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.
Namibia Confirms Its Wild Elephants Are up for Sale – Despite Massive Outcry
By Melissa Reitz With the tender for auction now closed, Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT) is finalizing buyer details for the sale of 170 wild elephants. Namibian authorities say there are too many elephants in the country. But conservationists are up in arms, saying the ministry has inflated actual elephant numbers. MEFT says the country’s elephant population has tripled from about 7,500 in 1995 to roughly 24,000 today. They say the large population is damaging ecosystems, heightening human elephant conflict, and increasing the risk of poaching. For this reason, they are offering the “high value” animals to local and international buyers. Wildlife experts say the model used to ascertain elephant numbers by the government is flawed as it does not include mortalities. According to conservationists, with a 3.3% increase per annum on 1995’s base count, there cannot be more than 16,000 elephants in Namibia. They also point out that elephants are migratory and transboundary, moving between Namibia, Angola, Botswana and Zambia. The resident elephant population of Namibia is therefore estimated at about 5,500 animals. International animal welfare organization, IFAW, says the government’s plan to sell elephants will not address human-wildlife conflict and is contrary to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), of which Namibia is a member. Elephant experts have proposed initiatives to mitigate human-elephant conflict, including installing elephant water points away from human settlements and setting up electrified fencing. But the Namibian government claims they never received these proposals. According to the tender requirements, buyers will need to meet certain criteria including quarantine facilities, game-proof fencing and adherence to veterinary regulations. Foreign buyers must prove they have permission to import the elephants. According to CITES regulations, Appendix ll elephants (which include elephants in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa) may only be exported to countries where they will “not to be used for primarily commercial purposes” and only to “in situ conservation programmes or secure areas in the wild, within the species’ natural and historical range in Africa, except in exceptional circumstances”. But with the recent sales of wild-caught elephant calves from Zimbabwe to zoos in China, in which CITES regulations were flouted, animal welfare groups are concerned this may also be the fate of Namibia’s elephants. “Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby) has no doubt that if we are not vigilant, these elephants could end up in zoos abroad. We investigated the Chinese elephant purchases from Zimbabwe closely for several years and, despite our irrefutable evidence of forged permits and pictures of elephant calves in quarantine, authorities turned a blind eye. We are deeply concerned that if Namibia sends its elephants abroad these animals will end up in zoos facing lifelong emotional and physical trauma,” says Adrienne West, chief campaigner at Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby).
COVID-19 Border Restrictions Do Nothing to Curb Illegal Wildlife Trade in Central Africa
By Melissa Reitz When COVID-19 broke out in Africa, it was hoped that travel restrictions and border closures would go some way to limiting the illegal wildlife trade from Central Africa to Asian countries. It did not happen. A recent spike in poaching and arrests confirms the demand for wildlife animal parts from Central African countries such as Uganda and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC) is showing no signs of diminishing. Illegal trade in traditional wildlife products, such as pangolin scales and tortoises as well as new ones, such as elephant penises, has continued throughout the pandemic. High value rhino horn and ivory are airlifted as cargo, while other products such as fish, python skins and hippopotamus teeth are shipped out of Uganda through ports on Lake Victoria. These animal parts are then transported through Kenya and on to destinations in Asia COVID-19 lockdown measures mean reduced staff at ports and borders, making these transit points porous and more susceptible to illicit trade. With Uganda’s cargo services still open, the country can continue acting as both supplier and an important transit hub for illegal wildlife trade from Central Africa. This is in spite of international passenger travel being banned until October 2021. According to wildlife trafficking experts, paying attention to countries such as Uganda that act as midpoints in the supply chain of international illegal wildlife trade is critical to stopping global wildlife trafficking. Scientists and health experts say that it is unregulated movement of wild animal parts that give rise to zoonotic diseases like COVID-19. It’s believed that coronavirus may have first emerged at a ‘wet market’ in the city of Wuhan in China. Wet markets sell a variety of animals, both domestic and wild, for food consumption. Researchers say coronavirus is likely to have originated from a bat and then been passed onto other animals such as the pangolin. With the outbreak of the pandemic, many of China’s wet markets were shut down and the trade and consumption of wild animals for food banned. But the commercial sale of wild animals for pets, traditional medicines, or ornamental uses is still legal. The World Health Organization (WHO) stresses the importance of enforcing bans on the sale of wildlife for food which the environmental and policy community have echoed. “It’s imperative that international communities work together to support a movement toward a total ban in illegal international wildlife trade in all its forms, including consumption, medicine and pets. This is the only way we can disrupt this prolific and ongoing slaughter of Africa’s wildlife,” says Adrienne West, chief campaigner at Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby).
Badgers are still being SENSELESSLY MURDERED by the thousands for absolutely NO PURPOSE!
We have told you before about the cruelty involved in the pointless slaughter of hundreds of thousands of badgers in England, in a vain bid to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle. The first thing to know about this cull is that it does not work. Between 2013 and 2020, up to 160,000 badgers were brutally killed at the exorbitant cost of £70-million ($96-million) in a completely unnecessary exercise that does NO good for man or beast. Now, the British government has announced that it will ‘phase out’ badger culling and grant no new licenses from 2022 except under ‘exceptional circumstances. Frankly, we at ASI are sceptical because after pledging to phase out badger culling in 2020, the UK government announced 11 new cull zones. This latest statement also dodges the facts that ‘intensive’ culling will continue in 43 locations and that existing licence conditions provide scope for five more years of ‘supplementary culling’. Plus, between now and 2022, new licenses can be granted. This is truly unacceptable and, one of the most astonishing things about the whole sordid mess of pointless cruelty is that the British Veterinary Association (BVA), the UK’s biggest veterinary association, is fully aware that the slaughter has not worked as hoped but continues to support the badger cull. Frankly, we battle to understand why. We wrote asking the BVA to clarify its position. In response, we received a 72-page document that boiled down to saying: yes, the cull is cruel, but we support it anyway! All UK veterinarians take this oath: “…above all, my constant endeavour will be to ensure the health and welfare of animals committed to my care.” BVA executives know badger culling does not work and say that shooting them causes “welfare harm,” yet it supports the killing anyway. Why is the BVA blatantly ignoring their veterinary vows to support something so wrong? The answer is that some farmers and landowners ignore the scientific evidence that badger culling does not work and pressure MPs to continue voting for it. It’s a good example of the old saying that if you repeat a lie enough times, it takes on the ring of truth. Farmers are good customers of vets, which may go some way to explaining why the BVA supports something it knows is cruel and pointless. With your support today, we will keep fighting the badger cull and put pressure on vets to do what’s right – stop supporting the killing of badgers! The BVA acknowledges that its policies should be based on the best available science but ignores the fact that scientific evidence has irrefutably proven that the badger culls are pointless. It fails to even mention that, as far back as 2018, a report confirmed that poor hygiene at farms and farmers trading in cattle which have not been thoroughly tested for bTB, is the major cause of the spread of bTB in cattle. So, we have heard directly from the BVA that, despite its oath, contrary to knowing that culling badgers does not appear to be stopping the spread of bTB, it intends to continue doing the wrong thing! Every day that this continues means more painful deaths for badgers! Here’s how you can help put a stop to the senseless badger cull: We know many vets are appalled by badger culling. They know the evidence shows that killing every badger in England will not halt the spread of the disease. Mass vaccination of cattle is the answer, which is what the BVA and the government should be focusing on. It’s clear from the BVA’s almost contemptuous answer to our questions that the only real hope of a policy change is if BVA members either quit and join another veterinary organization that opposes the cull or puts pressure on the BVA’s executives to change the policy. You can help by talking to your vet and telling them to help change this situation. Individuals working together can change the situation – so please, speak to your vet or send them an email. Of course, it is your right to take your business elsewhere if you are not satisfied with the response. Please, donate what you can today to help ASI save these terrified creatures from pointless extermination.
Shocking News as Kruger’s Rhino Numbers Are Finally Revealed
By Melissa Reitz A sobering new report by South African National Parks (SANParks) has confirmed the shocking decline in rhino numbers in Kruger National Park, home to the highest concentration of rhino in the world. Figures have plummeted to an estimated 3,529 white rhino and 268 black rhinos. This information, which come after years of silence by the government on the exact number of rhinos living in the park, confirms a drop of 67% since 2011 for white rhinos and 35% since 2013 for black rhinos. These slashed numbers are the result of unprecedented rhino poaching over the past decade, fuelled by an insatiable demand for their horns abroad. Despite regular government reports on the number of rhinos poached, arrests and incursions, the details of existing populations have been unknown to the public until now. Annual reports have shown poaching numbers steadily dropping over the last five years, but these updates have focused solely on the decrease in actual poached rhino and incursions. With this new population update it is evident that the reduced population is a major contributing factor to lower poaching numbers. There are simply fewer rhinos to kill. According to the IUCN, the poaching rates as a percentage of remaining rhinos in the park and nationwide is of significant concern, despite poaching rates declining. Adding to this, the number of lactating rhino cows killed by poachers has a knock-on effect on population levels as this often leads to the death of dependent calves. However, anti-poaching efforts by both government and the private sector still play a major role in reducing losses for the last remaining rhino populations in South Africa. These efforts include using technology for high-level vigilance and quick reaction, improved information handling and better engagement between government, the private sector, non-profits, and donors. “These population figures heighten the reality that the rhino species is ever closer to extinction, despite efforts to fight poaching. The only way we can prevent this decline is to vigorously enforce international agreements in banning rhino horn trade,” says Adrienne West, chief campaigner of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby). Kruger National Park is South Africa’s largest national park and home to the highest concentration of rhinos in the world. PUBLICLY-AVAILABLE RESOURCES: 1. These latest stats (2019) are available on page 96 of the 2019/2020 SANParks Annual Report: download. 2. 2018 stats are available on page 101 of the 2018/2019 SANParks Annual Report: download. 3. Prior year stats are available here: white rhinos and black rhinos.
Albatrosses to the Rescue: Policing Illegal Fishing
Words: Melissa Reitz Albatrosses are proving invaluable in the fight against illegal fishing in international waters. Fitted with tiny radar-detecting trackers, these huge birds help spot fishing boats that have turned off their automatic identification system (AIS) to hide illegal fishing. In a six-month pilot project, 169 wandering and Amsterdam albatrosses fitted with GPS trackers covered more than 47 million square kilometers in the southern Indian Ocean. During this period, over 350 boats were detected in both international and national economic zones. With the ability to fly vast distances at speeds of over 50 miles (80 kilometers) per hour, albatrosses provide a cost-effective way to police illegal fishing boats in remote regions that are out of reach of monitoring machines. At the same time, they also help map potential hotspots of illegal fishing and gather crucial conservation data. Not only do albatrosses have incredible stamina – some species spend years at sea without ever touching down on land – but they can spot and detect boats, which attract them with their assortment of fish snacks, from almost 20 miles (32 kilometers) away. About one fifth of fish on the market today is a result of illegal, unreported and unregulated catches. Boats that trawl without a license, exceed quotas or underreport their catches undermine fragile ecosystems. Illicit fishing costs the global economy up to $30-billion each year. The project’s team ensure that the tracking devices don’t change the birds’ natural routes, and can be easily removed, or naturally fall off during molting over a two-year period. “Using nature to help us find sustainable solutions to biodiversity degradation is one vital way we can collectively make a difference to saving life on Earth,” says Adrienne West of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby). Feature image credited to: Alexandre Corbeau
EATEN TO EXTINCTION! Millions of frogs are being tortured, maimed and killed – for the dinner table!
As we’ve told you before, MILLIONS of frogs are being tortured, maimed and killed so they can be served up as a ‘delicacy’ in restaurants. Turkey’s Anatolian water frogs are cruelly harvested by the thousands every day before being sent to a fate of even more horrifying cruelty. The Anatolian water frog can’t survive this carnage. Scientific evidence shows they could be extinct in little more than a decade. ASI has pledged to help scientific researchers at Ege University in Turkey to conduct studies to help end this unsustainable carnage. Your donation will help. It’s only with the support of clear-thinking people like you that we can save these creatures. Frogs may not be glamorous creatures, but they have a right to share this world with us – it’s theirs as much as it is ours. The methods of capture and killing are shockingly cruel. Hunted at night by men using hooks and nets, water frogs are captured thousands at a time, squashed into bags and transported alive across Europe. Many die along the way. France, Italy and Switzerland are the biggest markets, but the trade is worldwide. Once the frogs arrive at their destination, their necks are slashed, insides removed and they are cut in two. Their legs are severed, and their torsos discarded. They are often SERVED ALIVE! A video of a chef preparing frogs legs at a restaurant in Tokyo shows the creature trying to claw its way off the plate after being dismembered. IT WAS MOVING ITS LEGS AND BLINKING AT THE CAMERA! Turkey exports 36 million frogs each year. If we don’t act now, Anatolian frogs will be gone – another species wiped from the face of the earth. We can’t let this happen. Water frogs play a vital role in natural ecosystems; saving them is not just the right thing to do, it is in mankind’s best interests to do so. Your donation will help fund scientists’ vital research absolutely necessary to show the Turkish government why this must change, and the international community must stop eating frogs. Do the frogs suffer? Of course, they do! They have a nervous system and pain receptors, so they feel pain and suffer immensely before a horrible death, for a diner’s fleeting taste experience. Your donation will help increase scientific knowledge that is vitally important when presenting information to the authorities that will help them understand just what is at stake. We must act now, and with your help we will. It’s desperately worrying that the situation has got so bad and nothing is being done to help. Please help change that. Donate what you can, large or small (every gift helps!) today.
In World-First, Germany Outlaws the Mass Culling of Male Chicks
With the approval of a new draft law, Germany is set to lead the way in the poultry industry by becoming the first in the world to ban the mass culling of male chicks. Every year, millions of male chicks are either shredded or gassed to death soon after hatching as they are not suitable for meat production, nor do they produce eggs. Animal welfare groups around the world have decried the cruelty in culling males for years. But now in a significant step forward for animal welfare, Germany has taken a stand to end mass chick killing by 2022. Although farmers have complained that there were no affordable and cruelty-free alternatives to killing male chicks, the German government says there are now methods to determine the sex of chicks before they hatch. One efficient technique, developed by a German company, uses laser technology to make a small hole in the egg to extract fluid that is tested for male or female hormones. To further reduce cruelty, from 2024, the draft law will also require poultry farmers to use methods that work at an earlier stage in the incubation process, preventing pain for the unhatched chicks. “We welcome this new legislation as another step towards a changed world-view on animal welfare and the need for all living beings to live without pain or suffering,” says Adrienne West of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby). France has also committed to ending the cruel practice in its poultry industry. It has pledged to working with Germany to outlaw the practice of chick shredding by the end of 2021. Switzerland banned shredding of live chicks last year, but still allows gassing. A 2009 EU directive allows shredding if it causes “immediate” death for chicks less than 72 hours old. To ensure that the discarded male eggs are efficiently used, Germany will allow the eggs to be processed into feed component. A Dutch food authority has confirmed that after nine days of incubation, the eggs are safe to use for feed applications.
Habitat encroachment, poisoning, local superstitions and traditional medicines threaten birds of prey!
Majestic birds of prey are dying senseless, excruciating deaths. Iconic species of birds around the globe are at risk of being wiped out. Threats including habitat loss, poisoning, local superstitions, razor wire, traditional ‘medicines’ and climate change. These iconic animals could disappear from our skies altogether. Join us today and give threatened owls, hawks, eagles, falcons, vultures and kites a fighting chance. Please, can we count on you today to help us take urgent action to change this tragic situation? Birds of prey are in terrible trouble! Numbers have dropped by 40 percent! Being trapped in wire leads to a slow death for birds of prey. The latest research (published in the journal Biological Conservation, was led by biologists at The Peregrine Fund and in collaboration with nine scientific organizations ) is the first to focus specifically on the status of raptors. An analysis of all 557 raptor species led biologists to the shocking conclusion that 18 percent of these birds are threatened with extinction and 52 percent have declining global populations, making them more threatened than all other birds. We are changing this dreadful situation and need your help. To begin, my team met with an organization called the Owl Orphanage in St. Helena Bay, South Africa, run by Jacques Nel. Jacques started the haven because of the desperate need – the drastic increase in injuries and horrific cases. According to Jacques, among the most common issues he encounters is poisoning – a result of misguided superstitions about raptors. In some local communities, owls are viewed as evil omens who bring bad luck, illness, or death to a family. These poor birds are often mercilessly killed by either ripping their heads from their bodies or stoned and kicked to death. Also, their body parts, feathers and blood are used by witch doctors for making a medicinal potion called muti, believed to protect an individual by warding off unwanted spirits. Another terrible cause of indiscriminate raptor death is rat poison, commonly used in low-income communities to help keep rodent numbers at bay – unfortunately with severe ramifications for raptors. Birds often eat the poison and by the time they begin to show symptoms of poisoning, it is generally too late. After ingestion, the effects – disorientation, inability to fly and internal haemorrhaging – will typically be apparent for three to four days. Death is slow and agonizing. It can take 14 excruciatingly painful days for a poisoned bird to die! Wire fences are deadly traps for owls and other birds. Once trapped, their lives will soon end in unbelievable pain. The Owl Orphanage houses between 10 to 15 owls throughout the year, with this number sharply rising to 30 to 40 owls from July to March. It is during this peak breeding season that Jacques can rescue up to five owls in one day! More chronic cases of critically injured and poisoned adult owls have led to a shocking increase in the number of owl chicks being rescued – without Jacques, these orphaned and injured owls would have little hope of surviving and have nowhere else to go. The Owl Orphanage is the only place in this area to look after these owls, and they are have asked us for help. All the birds who come to the haven are rehabilitated and, once ready, safely released back into the wild. We need your help to protect these birds from possible extinction. It is only with your help and vitally important donation that we can start our essential work. One of the urgent things the orphanage needs is another aviary to accommodate the increasing number of rescued birds. Please, will you join us in raising the $7,000 (£5,000) needed to help build the rehabilitation aviary? The expansion project will enable more rescues, rehabilitations and release of distressed and suffering birds. It will also improve the breeding potential of recovered birds and increase populations in this area.
Mink Farms: Denmark Shows No Remorse for Gross Animal Cruelty
Disturbing photographs and video footage shared worldwide of mink gassed and buried in mass graves in Denmark has highlighted how little we value the lives and deaths of so-called factory farm animals. Millions of mink have been mercilessly slaughtered at the Danish government’s instruction since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. This, after a handful of cases came to light of mink infected with a mutated version of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease COVID-19 in humans. It is believed the majority of remaining mink on farms that detected no infections have also been killed. Despite the harrowing footage showing rows of dead mink lying stacked on their backs on wire trays, there has been little sense of remorse by Denmark for the innocent creatures who have been killed. Whilst a similar outbreak in the Netherlands lead to the government swiftly banning mink farming in the country, and other countries including Belgium, France and Norway now following suit, Denmark appears to have no plans to outlaw the horrific practice that feeds a highly controversial industry. The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, made no mention of regret over the animals that have died, failing to grasp the severity of cruelty the country is responsible for. In her address to the nation after visiting a closed and empty mink farm near Kolding, she was far more concerned by the knock the economy would take because of a halt in the global export of mink fur. Denmark’s mink industry produces 40 percent of the world’s pelts, making Denmark the world’s largest mink skins producer. According to UN data, China is by far the largest exporter of fur. Hong Kong and Russia are among the most prolific buyers. “While we reflect on the many mink so cruelly killed during Denmark’s illegal mass cull, we should also remember all the millions of other animals who are suffering on factory fur farms around the globe and regularly killed to contain epidemics,” says Nicolette Peters of Animal Survival International. About one hundred million animals are bred and killed each year on intensive factory farms. The conditions under which animals are farmed – crowding tens of thousands of frightened souls in filthy cages – serve as amplifiers for viral pandemics. Animal protection laws fail these sentient beings dismally and, as a result, opens the potential to unleash large-scale disaster events. Factory farm animals are often blamed for zoonotic events – and are killed in an attempt to contain the outbreak. The truth is that blame for pandemics such as the coronavirus can be placed firmly on humankind. ASI has been ringing the alarm about the industrial farming of animals for decades. “Changing the way humans treat animals and stopping animal cruelty is the only significant preventive measure to curb pandemics,” concludes Peters.
Good News for Polar Bears, as Trump Fails
Heeding the warnings of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby), other environmentalists, watchdog groups, and native Alaskans alike, major oil companies steered clear of fossil fuel leases in the vulnerable Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The refuge is a breeding ground for endangered polar bears. Bears give birth in dens they create in the ice, leaving their cubs alone when they leave to seek for food. Bulldozers have no way of knowing where the dens are; countless polar bear cubs would have been crushed to death. The Trump administration made a reckless last-minute stab to encourage Big Oil to drill in the reserve by offering long-term leases. It would have annihilated the long-protected refuge home to denning polar bears, foxes, migrating birds, and Porcupine caribou herds just days before the end of the administration was a dismal fail. Thankfully, on this occasion, Big Oil did not bite. However, given President-elect Joe Biden’s vow to permanently protect the refuge, massive oil companies steered clear. Although Biden has little authority to withdraw leases once they are issued, the incoming administration has greater discretion to block permits necessary for any activity to be mounted on the tracts. “Any attempt to disrupt the breeding grounds of iconic endangered animals like polar bears is an absolute outrage, and we and all animal lovers will be delighted that the Trump administration failed in a bid that would have caused unbelievable hardship and damage to polar bears,” says Nicolette Peters of ASI.
Heartbreak as Over 500 Wildlife Shot Dead by Hunters in Portugal
The indiscriminate and senseless slaughter of over 500 wild animals in Portugal by a group of Spanish hunters has been described as a “vile and hateful act against nature”. The killing spree spanned over two days in mid-December on a 2,700-acre farm in Torrebela, roughly 40km from the Portuguese capital Lisbon. According to several reports, 16 hunters paid up to €8,000 (£7,235) each to frivolously shoot deer and wild boar living on the farm. For animals such as deer, who live in close-knit family units, hunting can devastate entire communities. As it stands, deer numbers in Portugal are already dangerously low. What makes this incident even more disturbing is that authorities have since confirmed that the animals were fenced in, with nowhere to run and with absolutely no hopes of escape. Heartbreaking images of the dead animal piled in rows on the farm were openly posted and shared on several social media platforms, sparking outrage among wildlife activists and conservationists. The incident has led to Portugal’s Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF)’s announcement to suspend the hunting permit for the Torrebela hunting zone. The Institute also said that it would submit a full report of the killing to prosecutors, hoping that those responsible for these innocent animals’ deaths will be punished for their cruel actions. This case follows the deaths of two of Spain’s protected brown bears, shot dead in separate incidents during wild boar hunts in November. One adult female bear was accidentally shot after reportedly being mistaken for a wild boar by a hunter in a conservation zone in the ASIentina mountains near Ventanilla. Another was killed by a hunter who disturbed the animal while hunting for wild boar in the Bardaji valley in the Robagorza region of the Spanish Pyrenees. The deaths have raised questions over the issuing of hunting licenses within habitats known to be home to various endangered wildlife species. Feature image credited to Twitter | @FrazaoPs
It is not too late to SAVE ANIMALS FROM EXTINCTION! But we URGENTLY need your help now!
The harsh news we bring you is that extinction for many animals is not around the corner… … it’s now. According to the United Nations, 6,523 species are critically endangered and headed for extinction as we approach 2021. That’s why we at ASI will do everything in our power to fight harder for animals in the New Year. And why we need your help before 2020 is over to make sure we have the resources to continue our vital work. In 2020, we fought for animals, with projects around the world to fight back against climate change, rapacious greed, cruelty and contemptuously poor law enforcement. Animals are being WIPED OUT all over the world! Polar bears have become the victims of climate change and the disastrous onslaught of those who only care about the oil and gas in their “Arctic Refuge”. The once teeming herds of African wildlife risk becoming petting zoo curiosities. Species after species are grabbed for the cooking pot or for phony Asian potions, in their millions. Rhinos, frogs, giraffes, gorillas, orangutans, parrots… vultures, badgers, pangolins, sharks, turtles, and more… The list just keeps getting longer… and sadder… We fight daily on multiple fronts (some of this year’s accomplishments are noted below), but the need to prevent animal extinction is DESPERATE and URGENT. But there’s SO much to do and all we do depends on the support of friends like you. A good example is that the South African government proposes new laws that rank wild animals alongside domestic animals as suitable for human consumption and plans to encourage South Africans to eat more wild animals. We and other NGO’s managed to get lions excluded from the new rules. However, other wild animals will be badly affected. The pangolin is the most trafficked animal in the world. Thousands of pangolins are captured for their scales which are scraped from their bodies while the animal is still alive, to be used in phony Asian cosmetic potions. In Asia, an estimated 200,000 pangolins are killed each year, mostly for the Chinese trade. We are working with a secretly located pangolin rehabilitation center in South Africa and Pangolin(Dot)Africa, to rescue and rehabilitate sick and injured pangolins rescued from poachers. We have also provided funding for vital satellite tracking devices to monitor pangolins released back into the wild. More than 11,000 people signed our petition asking the major veterinary association in the UK, the British Veterinary Association (BVA), to change its policy of supporting the badger cull. Anatolian water frogs are being wiped out because they are the largest edible frog in Turkey, and demand for their legs as ‘delicacies’ is strong in parts of Europe. 17-million Anatolian water frogs are captured for the dinner table each year. Very little research has been conducted to determine how much longer the species has before extinction. We are working with the Department of Biology at Ege University in Izmir to find out. We are working with the Painted Dogs Conservation (PDC) in Zimbabwe, funding its program to dart and rescue snared painted dogs. There are only 200 in the area around Hwange, where they work, and 3,000 snares laid by hungry local people. African Grey parrots are being wiped out because of the international, and now illegal, pet trade. We are financing the construction of a free-flight aviary at Birds of Eden in South Africa. Because of poisoning and habitat destruction, vultures are increasingly endangered. In 2020, we financed an aerial survey of vultures in the Kruger National Park and are hoping to raise funds for the construction of a specially designed vulture rescue vehicle to use in cases of poisoning. We are fighting for the very survival of so many animals… But we promise to do more in 2021, and your end-of year-donations will make sure we do not let the animals down – so we can work to preserve animals anywhere in the world where they need us. The doomsday clock is ticking ever closer towards extinction for countless creatures, but with your help, we will fight for the survival of every animal we can. Please help the animals which can’t help themselves by donating generously to ASI today.
Massive Victory for Polar Bears as U.S. Court of Appeals Says No to Arctic Oil Drilling
A United States federal court has rejected the Trump administration’s plans to drill in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in a massive victory for polar bears. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed the approval of a controversial oil drilling project in the Beaufort Sea situated north of Canada and Alaska by the Department of the Interior, which would see hundreds of polar bears forced to flee their dens. Dubbed “The Liberty Project”, the development by energy company Hilcorp Alaska was approved two years ago. It has since faced massive opposition from environmentalists and animal welfare activists who have fought tooth and nail to stop the artificial drilling and underwater pipeline project from rolling ahead. The drilling plans formed part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to open up public lands to logging, mining, and grazing, which President-elect Joe Biden strongly opposes. The project would have involved building a 24-acre artificial island in about 20 feet of water, with a six-mile underwater pipeline to pump the water to shore, that would risk oil spills in the sensitive Beaufort Sea and threaten polar bears and Arctic communities. The lawsuit was brought by Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, and Pacific Environment, all of whom were represented by environmental law organization Earthjustice. In the court ruling, officials stated that in line with the National Environmental Policy Act, the Trump administration had failed to consider the project’s climate impacts properly. The court ruled that by failing to analyze the effects of the project on polar bears, including noise disturbance and critical habitat damage, the Fish and Wildlife Service had violated the Endangered Species Act. “While we applaud the court for seeing through the Trump administration’s attempt to push this project through without carefully studying its risks, the fight is far from over. A cloud of uncertainty still looms over polar bears, and over 200 other animal species living in the Arctic, including caribou, reindeer, foxes, waterfowl, and walruses,” said Nicolette Peters of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby). Research has shown that the Arctic warms faster than the rest of the world. Northern Siberia and the Canadian Arctic are now warming three times faster than the rest of the globe. Arctic temperatures have increased by nearly 1C in the last ten years. We can expect the north to have warmed by 4C year-round by the middle of the century if greenhouse gas emissions stay on the same trajectory.
America Is Running Low on Monkeys to Exploit for COVID-19 Vaccine Tests
The number of monkeys is drastically declining as laboratories worldwide rely on animal cruelty, exploitation, and suffering to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus. While disturbing videos circulate on social media of monkeys being tortured in laboratories to test the COVID-19 vaccine, infectious diseases scientists in the United States claim there are “just not enough monkeys” to go around. Before drug companies call on human volunteers, monkeys are used in preclinical trials to test a vaccine’s safety and effectiveness. But with coronavirus infection rates skyrocketing across the globe, there is a shortage of monkeys to experiment on. According to the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC), the coronavirus pandemic has made acquiring rhesus macaques “extremely” challenging and there is a “serious monkey shortage”. Rhesus macaques are the most common primate species exploited in animal testing, along with cynomolgus macaques, because they share about 93% of their genes with humans. Rhesus monkeys typically represent the last step before human clinical trials. Rhesus macaques are native to Pakistan, India, NeASI, and parts of Afghanistan, China, and Southeast Asia. Most are imported from breeding centers where animal welfare standards are often deplorable. The suffering these primates endure during transportation, handling, and their ultimate incarceration in labs is harrowing. According to research organizations specializing in animal testing, the reasons for the shortage are threefold: COVID-19 has created an extraordinary demand for monkeys. This coincided with a massive drop in supply from China, which provided 60 percent of the nearly 35,000 monkeys imported to the U.S. last year and shut off exports after COVID-19 hit. The US doesn’t have its own reserve of monkeys, although a 2018 report from the National Institutes of Health recommended one be created to meet future demand. These pandemic-related events are exacerbating pre-existing monkey shortfalls. “While coronavirus affects monkeys, it does so differently to how the virus affects humans. Testing vaccines on monkeys is not only cruel but increases the chances of COVID-19 outbreaks,” said Nicolette Peters of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby). “Primates are highly intelligent creatures who form complex social relationships and experience pain, suffering, joy, and fear, just as humans can. There is no question that they can experience psychological, emotional, and physical distress due to experimental procedures. Monkeys kept in laboratories are housed in tiny and cramped cages. Their immune systems are already compromised by the unnatural conditions of the crowded laboratory, so a human infected with the virus could pass it on to one or more of them.” Feature image credited to: Reuters
Eurotunnel’s Decision to Clamp Down on Dog Travel Will See Rescue Dogs Suffer
Animal welfare organizations say a controversial decision by an extensive railway shuttle service operating between France and the United Kingdom will have a devastating impact on thousands of rescue animals. Eurotunnel recently announced changes to their pet transportation rules, one of which includes the limitation of the number of dogs that can be transported using the 31 mile (50-kilometer) shuttle service. The ruling is effective with immediate effect, and no further bookings for man’s best friend will be taken. “This decision is disastrous for international dog rescue. It is clear that animal welfare is not a priority for Eurotunnel. It’s clear that this sudden decision was made with very little thought given to the effect it will have on hundreds of thousands of our four-legged friends who desperately need these freedom rides,” said Nicolette Peters of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby). Roughly 250,000 dogs travel into the UK via the channel each year. With the UK in its second nationwide lockdown and the end of the year fast approaching, the need to transport rescue animals has risen dramatically, leaving many rescue organizations stretched beyond capacity and in urgent need of help. Eurotunnel explained on their website that the decision was made necessary due to a surge in the number of vehicles arriving at their terminal carrying large numbers of animals. The company has since clarified that registered charities and businesses will be exempt from the limit after a petition to reverse the decision gained more than 40,000 signatures. Many rescue groups, however, are extremely concerned that they may not qualify for the exemption. Registering as a charity takes time, and sadly, many of these rescue dogs do not have the luxury of time. According to Eurotunnel, transporters can enter the Eurotunnel with as many animals as they want but only if a UK charity is involved and in charge of the animals in the UK. Either way, the decision to cut the number of animals allowed to travel in each vehicle from 20 to five, drastically increasing the costs for rescue operations.
Decapitated Tiger Head and Big Cat Body Parts Found During Raid at Private Thailand Zoo
Gruesome details have emerged after the decapitated head of a tiger was found inside a private zoo in Thailand. The animal’s severed head was discovered on a black tray – with its eyes still open – along with several other dismembered tiger corpses, during a wildlife trafficking raid at the Mukda Tiger Park and Farm in Mukdahan, in Isaan province. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) confirmed that five live tiger cubs were also seized during the raid. Zoo officials claimed that the cubs were born at the facility, but DNA tests have since shown that three of them (one female and two males) were not related to any tigers in the park. This suggests the cubs had been smuggled illegally into the facility. The results of DNA tests on a further 20 tigers, including the two other cubs, will be released later this month. The zoo’s license was suspended for 90 days, and the animals have since been transported to Chulaphorn Wildlife Captive Breeding Centre in the Si Sa Ket province. The zoo owner faces up to five years in prison if found guilty of smuggling tigers and three additional years if convicted of falsifying information, reports the Bangkok Post. The raid follows a crackdown at Mukda Tiger Park and Farm in January 2018, when DNP officials confiscated countless locally protected species, including red pandas, elongated tortoises, and monkeys such as grey-shanked doucs. Since then, the zoo has been under close watch by authorities. Numerous other zoos and parks across Thailand have also been suspected of wildlife smuggling. Over 130 live tigers, more than 40 dead tiger cubs, tiger pelts, and 1,500 tiger skin amulets were among the wildlife products seized in 2016 when Thai authorities raided the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi province. “One can only imagine what these poor animals endured before they died. It’s gut-wrenching and we hope that those behind the cruel deaths of these magnificent creatures receive the full wrath of the law. Thailand has some of the world’s worst animal attractions, and it’s time for these places to be shut down,” said Nicolette Peters of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby). “Sensitive beings will continue to be trafficked, traded, and tortured as long as tickets are sold by facilities that use animals for entertainment. Please urge friends and family not to support cruel tourist traps.” Feature image credited to: EPA/The Independent
Beautiful Painted Dogs In Grave Danger!
Painted dogs are among the rarest of wild creatures – and they need your help! There are just 6,500 left in the world, down from 500,000, and their numbers are dropping every day. In the wild, their biggest threat was lions – now it’s man! Their habitat is shrinking, and they are being snared in traps intended to capture other wild animals. The situation is truly frightening! 700 painted dogs live in Zimbabwe – one of the few wilderness areas left that is big enough for them to survive. And this is where they are being wiped out by snares, set to catch other wild creatures, by hungry people. Poverty and lack of employment in Zimbabwe is the cause. The official inflation rate is 471.1 percent! The people in communities surrounding protected wildlife areas have little or no money and poach in order to put food on the table. People are so desperate that they are snaring wild animals in the national parks just to eat, and painted dogs are innocent victims of these traps. There are an estimated 3,000 snares scattered through Hwange’s 14,651 square kilometers (more than 5,600 square miles) of land, indiscriminately trapping any animal caught in one. Painted dogs are not deliberate targets but are snared accidentally. Dogs caught in these nightmare devices die horrible and slow deaths. The situation is so serious that these animals could be extinct soon if we don’t act now. 3,000 snares set and only 6,500 painted dogs left in the world! Snares are devices made from wire that form a circle that tightens when an unsuspecting animal puts its neck or leg in one. Snares are one of the cruelest ways to trap an animal, and the victims usually fight hard for days, before succumbing to terrible injuries. Most people don’t realize that the dogs are highly sociable animals, and if one dog dies from being caught in a snare, it affects the whole pack – sometimes to the extent where the family structure collapses and pups die. Painted dogs are not related to domestic dogs but share many mannerisms with them. They are highly sociable, intelligent, and even look after each other’s pups. If one dog becomes ill, the pack will take turns to care for the sick individual. Beautiful, clever painted dogs are dying in slow, agonizing pain! The Painted Dog Conservation (PDC), situated close to Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, works with between 150-200 painted dogs within the Hwange’s ecosystem. Saving them is enormously challenging. Rangers patrol vast areas looking for snared animals. When they find one that has a chance of life, the creature is darted and taken to PDC headquarters where it is treated until it can be returned to the wild. Every single month, the rangers find at least one snared painted dog. Usually, the painted dogs can be returned to the wild within two weeks, but sometimes the poor creatures are crippled and would quickly be killed by lions if they were to be released back into the wild, and so they become permanent residents at PDC. A major problem is that, because of the country’s economic challenges and COVID-19 lockdown, it has become extremely difficult to afford some essential goods (like medicines and darts) to care for injured dogs. There is no doubt that painted dogs need our help! The first thing that we need to do is supply vital medications to treat rescued painted dogs. We desperately need to raise $6,000 (£4,500) to pay for these supplies. 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 creature to be released and trapped again. To solve this problem, PDC has employed a team of people from local villages and has taught them about conservation and snare removal. The villagers scour the wilderness for snares, destroy them and use the salvaged wire to make wire ornaments they sell to tourists. It is a measure of the magnitude of the economic challenges in Zimbabwe that even this small income is incentive enough to destroy snares. Training, educating, and getting people enough to eat will equal no more snares. Painted dogs are in grave danger if we don’t act now. We can only do something about it as a community, and these beautiful creatures need your help.
Bottled Birds: Horrific Abuse of Protected Parrots Stuffed in Plastic Bottles in Indonesia
Disturbing footage of endangered parrots stuffed in plastic water bottles is proof that the smuggling of endangered birds occurs on an industrial scale with devastating consequences. Authorities discovered the birds on a ship docked in Indonesia’s Papua region. According to police within the town of Fakfak, the vessel’s crew reported hearing strange squawks and noises coming from a big box. Inside the box, officers found 64 black-capped lories – weak, dehydrated and clinging to life. Sadly, another ten birds were found deceased. The destination of the parrots seized during this operation remains unclear, and as yet, no arrests have been made. With more than 10,000 parrots captured from the wild in Indonesia each year, these lories’ downright cruel transportation is just one example of the inhumane methods animal traffickers use to gain their profits. The forest-dwelling black-capped lory is a colorful parrot native to New Guinea and nearby islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean. Their spectacular bold plumage – black crown contrasting with a blue body and green wings – has rendered them quite popular with parrot enthusiasts. Black-capped lories are a protected species in Indonesia, but this hasn’t stopped poachers from taking advantage of enforcement loopholes, lack of awareness, and limited public and private sector coordination, and moving these birds through the licit transportation system. Indonesia’s vast jungles are home to over 130 threatened bird species, more than any other country except Brazil. But there is also large-scale illegal trading of birds, which sees them sold across major cities or smuggled across the world for sale as pets and status symbols. These birds suffer at every step of the journey destined to people’s homes: from capture to handling, transport, holding, breeding, sale, and the lifetime of captivity in the home. Every year, hundreds of thousands of wild birds are torn from their natural homes in the wild and captured by poachers. Nearly 4,000 bird species, involving several million individuals, are victims of the illegal wildlife trade, with finches, weavers, parrots, and raptors being some of the most heavily affected groups. Some of these species have been pushed to the brink of extinction as a result, such as the Yellow-crested Cockatoo of East Timor and Indonesia. Others are already extinct in the wild, such as the Spix’s Macaw of Brazil. “Several investigations have found that around 40 percent of these birds die before they can reach an owner. That means that for every 1,000 parrots caught from the wild, 400 birds died in vain, during the poaching, transportation, and trade, due to poor conditions and cruel handling,” said Nicolette Peters of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby). “Those birds that do survive are forced to live the rest of their lives behind bars, confined to small cages. There is no realistic way to replicate the space and freedom these birds would have in the wild. Wildlife trafficking is one of the most prominent forms of international organized crime in the world. Beyond the environmental implications of wildlife trafficking, the illicit trade in live animals presents a potential health risk to other animals and even humans. Birds can reportedly carry over 60 diseases that are transferrable to humans. This cruel trade has to stop.” Feature image credited to: Getty Images
Wildlife Trafficking Bust Sees Tusks, Crocodile Blood, Coral, and More Seized at UK Borders
Operation Thunder, a global drive against the trade in endangered wildlife by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), has resulted in an enormously successful seizure of large quantities of protected animal products. Criminal gangs and wildlife traffickers believed to be operating in over 100 countries were ambushed in an undercover sting operation led at UK ports and airports. Full-sized elephant tusks and other ivory goods including keychains and trinkets, live corals and reptile skin products, as well as bottles containing crocodile blood, were among thousands of endangered animal products confiscated during the month-long operation. Officers also seized several rare cactus plants. The operation specifically focused on criminal gangs’ activities in countless countries including Sweden, the UK, the Netherlands, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, India, and Nigeria, who feed off organized wildlife trafficking and are responsible for a considerable increase in the trade of rare animals and plants. As part of that effort, Border Force officers intensified their operations at seaports and airports, making 178 separate seizures of items totaling thousands of products, banned under CITES (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). “While the illegal trade of ivory is rampant worldwide, there has been a marked spike in the demand for reptile blood products. Reptile blood, particularly crocodile blood, is becoming increasingly popular in Thailand and several other countries in the Far East. These countries are using reptile blood in many phony Chinese medicines,” said Nicolette Peters of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby). Despite a UK ban on the ivory trade, authorities still regularly recover ivory products at Britain’s ports and airports. The European Union has come under increasing pressure to follow the example of the UK and US in banning the trade in ivory products. While the international trade in ivory products was outlawed three decades ago, antique ivory trade and shipments of personal effects for non-commercial purposes are still allowed. Some traders are exploiting this loophole within the EU. The ivory trade has resulted in the staggering rise in elephant poaching in parts of Africa over the past ten years, with around 20,000 elephants killed each year for their tusks. “We applaud the efforts of Operation Thunder, which has resulted in the worldwide seizure of 1.3 tonnes of ivory, more than one tonne of pangolin scales, 1,400 live turtles, and 1,800 reptiles. Stamping out wildlife crime should remain a priority in every country, every state, and every continent. Crimes against wildlife is the largest direct threat to the future of many of the world’s most threatened species,” concludes Peters.
ASI Salutes Congress Members Committed to Ending the FDA’s Dog Testing Mandate
For far too long, man’s best friend has been subjected to harrowing abuse in laboratories worldwide, forced to test the safety of drugs, pesticides, medical devices, and other products. The Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby) salutes government officials who are working to eliminate the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) outdated, oppressive, and brutal dog testing mandate. More than 65,000 dogs are tormented in U.S. laboratories every year, locked in lonely cages, and forced to undergo invasive, painful, and often deadly experiments. It has to stop Congress can make a significant impact on the lives of millions of laboratory dogs by challenging the FDA’s 80-year-old animal testing red tape – because these tests are not just cruel to dogs, but inaccurate and expensive. Eighteen Congress members sent a letter to the FDA demanding answers about why the agency still forces drug makers to perform agonizing and useless tests on dogs when better alternatives are available. Led by Republican Scott Perry and Democrat Brendan Boyle, the Congress highlighted in their letter how dogs – including small puppies as young as a few weeks old – are made to ingest or inhale large doses of drugs for months on end before being killed and dissected. White Coat Waste Project – a taxpayer watchdog group representing more than 2 million liberty-lovers and animal-lovers – recently exposed that countless dogs are abused in laboratories to satisfy archaic FDA regulations each year. Sadly, beagle and hound puppies are precisely the victims of choice because they are small, calm, and submissive. The bipartisan coalition of lawmakers challenged the FDA’s 80-year-old animal testing red tape because these tests are not just cruel to dogs, but imprecise and costly. A single dog test can cost companies over $800,000 (£605,996). And even the FDA admits that animal testing does not predict performance in humans, with nine out of 10 drugs fail in human trials after passing animal tests because they are ineffective or toxic. “There is more than enough proof that testing on animals has no benefits,” said Nicolette Peters of ASI. “Why sentence millions of animals to life in a laboratory cage and intentionally cause them pain, loneliness, and fear, when there are other alternatives available that would save time, money and accelerate medical innovation, without causing animals to suffer?” Peters continued to say that many companies want to employ these alternatives and avoid wasteful dog tests, but are often rejected by the FDA – and even punished by having products stopped dead in their tracks in the approval process. “The FDA has the authority to tear down senseless red tape at any time, sparing the lives of millions of animals and ensuring drug tests and trials are in line with 21st century standards – for the sake of the lives of animals, and the lives of humans.” ASI hopes that Congress members will help speed this process along. In addition to the letter mentioned above, in its 2021 FDA funding bill, the House of Representatives included provisions requiring the agency to outline ways companies can currently avoid dog tests and update its related policies.
Mamma Bear and Her Cub’s Tragic Final Moments Before Being Shot Dead
Disturbing video footage of a mother bear and her cub ruthlessly shot to death off the side of a Russian submarine in Kamchatka has outraged animal activists across the globe. The heart-breaking images showed the animals sitting on the nuclear submarine deck docked at a military port in the country’s Far East before being gunned down and tumbling into the water. According to a statement released by the Eastern Military District’s press service for the Pacific Fleet, the bears had swum across the circular Krasheninnikov Bay off Vilyuchinsk before entering the pier zone on the deck of one of the submarines. The Russian Navy commands one of the biggest submarine fleets in the world with an estimated 58 vessels. Despite showing no outward aggression, the bears were said to “pose a risk to people”. The navy instructed that they were to be shot dead “using specialized hunting weapons”. In the video, a man (believed to be a sailor) reportedly explained how there “was no other way to get rid of the bears”. In the clip, he says that had the military taken action to drive the bears from the boat, the mother and the cub would have returned to one of the nearby villages. “This is how you have to fight bears in Kamchatka,” he was quoted as saying. Other reports have since surfaced claiming that the mother bear “was very emaciated and wounded and the cub would allegedly become aggressive without its mother”. According to The Moscow Times, the two bears had been spotted around villages in the days before they died, with locals having to chase them away. Meanwhile, animal lovers have accused the Russian navy of blatant animal cruelty after someone leaked the video to social media. Between 10,000 and 14,000 brown bears live on the secluded Kamchatka peninsula, wedged between the Sea of Okhotsk on the west, and the Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea on the east. Since the start of the year, numerous bears have wandered too close to human settlements searching for food. Sadly, they paid the ultimate price and were executed. Environmentalists believe climate change could be to blame, with weak coastal ice forcing the bears to search for food inland rather than at sea. Climate change has caused the Arctic to warm twice as fast as the rest of the world, resulting in considerable declines in sea ice every year, according to a report released by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 2018. “Despite popular belief, Kamchatka brown bears are generally not dangerous to humans, and only one percent of encounters result in unprovoked attacks,” said Nicolette Peters of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby). “Like most mammals, mother bears are very protective of their babies and keep a close eye on them after they’ve left the den. It’s unacceptable that somebody brutally killed this little family. Despite what the navy may have said, there are always other options, and they should have found a solution that did not result in the bloodshed of two innocent animals.”
Florida’s Flying Squirrel Smuggling Operation Finally Grounded
Authorities have broken the back of a wildlife trafficking syndicate believed to be behind the illegal trapping and exploitation of thousands of flying squirrels over a three-year period. The flying squirrels – a protected species in Florida – were trapped with homemade wire cages and transported by vehicle from their natural habitat in Florida to Chicago, before being shipped to buyers in South Korea and sold as pets. According to Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) – which launched an inquiry into the case – the squirrels were sold to a licensed wildlife dealer who then claimed they were captive bred. After receiving a tip-off on FWC’s hotline, FWC rolled out a well-thought-out investigation which included phone records, cell phone tower data, GPS trackers on cars, and more, to infiltrate the syndicate. Over the next 19 months, investigators from FWC worked to uncover the underground animal trafficking operation. The Illinois Conservation Police, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and US Homeland Security Investigations threw their weight behind the case. 10,000 squirrel traps were seized in central Florida, with experts estimating as many as 3,600 flying squirrels have been captured by poachers since 2017. The Commission said the Florida dealer received more than $213,000 (£164,000) for the animals. The international retail market value of the poached flying squirrels is estimated to be more than $1-million (£772,000). The investigation has so far seen seven suspects charged with wildlife trafficking, in addition to a variety of other felony charges that include racketeering, money laundering and dealing in stolen property. It has also since been discovered that in addition to smuggling flying squirrels, the suspects were also poaching and trafficking other protected species including freshwater turtles and alligators, with falsified documents to conceal their origin. “Buyers from South Korea would travel to the United States (US) and purchase the flying squirrels from the wildlife dealer in Bushnell. The animals were then driven in rental cars to Chicago, where the source of the animals was further concealed, and the animals were exported to Asia by an unwitting international wildlife exporter,” the Commission said. Despite their name, flying squirrels do not actually fly, but rather glide between trees. They are one of many small exotic mammals with soft fur and big eyes that have become popular pets in South Korea and other parts of East Asia – featured in pet cafés, despite being completely unsuitable for domestication. “In the past decade, wildlife trafficking has escalated into an international crisis – and no species – big or small – are safe,” said Nicolette Peters of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby). “This case is a reminder that the public can play a huge role in stopping wildlife poachers and syndicates by reporting suspicious behavior to their local authorities. Together, we can stop wildlife smuggling and bring those responsible for wildlife exploitation to book.”
The EU’s Ugly Record of Buying and Selling Ivory
You’d expect the governments of the advanced countries that collectively call themselves the EU to be more aware when it comes to the ivory trade. Not so. Illegal ivory makes its way through legal EU ivory trade structures thanks to a system of loopholes. In 1989, the international trade in ivory was officially banned and almost a decade and a half later, countries like the United States, China and the UK continued the good work by outlawing domestic trade. The same cannot be said for the big developed countries in the EU who still have no internal bans and still allow ivory to be bought and sold. Under current EU rules, ivory pieces that were made between 1947 and 1990 can be bought and sold, but only with a special permit. Ivory items that were made before 1947 can be freely bought and sold as the items are considered antiques. However, and here is one of the biggest loopholes, ‘antique’ pieces require no proof of authenticity or origin within Europe. PROOF THAT MANY ANTIQUE IVORY PIECES ARE IN FACT NEW An investigation carried out by Oxford University Labs and global activist group Avaaz showed that 81 out of 109 ivory items they carbon dated were in fact made after 1947. At a press event, they showed how recently slaughtered elephant tusks had been made into combs, hair pins, knife handles, billiard balls, jewellery pieces and decorative objects. They call these pieces, which are impossible to date with the naked eye, ‘blood trinkets’. Often consumers are none the wiser when buying these ‘antique’ ivory pieces as they trust their governments that the ivory is legal. Global animal welfare groups, including the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby), confirm that the mere fact that ivory can be bought and sold domestically in the EU makes it easy for criminals to launder illegal ivory that was obtained from poached elephants. This in turn is fuelling the poaching of elephants in Africa where between 15,000 and 20,000 African elephants are illegally caught and killed for their ivory every year. Nicolette Peters of ASI says: “As long as there is a market for ivory, elephants are going to be killed for it. If the EU is serious about fighting elephant poaching, it must completely close its domestic ivory market and ban all ivory imports and re-exports.” THE EU’S WATERED-DOWN PROMISES TO STOP THE IVORY TRADE In May 2020, the EU published its new Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, laying out a new set of measures wherein they propose to slightly tighten EU trade rules and ban the trade of items imported between 1975 and 1990. The European Commission is the EU’s politically independent executive arm responsible for drawing up proposals for new European legislation. In October, it pointed out that because the age of an item is easily misrepresented, the present regulations are meaningless. It argues that only by completely closing the domestic ivory market will the EU remove the financial value from ivory. This is a crucial first step in reducing the incidence of new ivory being laundered through legal markets, and would send a clear message to the world that the EU does not consider ivory a commodity. ASI points out that the EU is dragging its feet on the issue, considering that the public is predominantly against all forms of ivory trade. In 2017, the European Commission asked the public what they thought of the ongoing ivory trade within their borders, eliciting the third largest number or responses ever to an EU public consultation. Over 90 percent of respondents were in favor of closing EU ivory markets. “A partial ivory ban is not enough”, said Ms Peters. “There has to be a complete ban on the sale of all ivory across the world to take away the monetary value, and this is what will stop elephant poaching.” READ MORE Hypocrisy hails as the EU completely misses the boat on elephant protection Rhino horn among quack health remedies touted to cure Covid-19 Help us combat illegal elephant and rhino poaching in Africa
UK GOVERNMENT HID STUDIES CRITICAL OF BADGER CULLING!
Our petition asking the British Veterinary Association (BVA) to abandon its support for the pointless badger cull has received 9,144 signatures. Please sign our urgent petition right now to help pass the magic figure of 10,000 signatures. The lives of 65,000 innocent creatures are at stake. Earlier this year, the British government announced that it was phasing out the pointless badger cull it had championed for the past five years. This after expert after expert revealed that killing badgers will not prevent the spread of bovine tuberculosis among cattle. The government lied. Instead of stopping the badger cull, it increased the scope and number of badger culling areas. 65,000 English badgers will be trapped, shot, maimed… and mercilessly killed before Christmas! This is not fake news. Dr Iain McGill of the Progressive Veterinary Association, a group of vets campaigning against badger culling, says over 100,000 badgers have been killed so far, with 35,000 killed in 2019 alone. Right now the government plans to drive up the death toll, targeting another 65,000 badgers before Christmas. What is even more chilling is that a study commissioned by the government shows that hardly any badger carcasses analysed in two key areas in the north and south of England had infectious bovine TB. This means that killing badgers there was cruel and ineffective. This is simply outrageous. Dr Iain McGill is adamant that there is not a shred of evidence to support the claim that badgers are driving the epidemic in cattle. Cows mostly catch TB from other cows. What is of deep concern is that the government, instead of admitting the truth, sat on the studies for two years. Astonishing! The British Veterinary Association (BVA) supports the pointless slaughter! As the top body of British vets, the BVA has the ear of the government and regularly meets with top officials. In this position of power, the BVA has a clear duty to take into consideration ethical concerns and apply the best science to its policies. Unbelievably, the BVA ignores the science and while admitting that the main method used to kill badgers – which is for men to stalk the country at night armed with rifles and shoot badgers on sight – causes suffering, but still supports the policy, merely suggesting that badgers should be trapped before being shot. And the final part of this horror story is that the overwhelming majority of these murdered badgers are perfectly healthy, bTB free, and pose no risk to anyone or anything. That’s right, essentially badgers are being killed for no reason at all. It is far more likely that cows will catch bTB from another cow than from a badger. Only around six percent of cattle infections might originate from badgers. If proof is needed, here it is: Bovine tuberculosis rates in one of the pilot badger cull zones in Gloucestershire shot up 130% between 2017 and 2018. That means that after five years of culling badgers, a higher percentage of cattle herds had bTB than before culling started! It is unconscionable that across England, badgers are wounded, dying, or dead because lies or suspicions are being put before facts. Most vets are compassionate human beings which makes it even more extraordinary that their professional body should support the pointless slaughter of 65,000 badgers in the next two months. The UK government is using badger killing as a smokescreen to hide the real problem which is an ongoing epidemic of bTB among cows caused by an outdated skin test from a century ago. The government’s own data show that the routine skin test that vets use fails to pick up around 50% of infected cows, leaving them in the herd to cause further infections. Movement controls for cattle use the same test, ensuring that infected cattle continue to spread bTB to new areas of the country. Yes, you heard that correctly – HALF of all infected cattle are missed by the test! Can you imagine if the government tried to control COVID-19 by using a test that had as much chance of being wrong as right? There would be outrage! Currently, the UK government wastes £100-million ($130-million) of taxpayers’ money a year on this policy which achieves only pain and death. HERE IS HOW YOU CAN HELP: If you can please donate today to enable us to continue our important work. Also, please sign our petition to urge the BVA to withdraw its support from this fatally flawed policy of mass badger slaughter. This would be enormously helpful.
Scientists Think We Got German Measles From Animals
As the coronavirus pandemic shines a spotlight on zoonotic diseases, new research has found German measles has a family and they all live in animals Scientists used to believe that the virus causing German measles (aka rubella) was the only member of its genus, Rubivirus. But that just changed as combined research by the University of Wisconsin Madison in the US and the Friedrich-Loeffler Institute in Germany found that rubella does in fact have two family members: ruguhu and rustrela. Ruguhu (the local word for bat) was discovered by Tony Goldberg and his team in healthy cyclops leaf-nosed bats in Kibale National Park in Uganda. Rustrela (named after a lagoon in the Baltic Sea), was discovered by Martin Beer and his team at the Friedrich-Loefller Institute. They discovered the new virus in a donkey, a kangaroo and a capybara, all of which had died from encephalitis at a zoo in Germany. TWO TEAMS, THREE VIRUSES, ONE CONCLUSION The two teams published their research in Nature (Relatives of Rubella Virus in Diverse Mammals, October 2020), arguing that, at some point in our distant past, a virus that shares an identical genomic architecture with ruguhu and rustrela jumped from animals to humans. And that virus is the one that we know today as rubella, the one that causes German measles. “While the good news is that neither of the newfound viruses are known to infect humans at this time, the bad news is that we know a related virus did jump species, and this is very worrying. It means that the two other viruses have the potential to do the same,” said Nicolette Peters of the Animal Survival International. “Given the current COVID-19 outbreak, the world should be paying very close attention to diseases that can spread from animals to humans (known as zoonotic diseases).” German Measles is potentially lethal and especially dangerous for pregnant women as it can lead to miscarriages, stillbirth, deafness and eye, heart, and brain problems. Every year, about 100,000 newborns worldwide are affected by the virus. THE GLOBAL RISE OF ZOONOTIC DISEASES “Right now, there are 219 virus species that are known to be able to infect humans. Every year, another three to four new species are discovered. While tracing the origins of each and every virus is impossible, what we do know is that six out of every 10 infectious diseases in people are zoonotic, which makes it crucial that the world strengthens its capabilities to prevent and respond to these diseases,” added Peters. “These include Zoonotic influenza, Salmonellosis, West Nile virus, Plague, Emerging coronaviruses (such as severe acute respiratory syndrome and Middle East respiratory syndrome), Rabies, Brucellosis, and Lyme disease, to name a few.” ASI continues to emphasize the critical connection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment and calls on everyone from ordinary citizens to world leaders to work together to achieve the best health outcomes for all. READ MORE Animal Populations Crash As Our Planet Becomes A Playground For Human Destruction France Finally Bans The Use Of Wild Animals In Circuses and Marine Parks Iconic Wildlife Become Casualties of Human Conflict in War-torn Burkina Faso
Rare Reptiles Are Traded on the Internet and Nobody’s Stopping It
Did you know that anyone can buy and sell highly endangered reptile species online and because of a lack of regulation, nothing can be done about it? An alarming new study Thousands of reptile species threatened by under-regulated global trade published in Nature Communications (September 2020) has revealed that both common and rare reptile species are being traded at the click of a finger worldwide. These include monitor lizards, pythons, crocodilians as well as geckos, lizards, turtles and tortoises. The study authors scoured the internet for “reptiles for sale” and their search turned up 3,943 species, comprising over 35 percent of all species of reptiles globally. These species have been traded for more than two decades, and 2,754 of all transactions are conducted online. This study used the complete list of 11,050 reptile species created by Reptile Database, updated 14 August 2019”, as their naming standard. The researchers explained how they compiled official data from 2000 to 2019 from CITES (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and US Fish and Wildlife Service records and then gathered their own information from websites that sell reptiles. For the latter, they used an algorithm to identify and scrape the data from nearly 24,000 pages at 151 websites in English, German, Spanish, Japanese, and French. KEY FINDINGS OF THE STUDY IN REPTILE TRADE The trade of reptiles online is not protected, nor regulated, by the international community, with 75 percent of reptiles traded not included in any trade regulation or agreement Over 80 percent of critically endangered species were traded for use in fashion items, ranging from clothing to shoes and handbags About 90 percent of traded reptile species and half of the traded animals were captured from the wild Prices ranged from $10 (£7.63) to $20 (£15.26) for common species to thousands for rare species The major reptile consumer markets are within Europe and North America Vietnam is a major source of some of the more threatened species currently traded THESE NUMBERS MAY WELL BE UNDERREPORTED As disturbing as the findings are, the study still underestimates the true number of reptile species caught up in the online trade because its analysis did not include social media platforms. It’s known that social media sites allow the trade of large numbers of wildlife to go on unabated. The paper also lacked results from websites in languages other than the five it considered. Additionally, the research does not attempt to quantify how many individuals of each species are sold online. “The online reptile trade, whether for fashion, the pet trade, food or medicine, has fast-become a major feeder for global reptile sales. Assessments of the wildlife trade remain incomplete, despite reports that direct wildlife exploitation is the second most damaging human activity to global biodiversity,” said Nicolette Peters of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby). “A permanent ban on the reptile trade is the only solution to protect reptiles in the wild and eliminate reptiles suffering in captivity. It is also high time we lobby social media publishers to ban this trade on their platforms,” she concluded. READ MORE The dangers of the billion-dollar international trade in reptiles How the airline industry could stop wildlife trafficking How royal pythons are being wiped out for the pet trade
Israel Becomes the First Nation to Ban Trade in Fur
In a giant victory for millions of wild and farmed animals, Israel has announced its plans to ban the fur trade, with a couple of exceptions. The plans were announced by Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel, who criticized the practice of buying and selling skin and fur in the fashion industry, calling it “immoral”. In future, the Nature and Parks Authority will issue permits to buy or sell fur, but only in special cases and under certain limited criteria. These criteria are for scientific research, education or instruction, and religious purposes and tradition. Anyone who contravenes this act could face a year in prison or a $22,000 fine. LOOPHOLES IN ISRAEL’S FUR BAN “While we applaud the environmental protection minister’s decision to put an end to the sale of furs in Israel, the battle is not yet done. Haredi Jews – who account for the main buyers of fur – will still be able to use fur for shtreimels (a fur hat worn by many married Haredi Jewish men). Each real fur shtreimel may be made of up to 30 sables, minks, martens, or foxes,” said Nicolette Peters of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby). “They can cost up to $5,000 each.” Additionally, Israel does not distinguish between the pelts of animals trapped in the wild and wild creatures raised on fur farms. In spirit, the amendment is great news but there are many loopholes that could be exploited which have to be addressed. “In this day and age, there is absolutely no justification for killing animals just for the sake of wearing their fur. There are excellent substitutes – both for fashion and for warmth purposes – that do not cause suffering and murder,” Peters said. Each year, over 50 million animals are mercilessly slaughtered for their fur. Although most animals killed for their fur are raised on fur farms, worldwide, about 10 million wild animals are trapped for the fur trade– including raccoons, coyotes, bobcats, and beavers. They are often killed in the most horrific ways including bludgeoning, neck-breaking, and anal and genital electrocution, while many are skinned alive. Many fashion designers have committed to not ever using fur in their clothing lines again, including Versace, Chanel and Calvin Klein, but Israel’s bold move may well prove to be more effective in encouraging other countries to follow suit. We are holding thumbs. READ MORE Incredible cruelty at French mink farm exposed Coronavirus causes the culling of thousands of minks Support our appeal to stop the cruel frog trade
France Finally Bans the Use of Wild Animals in Circuses and Marine Parks
France is finally following a growing global movement to stop wild animals being exploited in the name of entertainment at circuses and marine parks. In what has been hailed as a breakthrough for animal rights across the world, the country passed laws in September 2020 that will protect animals in the following three ways: the use of wild animals in circuses will be phased out marine parks will, with immediate effect, cease breeding and bringing in killer whales and dolphins killer whales will be banned from being used in shows by 2022 and dolphins by 2027 mink farming will be phased out over the next five years Because of the potential economic impact on those who own circuses, dolphinariums (France has three) and marine parks (there are four killer whales in captivity in France), the minister said the government would set aside €8 million (£7.3m; $9.3m) to re-invent their businesses without the use of wild animals. Ms Pompili told the French newspaper Le Monde that there are currently around 500 wild animals in French circuses and that the new rules will bring France in line with over 20 other EU countries that have already limited or banned animals in travelling circuses. They would also consider creating sanctuaries for these animals as circuses adapt to the new laws. WILD ANIMALS AS ENTERTAINERS HAS RUN ITS COURSE Wild animals that work in circuses are bred in captivity and trained from a young age to perform in front of crowds. They will never be able to fend for themselves in the wild. Historically, circuses were a way to show wild animals to the public, but today the public can travel to game reserves to see animals in their natural habitat. Ms Pompili said it was “time that our ancestral fascination with these animals no longer translates into situations where we favor their captivity over their well-being”. She also cited studies that showed killer whales and dolphins had emotional intelligence and are aware of being in captivity. This causes immense stress and has a negative impact on their overall health and well-being. “It is in these animals’ nature to create social bonds and hunt with their family groups – something they cannot do in confined marine parks and dolphinariums,” said Nicolette Peters of the Animal Survival International (ASI). “While we would have liked clarity on the timeline for the roll-out of these measures, we do applaud France for taking this decision. We are hopeful that the remaining countries that still allow wild animals to be used for entertainment will follow suit and implement similar bans.” COUNTRIES THAT HAVE BANNED WILD ANIMALS IN CIRCUSES New Jersey and Hawaii were the first US states to ban exotic animals in circuses. In 2016, California banned the use of bullhooks on elephants in circuses and then banned the use of most exotic animals altogether. The Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Portugal, Sweden, and India have all implemented nationwide bans on the use of certain species in circuses, while other countries such as Bolivia and Greece are making some progress. In 2012, the UK Government pledged to ban the use of wild animals in circuses, but it wasn’t until January 2020 that this actually happened (as bills were repeatedly blocked by individual Conservative MPs). Despite the setbacks, it is still a move in the right direction. It is important to note that while most countries in the EU have some form of a restriction or ban on using wildlife in circuses, the absence of EU-wide legislation allows circuses to exploit regional and national differences when it comes to the enforcement of these laws. That is why you would still see exotic and wild animals in circuses across these regions and specifically in countries such as Lithuania and Spain. Over a decade ago, Hungary implemented a nationwide ban on the use of newly captured wild animals in circuses, banned the purchasing and training of elephants and primates, and the purchase, training and use of CITES listed species caught after 2010 in circuses. In a twist of fate, the country’s COVID-19 lockdown saw the Hungary National Circus, which is still home to 100 performing animals including elephants, giraffes, camels and ‘zonkeys’ (a cross between a donkey and a zebra), transform itself into a five-acre safari park to stay afloat. ASI believes the pandemic offers a unique opportunity for circuses to transition away from using animals in shows to allowing them to retire in a more natural environment. ASI remains committed to ending the use of wild animals in circuses, marine parks, and zoos and is determined to get every single animal out of the entertainment business. “Wild animals should never be held in captivity so we can gawk at them in tanks, cages, or tents. Least of all should they be held in captivity so they can perform tricks or act like clowns. It is never okay to exploit animals. We don’t condone bear-baiting, cockfighting, or fighting pitbulls to the death, so why do we still condone circuses, marine parks, and zoos? In all these incidences, animals suffer. It has to stop,” concluded Peters. READ MORE Animal populations crash as our planet becomes a playground for human destruction Iconic Wildlife Become Casualties of Human Conflict in War-torn Burkina Faso Animal cruelty caused Coronavirus, now is the time to stop China’s live market trade forever *Feature image: Elephants in the ring at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Earth. The show closed permanently in May 2017. Photo by Becky Phan on Unsplash
Pangolin purgatory! Chopped, diced and eaten to extinction!
The pangolin is the most trafficked animal in the world. These shy and vulnerable creatures are smoked out from their homes, beaten, tortured, and burnt alive. They need your help! The number of pangolins killed by poaching is devastating. Pangolins are trafficked, thousands at a time, for their scales which are boiled off their bodies and used in phony Asian medical potions. In Asia, an estimated 200 000 are killed each year, mostly for the Chinese trade. To add to their woes, pangolins – and even their unborn babies – are considered a delicacy and eaten as a status symbol in some Asian countries. Pangolins are in desperate need of assistance and with your help, the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby) will provide it. Shockingly, it is estimated that one pangolin is poached from the wild in Africa every five minutes. They are the most trafficked animals in the world with more than one million poached over the last decade. Experts warn that two critically endangered pangolin species – the Chinese pangolin and the Sunda pangolin – could be wiped out within this decade. We need to act now. Recently, our team rushed to the scene where a pangolin was rescued from poachers in South Africa’s Kalahari Desert. The poor creature was in terrible condition – traumatized and nearly dead. Poachers show no mercy to these innocent animals. They’re forcefully unrolled from their protective positions, or their skin is burned with paraffin or petrol to “clean” them of parasites. They are bludgeoned with machetes, smashed with rocks, or thrown into boiling water. Pangolins are in such danger from poachers that we must keep secret the location of a pangolin rehabilitation sanctuary where we work. It is run by Machel van Niekerk, a highly qualified veterinary nurse, who manages the sanctuary with vital help from scientists from Pangolin(Dot)Africa. During the rehabilitation process, pangolins are as vulnerable as newborn infants; they must be kept warm and they have very specific dietary requirements that can never be met outside of their natural environment. Once rescued, when pangolins are well enough they need to be taken for walks every three to five hours to forage and readjust to their natural way of life. Someone must be with them every step of the way. This is a time-consuming and exhausting job. Pangolins are extremely vulnerable to stress, making them very difficult to keep in captivity. Most die within six months of capture, which is why it is so important that they are returned to the wild quickly. After three long days and nights of intensive care, our pangolin was strong enough to be released! To make sure we can keep track of him in the future, we fitted him with a satellite tracking device. We are saving pangolins, one animal at a time, but so many are in dire need of our help that we really need your support. It sends shivers down our spines to think of the brutal fate this terrified pangolin would have suffered if we had not rescued him. It’s only because of your support that we are able to give him a second chance. International trade in pangolins is prohibited by terms in the global Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) agreement. Yet, the trafficking continues unabated. We are working to raise awareness about this issue and putting pressure on authorities to enforce existing laws. Truthfully, we should not have to do so. Pangolins harbor a wide variety of coronaviruses and scientists say Chinese wet markets, where pangolins are sold alive was the source of COVID-19 spreading to humans. For the love of all animals, even those covered in armor, please be as generous as you can today.
Baby Chimp’s Daring Rescue Marks a Watershed Moment in Congo’s Fight Against Wildlife Trafficking
A secret network of wildlife traffickers notorious for capturing, smuggling, and selling baby chimpanzees has been nabbed following a sting operation by a Congolese nature conservation organization in collaboration with local authorities. Chimpanzees are widely exploited across the globe, sold as pets, for bushmeat, or for their body parts. Despite restricting regulations and international bans, experts conservatively estimate one chimpanzee is poached every four hours to satisfy consumer demand primarily driven from China, Russia, and the Middle East. At least 3,000 great apes are lost to trafficking each year, with about two-thirds of these being chimpanzees, although true numbers are probably far higher. The Democratic Republic of the Congo in West Africa is a hub for the poaching and illicit trade of chimps and apes. For the last two years, Conserv Congo, a nature conservation organization in the country, investigated wildlife traffickers operating in the area and uncovered a major leading syndicate trading in great apes in Kinshasa. Tragically, 11 baby apes were sold during the course of the investigation. Late last month, the investigation came to a watershed when the traffickers operating through sophisticated chains of intermediaries were intercepted on a highway to Bandundu, where the sale of a baby chimp (destined to be sold for $2,500 (£1,930)) was planned to take place. Spearheaded by Conserv Congo and the Kinshasa Central Police, with the support of the Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Sustainable Development, authorities were able to rescue the baby. The little girl, no more than three months old, is now in a place of safety. The rescue comes at a crucial time where Conserv Congo is still entangled in a matter involving 29 other primates that were intercepted by the Zimbabwean authorities en route to South Africa. The trafficking of great apes involves the capture of live babies – often with fatal outcomes for protective chimp adults wanting to safeguard their infants. Moms and dads, along with other family members, are usually shot and subsequently used for bushmeat during the infant capturing process. Despite its cruelty, wildlife trafficking is a multi-billion-dollar industry. According to data from the United Nations (UN), the black market for animals is exceeded in value only by the illicit trades in drugs, humans, and weapons. The Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby) encourages the public to assist governments in the conservation of primates by being eyes and ears to illegal wildlife trafficking. The world is much smaller thanks to the internet and now it’s easier than ever to blow the whistle on the trade of illegal wildlife trade anonymously. You can report suspicious behavior to your local authorities or to WildLeaks – an initiative dedicated to environmental crime (https://wildleaks.org/).
Vultures are being poisoned into oblivion. Unless this is stopped, more and worse pandemics are a certainty!
A catastrophe is taking place in Africa as thousands of vultures die of poisoning, gravely impacting the environment, wildlife, and human health. We urgently need to raise $9,000 (£7,000) to build a special rescue vehicle so we can rush poison-stricken vultures for emergency medical treatment. Without treatment, the poor birds die within hours of being poisoned – there is not a moment to lose. The Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby) was alerted by South Africa’s Endangered Wildlife Trust that there is a major problem for vultures in one of the world’s greatest wildlife sanctuaries, the Kruger National Park. Together, we investigated. The news is bad. Not only did we find carcasses of critically endangered African white-backed vultures, but we found a poisoned tawny eagle and poisoned lions, leopards, civets and baboons. To save creatures like these, we need to build special rescue vehicles. Vultures and other creatures are dying as you read this. We need that transport vehicle now to have a chance of saving poisoned creatures. We can only do so with your support. Please help them by donating today. Africa’s vulture populations have plunged by 62% in the past 30 years – with seven species crashing by 80%. We know that more than 1,200 vultures were poisoned in Southern and Eastern Africa in 2019 and this year numbers are even higher. Losing one vulture is a tragedy. Losing thousands is a catastrophe. If something isn’t done right now to save the vulture from extinction, the world – and everyone in it – is in big, big trouble. Vultures are prized for their heads and feet which are used in traditional medicine, even though they have absolutely no medical benefits. To get the vultures, poachers kill other animals and lace the carcases with poison. Vultures and other creatures die after feeding on these carcasses. The poachers then harvest their body parts. The vultures do not die immediately and that gives us hope. If we can get to them before they die and transport them for treatment, we can save many of them. This work is vitally important. Without vultures, the risk of humans getting diseases explodes. In the ‘90s, India obliterated 97% of its vultures – and the result was disastrous. When vultures eat rotting carcasses, their digestive system destroys lethal diseases like anthrax, botulism, and cholera. With nature’s clean-up crew annihilated, diseases in India surged. Since then, the Indian government has been trying to return vultures to the country… with little success. We know what’s going to happen if we lose vultures – deadly diseases will explode and humankind will face pandemic after pandemic – just like the CORONAVIRUS crisis. We can’t stand idly by and watch this happen. We thank you for your continued support which made this research possible, but the findings have revealed that much more needs to be done. We need to act now. The fate of our precious wildlife is in your hands. The race is now on to not only save vultures from extinction, but to save the other animals who share their home. We desperately need your help to save vultures and other creatures. We know that many people will shrug their shoulders because vultures are not the most glamorous creatures – but that does not mean it’s acceptable to wipe them out. If you look beyond their appearance, you will find lively social creatures who spend their lives eating things that would otherwise kill us! That’s got to be a good thing. So please, donate what you can today, and we will do our part to make sure that vultures are around tomorrow, and diseases are not.
Badgers being murdered in cold blood! Their only hope is that you speak up before it’s too late!
Across England, hundreds of thousands of badgers are wounded, dying or dead because politicians are putting lies before facts. The government says the cull is to stop the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) from badgers to cows. But a recent study shows that cow-to-cow transmission of bTB is ten times more likely than badger-to-cow. Badger culls don’t work. Killing badgers will not stop the spread of bovine TB. The British government knows this and promised to phase out the killing. Instead, as a standard operating procedure (SOP) to farmers, they intend to kill even more badgers. Already this year, 35,000 badgers have been killed. Now the government has announced new measures that will see more than 25,000 killed by the end of year. We must STOP the cycle of violence RIGHT NOW! Please, support our campaign today! The UK government has broken its promise. They pledged to phase out the badger cull. But now, they’re approving 11 new culling zones. The expanded areas will see more than 60,000 badgers butchered in cold blood during this year alone. The killing fields include Derbyshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Shropshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire. This brings the number of cull licenses to 54. It’s an utter betrayal! Anti-cruelty laws exist – why are they being ignored? Murdering badgers in cold blood is unacceptable, intentional, and malicious. We call on the government to stop the badger blame game once and for all. CAN THE CULL! Annihilating a species for no reason is a crime. TB in cattle is a severe problem for farmers and taxpayers, leading to the compulsory slaughter of 30,000 cattle and a cost of £150 million (more than $190 million) every year, but badgers are being used as scapegoats for something that is not their fault. An independent review in 2018 found that frequent trading of cattle and poor biosecurity on farms was severely hampering efforts to tackle the crisis. The scientists said it was highly desirable to move from culling to vaccination of badgers. Tackling biosecurity, trading of infected cattle and testing makes far more sense than inflicting extreme physical pain on innocent creatures. Badgers are being shot in a hit-and-miss approach. Bullet-riddled badgers don’t all die right away. Many are left to suffer before their organs fail and their hearts stop. Badgers have a thick skull, thick skin and a very thick layer of fat. Their short, squat body means their legs often conceal the main killing zone. Getting a clean shot is like taking a shot in the dark. Less than 1% killed of badgers killed have even been tested for bTB, let alone infected with the disease! All the cull does is slaughter innocent animals, for absolutely no reason. When is the UK government going to reach a point where they realize that animals’ lives matter? We need to set hard boundaries and take a stand for badgers. The government must stop the badger cull and embark on effective and cruelty-free options – of which there are plenty. Please, donate today to save these terrified creatures from extermination for no good reason.
Terrible Cruelty Revealed at French Mink Farm
Shocking footage reveals the nauseating horror of mink farming in France. Described by campaigners as something “from a horror film”, a mink with paralyzed back legs is photographed dragging itself across the wire of its cage to reach a few drops of water. Another mink is seen with hideous, infected eye wounds. All were are living in squalid conditions, surrounded by piles of their feces – a situation that is typical at mink farms throughout France. The slaughtering of minks is just as horrific as the abuse they endure while they’re alive. Minks are subjected to being skinned alive, having their necks snapped, having their throats slit, or being poisoned. Undercover investigations discovered that some fur farms hook wires inside the creatures’ mouths and anuses, and then jolt them with electricity to induce fatal heart attacks. French and European animal protection laws have failed these sentient beings dismally. The fur farming industry is thriving, and innocent animals are dying by the millions. Fur bans exist all around the world but so many loopholes exist that the trade continues unabated. “Every single stage of the fur farming industry is laced with unspeakable cruelty,” said Nicolette Peters of the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby). “Minks are forced to live in squalid, cruel and painful conditions in cages so small that moving is near impossible. They are starved and often left for days without clean water. The air they breathe is thick with the smell of urine and feces.” “With the option of synthetic alternatives, we have absolutely no need for animal fur. Why does 85% of fur still come from factory farmed animals? There is no excuse. Do you want to make a difference and stand up for animals all over the world? It’s simple – do not buy animal fur,” concluded Peters. The European Union accounts for 63 percent of global mink production, with Denmark accounting for 28 percent of that total. Other major producers include China, the Netherlands, Russia, and the U.S. China is the largest importer of fur pelts and the largest exporter of finished products.
Anthrax, botulism, and cholera! Their unique digestive systems can dissolve these horrific diseases and help keep us safe!
Please, can we count on your support today? It’s vitally important. Vultures are victims of poisoning and the evil bushmeat trade. Vulture feet, heads and other body parts are widely available in markets throughout Africa. Vulture brains are dried, ground up, and then smoked in cigarettes which supposedly give the users visions of the future. Vultures who evade the meat trade are at enormous risk of poisoning. Livestock owners use deadly poisoned bait to kill them. Vultures feed on these carcasses, putting hundreds and thousands at risk of death. Vultures may not be the most beautiful of creatures, but they play an important ecological role and the consequences of wiping them out are enormous. And they are going fast. Of the 22 vulture species, nine are critically endangered, three are endangered and four are near threatened. Vultures are being wiped off the face of the earth! Vultures are even more threatened than rhinos and elephants. In the past 30 years, vulture populations have dropped by 62%. A 2015 study at 67 markets in 12 West African countries, found that vultures accounted for 41% of the bush meat on sale. Twenty-seven percent of them were categorized as Near Threatened, Vulnerable or Endangered. It is estimated that 2.2-million pounds (one million kilograms) of wild animal meat is traded each year. A significant percentage of these are vultures. In Botswana, 600 vultures died after eating one poisoned elephant carcass. In Guinea-Bissau over 2,000 hooded vultures were poisoned in one of the largest mass vulture killings in the world. Not only is this extermination pointless and cruel, it is dangerous for human health. Their unique digestive system is capable of dissolving anthrax, botulism and cholera. ¨ Vultures need your help. ASI supports The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) which carries out rescue missions and treats poisoned vultures. The situation is so grave that help is desperately needed. Right now, we need to raise $2,000 (£1,500) for emergency life-saving medical equipment. Your donation today will help save creatures that may not be beautiful on the outside, but are terribly endangered, vital to the environment and important for human health.
National Wildlife Day – September 4: Wildlife Is Mother Nature’s Greatest Treasure; We Protect To Protect It!
Today is National Wildlife Day. A day we give voice to the voiceless and raise awareness for animal welfare. While the world’s 7.6 billion people represent just 0.01% of all living things, we are behind the loss of 83% of all wild mammals. Researchers talk of ‘biological annihilation’ as studies reveal billions of wildlife populations have been lost in recent decades. Wildlife is dying because of habitat destruction, the international wildlife trade, hunting, pollution and climate change. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that 27,000 species are at risk for extinction. “Today – and every other day to come – is a chance to change the future. It’s a chance for all of us to step back, take a deep breath, and appreciate everything around us. Then do something to make sure we never lose it,” said Nicolette Peters of ASI. Today is also a reminder of the urgent need to step up the fight against wildlife crime. The illegal trade in wildlife is estimated to be worth $20-billion (£15-billion) per year! Poaching and illegal harvesting, particularly in Africa, is shattering wildlife populations The unprecedented spike in illegal wildlife trade poses a growing threat not only to wildlife but to all of us. It is becoming more and more common for diseases to spread from animals to man as the wild trade increases. For example, the Coved plague came from bats and pangolins. ASI disrupts and dismantling networks involved in the illegal wildlife trade and works towards the enforcement of international wildlife laws and treaties. “The work we do is demanding, sometimes dangerous but always important,” said Peters. “The world’s wildlife is in trouble, we are trying to do something about it.”
Wildlife trade HORROR! We must stop those who put a price tag on priceless species!
Over the past few weeks we have told you about creatures that don’t usually get any public attention, but all are vitally important to our planet. They are all currently being exterminated in a variety of horrific, cruel ways. Without your help, they will soon vanish from this world entirely. Sophisticated criminal networks are driving wildlife to extinction, but governments must start taking responsibility too. The tragic plight of wild animals, viewed simply as pawns for profit, CANNOT BE IGNORED! It’s OUR move now! Checkmating governments and lobbying the opponent is the only way to win this fight. The wildlife trade is fuelled by gluttony and greed, and riddled with gaping loopholes exploited at every twist and turn. If we don’t act now, many unheralded but vitally important creatures will be GONE FOREVER! Most people already know that elephants and tigers are endangered, but many are not aware that frogs, pangolins and pythons are being wiped out at breath-taking speeds with possibly catastrophic consequences to our planet. In Europe and the United States, an exploding exotic pet trade sees glass frogs plucked from tropical rainforests and stuffed into tiny glass containers, destined for the pet trade. The cruelty inflicted on frogs when they are barbarically slaughtered for the sick thrill of diners, or their use in cosmetics, is blatant, abhorrent, and dangerous. Frogs play a vital role in the food chain, as both predators and prey. Their diet includes mosquitoes, lowering the transmission risk of killer diseases including Dengue fever, malaria, West Nile fever, and Zika. Most people don’t even know what a pangolin is – nor that this shy, nocturnal creature is the most trafficked and hunted animal in the world. More than one million pangolins have been poached or trafficked in the past decade alone! All eight pangolin species are classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as being threatened or vulnerable, and two are critically endangered. It’s only a matter of time before all the pangolins have gone. Pangolins are being killed in a variety of cruel ways and then cooked, sometimes while they are still alive. To make it worse, pangolins are incubators for zoonotic diseases including the deadly COVID pandemic! Beautiful Royal pythons are being chopped up for bushmeat, medicines, and their skins. There is a very large market for them in the pet trade. They are sold and stuck in glass tanks for the rest of their days. Would you call this a life? This global trade is a ticking time bomb for humans too. There is absolutely no regard, nor compassion, for the innocent lives destroyed along every chain of the wildlife trade. The world has a chance to make things right. Why aren’t the authorities paying attention? Because frogs don’t vote. Pangolins don’t vote. Pythons don’t vote. We must be the voice for these and other defenceless creatures who, without us, will suffer endless cruelty until there are none left to torture. Please donate today so that can fight on behalf of some of the most defenceless creatures in the world. We need to act now! The wildlife trade must stop. Existing laws are not being enforced. Please help us put pressure on politicians and law enforcement agencies to do their job. With your support, we will keep piling on the pressure until governments crack and ban the barbaric international trade in wild creatures once and for all.
Hypocrisy Hails as the EU Completely Misses the Boat on Elephant Protection
As many as 35,000 elephants are massacred each year in Africa – the brutal murders of these iconic giants driven by an insatiable demand for ivory. Today Africa is home to just 415,000 African elephants – a sobering 30% drop in the last decade and down from 10 million a century ago. Never before has the call to stop the killing, stop the trafficking, and stop the demand for ivory been more desperate. And yet, the EU has shockingly opposed an outright ban to the Ivory trade. What on earth were they thinking? The continent’s pachyderms have been decimated at the hands of humans through poaching, trophy hunting, and habitat loss. Even though African elephants are classified as “vulnerable to extinction” by The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), certain positive policies are being ignored. CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) members voted against the trade in live wild-caught African elephants at COP18 in Geneva last August. However, six southern African countries including South Africa did not support the resolution. Botswana even reintroduced elephant hunting in May 2019, with a 2020 quota of 272 elephants! Europe’s strategies to tighten elephant protection in Africa while doing absolutely nothing to stop their own blooming ivory market is a move that reflects extreme double standards. The existence of legal domestic ivory markets in the EU and elsewhere provides cover for criminals to launder illegal ivory from poached elephants, puts the burden of proving illegality on enforcement officers, and confuses consumers, many of whom misunderstand market availability of ivory for the legality of the trade. As part of its plans to be the first net-zero emissions, zero pollution continent by 2050, the European Union (EU) published its Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 – a strategy touted as a comprehensive, ambitious, long-term plan for protecting nature and reversing the degradation of ecosystems. Ironically, the strategy proposes – among other issues – a further tightening of the rules on EU ivory trade, while nonetheless maintaining a thriving ivory market itself! ASI had hoped the EU would actually come to the party and address the actual elephant in the room – the implementation of an outright ban on all ivory imports and exports. Instead, all the EU has done is dished out lip service on how other nations should manage their wildlife, while simply sweeping the implications of their own actions under the carpet. “The UN is considered to be the third-largest destination for illegal wildlife and a crucial hub for the ivory trade. In fact, the EU is the largest exporter of legal ivory in the world. Of course, elephant poaching isn’t happening in Europe itself. That would be exploiting one’s own natural heritage. Instead, the EU is undercutting the efforts of other countries to shut down the ivory trade – effectively acting as a key contributor to the destruction of Africa’s natural heritage,” said Nicolette Peters of ASI. “Poaching has decimated the world elephant population, which has slumped in Africa from several million at the turn of the 19th century to around 400,000 today. 20,000 elephants are killed each year for their ivory. That equates to one elephant every 26 minutes. More African elephants are killed by poachers each year than are being born. Any legal trade enables and encourages illegal trade. If current poaching levels continue, elephants may be extinct in the wild within the decade, no thanks to the pathetic response the EU has taken. We urgently need to put the lives of elephants above profit and greed.” Until the EU shuts down its domestic market and puts an end to ivory sale loopholes, ivory will continue to be laundered into European markets under the guise of being ‘old or small stock’. The EU currently has rules on ivory sales within its borders. It’s illegal, for example, to export elephant tusks out of the EU, and only objects dated before 1947 can be bought without paperwork – any ivory made after that date requires a certificate to purchase. However, investigations have revealed that as much as a fifth of ivory objects came from elephants killed after the global trade ban in 1989. It is still too easy to trade illegal ivory within and out of the EU. Ivory sold as antique requires no proof of authenticity or origin within Europe and it is still easy to find ivory sculptures for sale online with no proof of their provenance. ASI shares the sentiments of the Elephant Protection Initiative Foundation (EPI), an organization comprising of 21 African countries working to secure the protection of African elephants. EPI emphasized that a further tightening of the rules by the EU is “hardly progress”. Countries that had thriving markets such as China and the US have gone ahead to ban ivory trade, which has helped decrease poaching within some parts of Africa. It would seem logical that the EU only follows suit. “The European Commission maintains that the EU’s ivory market deals only with old ivory stocks and has no influence on current poaching levels. That is a blatant lie. Giving ivory a value prolongs demand, which maintains the push for supply,” added Peters. “All the EU are doing is gifting a loophole to illegal traffickers to brutally butcher elephants.” The solution is loud and clear – a total ban on ivory trade is the only way of giving elephant populations a chance to thrive. Elephant poaching in Africa has reached a critical point threatening the extinction of these animals. Their protection far outweighs the ridiculous need for artifacts and collectibles carved from their tusks. “In essence, any person buying ivory tusks or products made from ivory is just as guilty as the person who originally killed that elephant. Allowing ivory sales to continue just transfers the blood of an elephant from the hands of the poacher, into your own. The best way to tackle the ivory trade is to disrupt and dismantle the ivory market by making it absolutely impossible for poachers to sell
WICKED SNARES kill giraffes for food and tourist trinkets!
The evil bushmeat trade is driving giraffes to extinction. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), giraffe numbers in Africa have fallen by a staggering 48 per cent in the past 30 years, in what is being called a “silent extinction.” These shy, gentle and graceful creatures are butchered for the bushmeat trade and their body parts are used to make jewellery, bracelets and purses. Poachers are killing giraffes by the thousands, using snares that pull tight around their necks or legs, causing horrific wounds. Made from metal wires scavenged from tires, bikes, motorcycles and even wildlife-protecting fences, these homemade torture devices maim, mutilate, and kill untold numbers of giraffes. While some caught in snares end up being eaten, most are left to rot in the bush. A tragic waste of a special life… Snares are indiscriminate. They can just as easily entrap helpless calves as well as adult giraffes. In the Serengeti ecosystem, these gentle giants have been found clinging to life with snares ripped into their legs and wrapped tightly around their exposed bones. In northern Tanzania, giraffes have been found trapped, dying in agony, hanging by their necks from snares set in trees. Another poaching method is to blind giraffes with bright flashlights; while the poor creatures are disoriented, men hack violently at their long legs, severing their tendons. The giraffes crash to the ground, still ALIVE, where they are mercilessly chopped to death. Giraffes are in big, big trouble! They are already extinct in seven countries: Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Guinea, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria and Senegal. Every step we take now is critical. Every step we take now will determine their future. We need to act fast. If these fragile creatures don’t get our immediate protection, we may be forced to live in a world without them. Giraffes are beloved, peaceful and empathetic animals – quietly grazing on treetops, bending down to touch noses with their new-borns, forming close friendships, and mourning their dead. As recently as 15 years ago, there were around 140,000 giraffes in Africa. It is believed that there are now only some 68,000 mature giraffes left and these numbers are under massive threat. Can you imagine living in a world without these extraordinary and unique African creatures? Then please respond right now before giraffes are gone forever. We must continue our work to raise public awareness about the outrageous cruelty involved in giraffe poaching and habitat decline. With you on our side, ASI will continue to fight this monstrous cruelty. Your donation in any amount will help. Please, help us continue the fight for giraffe conservation!
Anatolian water frogs
We recently exposed how millions of frogs across the globe are being tortured, maimed, and killed. Our investigations led us to the despicable water frog massacres in Turkey so diners can eat frogs legs. Anatolian water frogs are being EATEN TO EXTINCTION! But with your support today, Gloria, we have an opportunity to head this off… Anatolian water frogs have the misfortune to be the largest edible water frog in Turkey. Each year, 17 million water frogs are captured and killed for the dinner table; scientists predict that, because of the trade, water frogs could be extinct by 2032. In the last 50 years some 200 frog species have gone extinct. The Anatolian water frog is fast heading to join them. Not only is the trade driving the frogs towards extinction, it’s almost unbelievably cruel. Hunted at night by men using nets and hooks, water frogs are captured and squashed into bags. Each night, a harvester typically captures between 1,500 and 3,000 frogs to be shipped around the globe. France, Italy and Switzerland are the biggest markets, but the trade is worldwide. Many frogs die on the journey. Once frogs arrive at their destination, their necks are slashed, insides removed, and they are cut in two. Their legs are severed, and their torsos discarded. Sometimes they are SERVED ALIVE! Frogs are used in France for dishes such as cuisses de grenouilles à la provençale. In China, frog legs are often eaten stir fried, while in Indonesia they are eaten in a frog leg soup. In the US, they are either fried or grilled. A video of a chef preparing frogs legs at a restaurant in Tokyo shows the creature trying to claw its way off the plate after being dismembered. Gloria, it was moving its legs and blinking at the camera! A most important question is: do water frogs suffer? Of course, they do! They have nervous systems and pain receptors, so they feel pain and suffer immensely before a horrible death, for a diner’s fleeting taste experience. With your help, we can fight to stop this merciless cruelty. The first and most obvious action we ask, that you take is to share this post and urge your friends to never again eat frog legs, of any species. They all suffer the same cruel fate. With your support, we will explain the situation to the Turkish government and ask them to ban wild frog harvesting. We cannot do this alone. We need your help – please, donate today. Amputating the legs of a live frog is barbaric and cruel. Sometimes the frogs remain in agony for an hour before they die! Water frogs in Turkey need your urgent help! Please, today, donate what you can, large or small (every gift helps!), so water frogs can be spared from pain and suffering!
Rhino Horn Among Quack Health Remedies Touted to Cure COVID-19
As the coronavirus takes a massive toll on humanity, one would assume that humankind has learned their lesson and stopped using animal body parts like rhino horn in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). If only that were true. The London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), working to expose trade in illicit goods, has discovered images of the packaging of a product called Angong Niuhuang Wan that lists rhino horn as an active ingredient. “The avalanche of false information stemming out of China that an animal’s horn made of nothing more than dead keratin cells can treat or cure a deadly virus, is playing with fire and could prove devastating for society as a whole,” said Nicolette Peters of ASI. “China has taken one step forward and two steps backward when it comes to the fight against the novel coronavirus, which was first discovered in China, and rapidly spread around the globe. While they’ve banned wild meat and shut down wet markets and farms, the Chinese government has also been aggressively promoting traditional medicine as a cure for Covid-19. Spreading fake news is yet another indication that China is not taking this pandemic seriously.” The world was slowly making a degree of progress in the fight to stop rhino poaching. Then came the virus. Covid-19 has resulted in increased poaching of African wildlife and a flood of products on social media promoting animal parts as remedies for treating the virus, such as the Angong Niuhuang Wan on WeChat. Angong Niuhuang Wan is sold in the form of medicine ‘balls’ made up of a combination of mineral, herbal, and animal ingredients and is used to reduce fever. One of the sellers is based in China and has a long history of offering tiger, elephant, helmeted hornbill, rhino, and other illegal wildlife for sale via WeChat. Another is a Chinese-owned company with multiple retail outlets in the Laotian capital Vientiane selling tiger, elephant, bear, rhino and other wildlife parts and derivatives. Some items are sold openly and others under-the-counter, while the company WeChat account is full of illegal wildlife for sale. “China has signed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), under which international commercial trade in rhino products is banned, so imports and exports of any rhino horn product are illegal,” said Peters. “We all know rhinos are on the brink of extinction and spreading fake rumors that rhino horn can now also cure the coronavirus could prove to be the final nail in the coffin.” The unfounded belief that an animal’s horn comprised of the same type of protein that makes up hair and fingernails has magical healing properties has fuelled the brazen slaying of thousands of endangered rhino. South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, and Tanzania have struggled for decades to control the poaching of rhino horns to feed demand in China and Southeast Asia. South Africa, home to 80% of the world’s rhinos, has been hardest hit by rhino poaching, with more than 1,000 killed each year between 2013 and 2017. Poaching of both black and white rhino has risen at an alarming rate in Botswana with nearly 50 rhinos killed – three in the space of two weeks in June. A report released by the Netherlands-based Wildlife Justice Commission states that large quantities of ivory are being stockpiled in Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia, which are often the entry points for the Chinese market. Despite lockdowns in place, flights canceled and movement restricted, shifting significant volumes of rhino horn has far from stopped. Authorities confirm that shipments are still moving because although human travel has stopped, the shipping companies are still operating. All wildlife by-products pose human health risks, regardless of whether the animals are bred for meat or poached for traditional medicine. The magnitude of the current coronavirus outbreak places an intensified spotlight on the human health risks linked to wild animal trade. “Despite the clear imperative for action provided by the tragic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, China remains a primary consumer of parts and products of rhinos, big cats, pangolins, and several other species. To tackle this demand, China’s policy changes need to include a comprehensive, permanent ban on the use of parts and products of wildlife threatened by trade,” concluded Peters.