy these animals.” Up to 12 family groups are earmarked from four elephant range areas, including the Omatjette area, Kamanjab farming district, Grootfontein-Kavango area and the Grootfontein-Tsumkwe area. Leading wildlife trade and elephant experts from around the world are contesting the sale with an open letter addressed to the Namibian authorities, including the president. Their main concern is that the free-roaming elephants will end up in captivity where they will endure long-term suffering both emotionally and physically. Namibia has no listed CITES scientific authority to approve the mandatory non-detriment findings for the elephants. Furthermore, extensive research by elephant scientists has repeatedly shown that elephants are sentient beings with complex social lives. When they are removed from their herds, and particularly if they are transferred to captive environments, they suffer extreme stress which affects both their emotional and physical wellbeing. This is not the first time Namibia has sidestepped CITES legislation to sell wild elephants. In 2012 the country exported 18 wild-caught elephants to Mexico, but registered nine individuals. Despite Namibia’s elephants being listed as Appendix ll, which specifies that no live animals may be exported beyond their natural range, the elephants were exported to Mexico under an Appendix l listing. Namibian government authorities say the elephants are affecting human settlements and farms and something needs to be done. Both local and international organizations are offering solutions and funding to mitigate human-elephant conflict, but say the government has ignored the suggested assistance. “In 2019 CITES conclusively banned the export of elephants beyond their range states. It is very clear that under a veil of secrecy Namibia is trying to sell elephants to unknown buyers in unknown destinations. “This can be described as a flagrant attempt to circumnavigate the rules,” says Adrienne West, spokesperson for the Animal Survival International. Originally published in Business Day
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 to be a voice for animals and to do everything within its power to ensure animals survive internationally. We are incredibly grateful to our passionate supporters who make the work we do possible. In case you missed it, here’s what ASI is doing right now and how your donations are making a difference to animals across the globe: Life-Giving Water in the Midst of the Worst Drought in 100 Years In South Africa’s Addo Elephant National Park, hundreds of elephants and countless other animals risk dying of thirst because of the worst drought in 100 years. Water holes are drying up and thousands of animals are suffering – not only from thirst but also injury as they fight one another over the last few drops. Our team watched in horror as zebras kicked and bit each other, desperate for their share. Smaller animals like warthogs stood no chance of getting near the rapidly-drying waterholes. To help this dire situation, we have pledged to fund the installation of state-of-the-art solar-powered water pumps to draw more water from the available boreholes. Thanks to your generous donations, we have raised enough to save one waterhole with new equipment and are nearing our goal of saving a second one. Now we are counting the days until the pumps can be installed. Ending the Cruel Trade of Live Frogs from Turkey Millions of frogs are tortured, maimed and killed so they can be served up as a ‘delicacy’ in restaurants. Every day, thousands of Anatolian water frogs are cruelly harvested in Turkey before being sent across Europe. Hunted with hooks and squashed into bags by the hundreds, these helpless frogs are transported alive. Many die along the way. Those who don’t are often served up alive! Not only is this an example of shocking cruelty, but if we don’t act now, Turkey’s Anatolian frogs will be gone forever, and environmental disaster could ensue. We have pledged to help stop this carnage through the only available avenue – presenting compelling evidence to the authorities. By supporting scientists at Ege University in Turkey in conducting vital research, we will be able to demonstrate the true enormity of the plight of the frogs to the Turkish government and hopefully end this trade forever. A Second Chance for Persecuted and Poisoned Birds of Prey Birds of prey are severely threatened across Africa. Habitat loss, poisoning, local superstitions and climate change are pushing hundreds of raptor species to extinction. The Owl Orphanage in St. Helena Bay, South Africa has made it their mission to rescue and rehabilitate as many poisoned and injured birds as possible. The Owl Orphanage is inundated with birds in desperate need of help. Sometimes they rescue five a day, but they simply do not have enough space to home them all while they recover. Your generous donations helped expand their aviary, meaning that more birds of prey will now get a second chance. Celebrating World Pangolin Day – but for How Much Longer? This month we celebrated the 10th annual World Pangolin Day. On this day we were again reminded of the horrific plight of pangolins, both across Africa and the Far East. As the most trafficked mammal in the world, pangolins are hurtling towards extinction; an estimated 200,000 pangolins are killed every year! Smuggled across borders to Asia, pangolins are hacked to death to be used in traditional Chinese “medicine” or eaten as a delicacy. If we don’t put an end to the rampant slaughter of these quiet, solitary creatures, very soon we won’t be celebrating World Pangolin Day anymore because there won’t be any left. ASI is committed to spreading awareness and offering support wherever needed to help prevent such impending disasters. Thank you for standing with us in this fight. Once again, thank you for your generous donations and your support in raising awareness of these issues. You make it possible for us to make a difference, supporting wildlife across the globe.
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 200,000 are killed every year. That is more than 500 pangolins poached from the wild every day. Highly sought after in Asia, tonnes of pangolin scales are smuggled across borders to be used in traditional Chinese “medicine”. Pangolin meat is also considered a delicacy in many regions and whole animals are stuffed and sold as souvenirs to the elite. The last sound a pangolin makes on earth is all too often a squeal of pain as it sizzles in a frying pan. Asia’s growing population and a rising middle class, coupled with increased terrorism and an explosion in online trading, has pushed demand to unprecedented levels. The illicit wildlife trade is rated the fourth-largest illegal form of international trade after drugs, arms and human trafficking. Growing evidence shows that trade in wildlife and their parts is used as a major source of funding for organized crime and global terrorist syndicates. What is being done about it? The situation is so bad that in 2017, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) extended protection on all eight pangolin species banning all international trade. It made no difference. In 2019, over 10 tonnes of pangolin scales were seized in the Chinese city of Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. In 2020, China elevated its native Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) to the highest level of protection and banned consumption of the species. Additionally, the government announced that pangolin scales were officially removed from the list of approved ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine. But investigations have revealed that this ruling has not been enforced and Chinese pharmaceutical companies continue to use pangolin scales from the national stockpile. The good news, however, is that this year, six international airline companies have pledged support of pangolin conservation. Lufthansa, British Airways, Swiss International Air Lines, TAP Air Portugal, Austrian Airlines and KLM have committed to screening the ground-breaking documentary, Eye of the Pangolin, co-produced by Pangolin.Africa in support of World Pangolin Day. What is a pangolin? There are eight pangolin species in the world – four in Africa and four in Asia. Also known as scaly anteaters, pangolins are elusive, primarily nocturnal animals. When frightened, they will roll into a tight ball exposing their armor of scales to the potential predator. Apart from raising their pups, which they carry on their backs, pangolins live alone. Most of their time is spent foraging on ants and termites. Their sharp claws help them dig into termite mounds, while their long sticky tongues are used to lap up the insects. In the process of foraging, pangolins play a valuable role in the ecosystem by aerating the soil and controlling insect populations. What can you do to help save the pangolin? TWEET using the hashtag #WorldPangolinDay LIKE the World Pangolin Day Facebook page BLOG about pangolins on World Pangolin Day SHARE pangolin information on your social media networks SUPPORT organizations which are working to protect pangolins REQUEST full enforcement of laws and penalties for smuggling pangolins (and other wildlife) NOTIFY the authorities if you see pangolins for sale at markets or on restaurant menus, or if you know of anyone capturing or possessing pangolins. DONATE to pangolin conservation efforts. WHAT THE WORLD SHOULD BE DOING To save pangolins, it’s vital that governments around the world clamp down on their capture and trade. A disgraceful lack of law enforcement in African and Asian countries where pangolins live, coupled with blatant bribery and corruption by border and customs officials is hindering positive work to save this species from annihilation. In addition, CITES shamelessly turns a blind eye to corruption and law evasion. We cannot allow this. We need to make our voices heard by our representatives, demanding they do better.
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 specifically on bears, tigers, snakes and turtles. Researchers gave the study participants written scenarios describing the consumption of animal products such as bear bile and tiger bone, before recording and analyzing their responses. The results showed that when trade bans are placed on these products, consumers considered it to be significantly less socially acceptable to buy them. Furthermore, they expected more severe legal punishment if they purchased them. On the other hand, the study found that when Chinese consumers know that wildlife products come from breeding farms, the stigma attached to their consumption is vastly diminished, there is less fear of legal consequences, social acceptability is raised, and overall demand is stimulated. Researchers specifically noted that “farming tigers for medicinal use was associated with increased acceptability of tiger bone”, deducing that Chinese consumers are more comfortable buying wildlife products when they are told that they come from breeding farms rather than from the wild. These outcomes highlight what scientists, conservationists and environmental lobbyists argue: legal trade and commercially breeding wild animals encourages consumption and therefore poaching and illicit trade, ultimately causing wild populations to crash. Around the world, wildlife farmers and traders insist that their activities are not profit-driven or unethical, but beneficial to conserving wild animals. They say breeding species like lions or tigers in captivity and trading them on legal markets will satisfy demand and lower prices, making poaching and trafficking unprofitable. But scientific studies has repeatedly shown that there is little to no conservation benefit to captive breeding programs of wild animals. “The legal trade in wildlife and ongoing captive breeding is in no doubt undermining the survival of wild populations worldwide,” says Adrienne West of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby). “Furthermore, legal trade provides ample opportunity for traders to hide fraudulent activity.” Today more than 200 tiger farms in China hold over 6,000 tigers – far outnumbering those in the wild – to supply an ongoing demand for Traditional Chinese Medicine. In South Africa, an estimated 12,000 lions exist in the country’s notorious lion-breeding farms, while less than 10, 000 wild lions roam the entire continent. Lion bones are legally exported from South Africa to Asia as a substitute for tiger bones.
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, ITV News, captured hunt organizers openly explaining to other hunters how the law could be broken using trail hunting as a “smokescreen”. While police investigations take place, some of the UK’s biggest landowners, including the National Trust, Forestry England, the Lake District national park, United Utilities, the Malvern Hills Trust and Natural Resources Wales, are prohibiting trail hunting on their land. Although still legal in Northern Ireland, fox hunting was banned by the Hunting Act 2004 in England and Wales, and the Protection of Wild Mammals Act 2002 in Scotland. But ongoing evidence, including from eyewitnesses, suggests exemptions in this law – which allows trail hunting and the use of dogs to flush out mammals for birds of prey to catch – creates loopholes which hunters use to cover up chasing and killing foxes. Traditionally, horse and hound hunting involve the chasing and killing of foxes. Scientific evidence shows that hunted foxes suffer extreme physical and mental stress when chased. Hunters are known to block badger dens to prevent the foxes hiding underground, further impacting on other wildlife species. If the foxes do manage to hide in holes, terriers are sent after them, causing immense suffering as the dogs tear at their face, head and neck. The dogs are often injured in this process too. Citizens and animal welfare groups continue to put pressure on the British government to ban all hunting with the use of dogs. “This blatant disregard for the law is a disgrace and yet another reason why parliament needs to fully outlaw trail hunting,” says Adrienne West, Chief Campaigner at Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby). “We will continue to rally public support to put an end to this sport once and for all.”
Update: British Government Climbs Down on Pointless Badger Killing but British Veterinary Association Says Let the Killing Continue!
The British government’s announcement that badger culling will be ‘phased out’ at some distant point in the future is welcome news – half-hearted as the commitment might be. What the government should be doing is immediately stop badger killing. It is now well established that badger culling is as pointless as it is cruel. David Morris, a Conservative MP, put it well when he raised the point in Parliament that: “…even if we killed every badger in the UK, it would not eradicate TB“. For more than five years, scientists have been informing government that the policy of shooting badgers does not work as advertised and should be ended. Until now, the government blithely ignored the facts. In addition, between now and 2022, new licenses can be granted. And, on February 8, 2021, the government announced that it is mulling over 12 new culling applications for 2021 including extending culling into the counties of Northamptonshire, Berkshire and Worcestershire. Unbelievably, they are also considering further multiple applications for ‘supplementary culling’ where there has already been ‘intensive culling’ for four years. While the government’s position does indicate a hesitant step in the right direction, it is far from what should be happening but, mealy-mouthed and squirmy as the government’s new policy might be, it does indicate a hesitant step in the right direction. Disgraceful response from the British Veterinary Association What is absolutely extraordinary is the response of the British Veterinary Association (BVA), which claims to represent 18,000 of the UK’s 28,900 veterinarians. Responding to the announcement, BVA President, James Russell, said the BVA will continue to support badger killing. These are his exact words: “BVA has consistently advocated for an approach that uses all the tools in the toolbox to tackle this insidious disease, and we welcome progress on new tools and measures such as a viable cattle vaccine. Farmers, vets and the Government have put in enormous effort over the years to control bovine TB, but it’s essential that any next steps are evidence based before any of the proven tools are phased out.” What Russell is saying here is that badger killing is a “proven tool” (it is not) and should continue. Most people trust veterinarians to do what’s right for animals. Veterinarians in England take an oath which includes the pivotal statement: “…above all, my constant endeavour will be to ensure the health and welfare of animals committed to my care.” Killing healthy badgers is most certainly not ensuring their health and welfare. The BVA’s position is neither scientifically warranted, nor ethically correct and poses an important question: if BVA members cannot be trusted about badgers, how can we trust their advice when we take sick animals to them? There is something terribly wrong here, and in the opinion of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby), it’s time for the BVA to change its policy. Badgers hold a special place in the hearts of the English and the judgment of history will be harsh on those who support slaughtering them for no good reason. The BVA should be better than this. They should be reminded that badgers are suffering painful, meaningless deaths every single day that this killing continues. And reminded to look at their own promises to care and protect those without a voice. Those paying annual membership fees to the BVA should also be reminded of where their money is going.