Poachers in Zimbabwe poison 87 elephants for ivory, official says
More than 80 elephants in Zimbabwe have been poisoned with cyanide -- the latest victims of poachers keen to feed soaring global demand for illegally trafficked ivory.Since May, the carcasses of 87 elephants have been discovered in Hwange National Park, said Caroline Washaya-Moyo, public relations manager for Zimbabwe's Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.The poachers poisoned natural salt licks to bring down the mighty beasts, she said Wednesday.The parks authority has so far recovered 51 tusks, she said -- leaving 123 in the hands of the poachers.Zimbabwe's newly appointed Environment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere told CNN that he would push for stiffer jail penalties to root out poaching in the wildlife-rich African nation.
In Africa, Geneticists Are Hunting Poachers
South African authorities long had eyes on Rogers Mukwena. They knew the former schoolteacher was wanted in Zimbabwe for poaching rhinoceroses and selling their horns, which can command hundreds of thousands of dollars.He’d jumped bail and fled to northern Pretoria, but it was vexingly difficult to catch and prosecute him — until a scientist helped make the case against him with rhino DNA.His subsequent conviction resulted from a new tactic in wildlife preservation: The genetic fingerprinting methods that have been so successful in the criminal justice system are now being used to solve poaching crimes.First, researchers in South Africa had to build a large database of genetic samples drawn from African rhinoceroses. The DNA would be used to match a carcass to a particular horn discovered on a suspected poacher or trafficker, or to rhinoceros blood on his clothes, knives or axes.
Europe must choose: elephants or ivory
On the streets of European capitals, ivory can be bought and sold freely as long as the seller says it’s ‘antique’. Law enforcement agencies say these sales are impossible to police, because it it is notoriously difficult to determine the age of ivory. It’s a system ripe for exploitation — so it’s no surprise when ivory sold in Europe turns out anything but antique.
Three lions decapitated and chopped up for use in traditional medicine, say South African police
Poachers beheaded and chopped the paws off three male lions to use in traditional medicine, South African police say.The big cats were fed poisoned meat at a Tzaneen Lion and Predator Park in the country's Limpopo province, before they were mutilated.
Rare Alligator Is Threatened As China Feeds Its People
According to a new study, the Chinese alligator -- the animal that may have inspired the mythical creatures and is known as tu long, or earth dragon -- is barely hanging on in nature.Researchers say fewer than 130 of these animals are left in the wild, though their current habitat in southeastern China can hardly be called wilderness
Collaring elephants in one of Africa's last great wildernesses
Thanks to satellite collars, 60 elephants will be monitored for better protection against poaching in one of the last great African wildernesses, Tanzania’s Selous Game Reserve. It’s an ambitious undertaking—the country’s largest ever elephant collaring effort—carried out by the Tanzanian government in collaboration with WWF. Once an elephant stronghold, rampant poaching of elephants for ivory has decimated the population in Selous. In less than 40 years, elephant numbers in Selous have plunged by 90 percent to only around 15,200 animals today.
South Africa’s rhino poaching trends show a slight decrease—but death toll remains too high
“Wildlife trafficking remains a pervasive threat to rhinos, and increasingly to other species such as elephants and lions which bring tourists and jobs to our important protected areas,” said Dr. Jo Shaw, African rhino lead for WWF International. “These crimes also affect people living around our parks by exposing them to criminals connected to international trafficking syndicates.”Despite the still dangerously high rhino poaching numbers, the South African government has made some progress in tackling the issue. It has increased the number of convictions for illegal activities relating to rhinos, especially higher up within the criminal syndicates behind the poaching. And it’s working closely with communities to get them involved in the legal wildlife economy, including ecotourism
When you travel, bring back keepsakes, not mistakes
Don’t be afraid to purchase unique, handcrafted goods that do not contain animal products. By making informed choices, you can put the power of your purse to work supporting local tourism and reducing the demand for species at risk.
Meet Singye Wangmo, tiger protector
Poaching groups often venture in to the park, no matter how much Singye and her team patrol known areas for poachers. During her first-ever field visit, she encountered a huge group of armed poachers. Singye thought she was going to die. It was only through her training, speed of thought and team’s unity that they managed to drive the poachers out of the park.Although one of the scariest moments of her life, this event has only made Singye feel stronger. “Before this incident, I had a lot of doubt and misgivings about my capability. But I maintained my composure, so now I am more fearless.”
A massive win for the world’s most trafficked mammal
All legal trade of pangolins, the world’s most trafficked mammals, will soon end thanks to an international agreement to further protect the critically endangered species from extinction. Countries decided to strengthen existing protections today at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a global agreement between governments to follow rules to monitor, regulate, or ban international trade in species under threat.“This is a huge win and rare piece of good news for some of the world's most trafficked and endangered animals,” said Ginette Hemley, head of the WWF delegation at CITES. “Giving pangolins full protection under CITES will eliminate any question about legality of trade, making it harder for criminals to traffic them and increasing the consequences for those who do.”
Illegal Wildlife Traders in China Migrating to Social Media for Sales
China has the world’s biggest online community with an estimated $274.6 billion spent on online trade in 2014. As commercial sites have cracked down on illegal sales, wildlife criminals in China are increasingly taking to popular social media platforms to sell illegal wildlife products, particularly ivory, according to new research from TRAFFIC on the Chinese-language online retail community.