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Category: Wildlife Trade

Philippines Court Cases

ASI has been fighting for decades to end the illegal dog meat trade in the Philippines. We work closely with law enforcement agencies to track down the evil people who kidnap dogs for slaughter. During a police raid on a dog meat trader’s secret “stash,” officers discovered kidnapped dogs being held for slaughter in a cruel, concrete pit. We rescued them all. It felt so good for our team to lift those suffering souls from that sweltering hellhole in the Philippines, and supporters like you made it happen. But what if our work stopped there, with the rescue? What if there was no prosecuting, convicting, or imprisoning of these brutal dog meat criminals? It would be the saddest kind of dust in the wind, and the killing and the kidnapping of defenceless dogs would continue. This must never be! That’s why we are asking for your help today to fuel a battle against the Philippines dog meat trade that is as critical as our raids and rescues. The battle in the courtroom. Rush your donation now to help us serve up justice to dog meat traders and traffickers in the Philippines, and end their ugly reign of terror. Let us tell you about what has unfolded since we rescued those five poor dogs (they are all safe and in loving homes today). THIRTEEN traders convicted! THREE now locked in prison! OVER ONE MILLION pesos in fines to the government! My team appears at trial after trial, no matter how slowly the judicial process takes. One recent case stretched 24 months but ended in the conviction of two traders. Another took nearly NINE years! Just imagine the grim fates of untold numbers of dogs if we’d run out of funds to pursue each case. Justice is deeply worthwhile, but costly. Sadly, all fines go to the government. My team receives no help for their heroic work and determination. So, I turn now, to you. I know a court hearing isn’t as dramatic as a rescue or a raid. But they are transporting poor, dead dogs by the truckload! Can you imagine stopping even one of these heartless criminals in their tracks? It’s dangerous but VITAL work. Your support now WILL SAVE MORE DOGS, so please be as generous as you can. Thank you so much for being a true friend to dogs in the Philippines.

The World’s Most Trafficked Animal Is on the Verge of Extinction

Pangolins are under threat. Their extinction is imminent and once again it’s all thanks to mankind. More than one million pangolins have been poached or trafficked in the last decade alone and this lucrative business is thriving. In some parts of the world pangolins are beaten and suffocated with smoke, then boiled alive. Some restaurants in Vietnam even go a step further and slaughter live pangolins at the dinner table. The Animal Survival International’s (ASI) is actively involved in global campaigns to get governments to pass stricter laws and mitigate this catastrophe. “We cannot allow this horrendous slaughter to continue, something has to be done. These solitary and peaceful creatures are one of the most trafficked mammals in the world, accounting for as much as 20% of all illegal wildlife trade,” said ASI’s Andrea Matthee. Pangolins are mainly traded for their scales, which Chinese medicine incorrectly states can be used to treat several illnesses. The plight of the poor pangolin dates as far back as 1820, where King George III was presented with a coat and helmet made with their scales. “This trade is still thriving today, 200 years down the line and it has always been driven by money. The scales from a single pangolin can fetch up to $100,000 (£81,000) on the black market,” explained Matthee. All eight pangolin species are classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as being threatened or vulnerable. Two of these species are critically endangered. International trade in pangolins is prohibited in terms of the global Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) agreement and yet the trafficking continues unabated. In April, 2019, Malaysian authorities uncovered 27 tonnes of animals and scales – a record breaking bust to the value of over $2 million (£1.6 million). Moreover, in Singapore 26 tonnes were intercepted and in Vietnam five tonnes were confiscated after being found hidden under a container of cashew nuts. Beyond unfounded medicinal ignorance, pangolin meat is also treated as a delicacy and forms a big part of the multibillion-dollar bush meat trade. “It’s time for us to rise up and fight for these voiceless creatures. Authorities around the world continue to turn a blind eye to this scourge but we will continue to fight for the survival of these creatures because if we don’t do it, who will?” said Matthee. Pangolins, or scaly anteaters as they are otherwise known, are solitary and secretive mammals that live in underground burrows or tree hollows. They are found in parts of Asia and across the African continent and are the only mammals in the world to be covered in scales. They’ve got small heads, long snouts and even longer tongues for slurping up ants from inside ant nests.

Pangolins

Pangolins are on the verge of extinction. 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. Their situation is so serious we really need your help to stop them being wiped out. Pangolins, also known as scaly anteaters, are solitary and secretive, living in underground burrows or tree hollows in parts of Asia, and throughout Africa. Global warming and deforestation threaten their habitat – but there’s a more dire, existential threat: human ignorance and greed. They are slaughtered for their skin and scales and hunted for a fake medicine or status meal. More than ONE MILLION pangolins have been poached or trafficked in just the past decade! The shy, reclusive, almost unknown creatures are being wiped out because of criminal activities that are out of control. The trade is driven by money: the scales from a single pangolin can fetch up to £80,000 ($100,000). In China and Vietnam, they are boiled to make potions falsely believed to cure cancer and skin conditions, and boost virility. To make it worse, pangolin meat is prized as a delicacy in these countries. These meals are routinely accompanied by unspeakable cruelty. The Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) has documented live creatures beaten and suffocated with smoke, then boiled alive. Waiters in upmarket Vietnamese restaurants offer to procure live pangolins and slaughter them at the table. The pressure for horrific poaching and trafficking is as strong as ever. Pangolins range in size from really small, at just 12 inches (30cm) long, to the giant pangolin, at around five feet (1.5m). 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. International trade in pangolins is prohibited in terms of the global Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) agreement. Yet, the trafficking continues unabated. In April, Malaysian authorities seized a 27-ton consignment of animals and scales, the highest ever in that country, with an estimated black-market value of £1.6m ($2-million). Police in Singapore intercepted shipments of scales totalling 26 tons, and in Vietnam, authorities confiscated five tons hidden in a container of cashew nuts transported from Nigeria. In separate recent discoveries, a further ten tons of scales were seized in Uganda, the Philippines, and Hong Kong. With numbers like that, it is only a matter of time before all the pangolins have gone. Pangolins need better law enforcement if they are to be saved from extinction. ASI needs your help to spread awareness about an impending global disaster. Please, if you possibly can, donate today so that we can make sure these precious creatures don’t slide unnoticed into extinction. Soon, the expression will no longer be: dead as a dodo, but dead as a pangolin, another creature that the world failed to save.

Looming Brexit Could Be a Disaster for Animals

The Animal Survival International is deeply concerned that the chaos surrounding Brexit is very bad indeed for animals. 80 percent of current animal welfare legislation comes from EU law. If the UK leaves Europe on October 31, as planned by the Conservative government, UK animal welfare may well suffer enormous setbacks. A raft of new legislation will be needed to protect animals at a time when the country will be wrestling with an array of serious legislative issues. There is no indication from the government that animal welfare will be on any priority list. As just one example of the scope of the problem is that a million pets have travelled with their owners from the UK to Europe on Eurostar since 2013. The UK government’s response to this is to state that pet travel requirements will change on the day Brexit happens, and that it is possible from then on – and we quote: “You must have your dog, cat or ferret microchipped and vaccinated against rabies before it can travel. You must wait three months from the date the successful blood sample was taken before you can travel.” The hardship for pets and owners, should this happen, is hard to overstate. The tests will be expensive and the paperwork time consuming, holidays will become more difficult to arrange and finance, and pets more likely to be abandoned. There are massive concerns about the welfare of farm animals. Britain will have to urgently negotiate new trade agreements, which will almost certainly be made with countries with lower animal welfare standards. Britons could be faced with a flood of beef from the USA where cattle are given growth hormones, and pork which is produced from pigs raised in sow stalls, where the sow is barely able to move and unable to turn around and is without proper bedding. Sow stalls have been banned in the EU since January 2013. Then, there is the problem of chickens as many countries still allow battery cages that are inherently cruel to the fowls. Animal lovers may well have no way of knowing under what conditions animals are raised. Abusing animals is cheaper than raising them under reasonable conditions which means that meat produced by cruel treatment will be cheaper than that produced domestically where rules are stricter. Economists predict financial hard times for the UK after Brexit, and people will naturally lean towards cheaper products. The consequences are obvious: poorer animal welfare and poorer UK farmers. The UK has always been a key player in the EU on international animal welfare matters to ensure the EU has a block vote in international bodies like the International Whaling Committee, and the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has animal welfare and protection at its heart, from elephants to whales. Any change brought about by Brexit must ensure that the UK’s commitment remains unwavering, using its influence to protect endangered animals and their habitats. ASI is working to support MPs and prospective MPs from any party, who are animal friendly and prepared to fight for laws and regulations that protect animals. In these uncertain times, we urgently need your help to ensure that animals are not casualties in post Brexit times. Please donate today to ensure that ASI will be in a position to ensure that animal welfare does not become a forgotten issue.

Botswana’s Elephants: Myths vs Facts

Botswana

In the final analysis, the southern African countries represented at the Kasane Conference appear intent on moving against science and cogent argument.

UK Introduces Strict Ban on Sale of Ivory

Ivory Sales

The number of elephants living in the wild has declined by almost a third in the last decade and around 20,000 elephants a year are being slaughtered due to the global demand for ivory.

Singapore Seeks a Ban on Ivory Sales

Ivory Sales

If the ban is passed, it means individuals and local businesses will no longer be able to sell or buy any form of elephant ivory in Singapore.

Sniffer Dogs Prove Their Worth in Rhino Poaching Crisis

Sniffer Dogs

Network for Animals supports seven of the 54 sniffer dogs that work for the Kruger National Park’s canine unit. The dogs and the brave men who work with them, hunt down poachers in the huge nature reserve, which is larger than the country of Wales.

Tories Expand Cruel and Pointless Badger Cull

Badger Cull

It’s clear that neither scientific reasoning nor constant pressure from animal lovers will end the horror of the badger cull. Only a change in government will stop the madness.

Is Zimbabwe Exporting Rhinos to China?

Rhino

Most recently, it was reported that 31 young elephants captured in the Hwange National Park in January this year, were to be exported – probably to China.

Elephant Massacre in Botswana

Botswana Hunting

The bodies of 87 elephants, most with their tusks chopped off, were discovered by a non-governmental organisation, Elephants without Borders, which was conducting a routine elephant census along the Botswana border.

Is the Tide Turning for Elephants?

Elephant Ivory

The work done by Network for Animals and its supporters comes at an important time for elephants − a time when the tide appears to be turning against the trade in ivory.

Canned Lion Hunting

Lion Hunting

This Zapiro cartoon in the Daily Maverick captures the essence of South Africa’s shameful canned lion hunting industry that places cash before conservation.