Most people know that fireworks can scare pets, but not many know that they cause damage in many other ways as well, such as causing various types of pollution, harming and killing birds and other wildlife, and impacting the health of the workers that make them.
Significant numbers of owls are being illegally trapped and sacrificed each year in India to supply rituals and ceremonies marking annual Diwali celebrations. While the exact number of owls traded domestically is unknown, estimates place the figure in the thousands.
Instead of honoring what should be a core commitment to conservation, South Africa’s DEA is planning to attempt to legalize trade in rhino horn. This is suspiciously timed with the announcement that China will allow trade in farmed rhino horn, and is a blatant prioritization of profit over the interests of rhinos.
A boom in demand for otters as pets in Japan has been linked to rising numbers of “otter cafés,” high-profile television programs featuring otters and celebrities, and the popularity of otter pet “superstars” on social media platforms.
The fourth conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) in London this week has seen high-level participation from governments, NGOs, and the private sector, focusing the attention of the international community on commitments to tackle IWT as a form of serious organised crime.
Can emphasizing positive cultural connotations and mythology help bring pangolins back from the brink of extinction? This unusual-looking creature may benefit from being thought of as a sign of good luck or a symbol of hope, rather than a killable commodity.
In the wake of two recent untimely orca deaths among the already-endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales, Lifeforce offers six ways to help protect the remaining orcas from the many anthropogenic threats they face today.
Friends of the Earth Malaysia calls for improvements in how Malaysia’s authorities respond to wildlife crimes. Malaysia is one of the top ten smuggling hubs in its region, and several factors converge to enable the illegal wildlife trade to continue to thrive in the country.
Federal safeguards for Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bears were reinstated September 24th after a judge ruled that the Trump administration’s decision to strip Endangered Species Act protections from the bear population was illegal.
This is a particularly critical election for animals, so it’s important that we turn out to the polls to support those who have expressed a willingness to join in the fight. Remember, you hold the power to make sure humane candidates get into Congress and stay there. Animals only win when humane candidates and issues do.
“The world has lost another endangered orca in the space of one month. This is now a matter of taking responsibility to protect an endangered species, by restoring their food source and protecting where they feed by not allowing increased tar sands tanker traffic through their habitat.”
For millennia, vultures have aided humans in their role as nature’s clean-up crew. Now, Kenya is repaying the favor with a new rapid-response unit to combat vulture poisoning, part of an ambitious project to save Africa’s vultures.