Apart from poaching and habitat loss, climate change-induced droughts have been threatening the rhino population in Africa, pointed out a new report. On the other hand, climate disruptions in Asia can lead to the deaths of rhinos. Increased precipitation, longer monsoons and seasonal floods are already resulting in stranding, drowning …
Conservationists have warned that Grévy's zebra, a rare species, is in danger of becoming extinct if urgent measures are not taken to protect it. The population of Grévy's zebra that once roamed across various parts of Africa, has fallen dramatically from historical levels of 25,000 in the 1970s to about …
Research shows that the rhino DNA database is being used to its full extent in persecuting poachers. The Rhinoceros DNA index system (RhODIS) has proven very useful since it was established in 2010 and uses composite short tandem repeat genotyping to identify the DNA of rhinos who have been poached. …
The European Union has invested $20 million in a new cross-regional wildlife programme to assist wildlife rich countries in East, Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean regions to fight poaching and trafficking of wildlife products. The deal — signed between the EU, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), …
Heavily armed militia and poachers are a threat to wildlife populations in the Garamba-Bili-Chinko (GBC) region in Central Africa. The militias are decimating wildlife in the 75,593 square kilometre region straddling northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo and southeastern Central African Republic. Investigations have unearthed that poachers are trafficking in wildlife …
Kenya is among countries that have been urged to declare their elephant ivory and rhino stock. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora has given parties up to February 28 to declare all stock. “The purpose of the notification is to remind parties on …
China has long been one of the world's biggest markets for ivory, but as of 2018 all trade in ivory and ivory products in the country is illegal. The move is being hailed as a major development in efforts to protect the world's elephant population. Wildlife campaigners believe 30,000 African …
A ban on all sales of ivory products in China comes into force on Sunday, a move hailed by conservationists as an important step in the fight to protect endangered species such as African elephants. China, one of the world’s biggest markets for African ivory, announced last year that it …
Japan’s failure to prevent illegal ivory exports could undermine China’s forthcoming ban on its domestic ivory trade, conservation groups have warned. Inaction by Japan’s government has allowed the smuggling of large quantities of undocumented ivory overseas, mainly to China, according to a report released in Tokyo on Wednesday by the …
TAWIRI Director General, Dr Simon Mduma insists that through aerial surveys and spatial analysis, the team revealed that poachers preferred to operate in the wet season – when swollen rivers mean travel by road is difficult and tourism was minimal. “The study also revealed that signs of poaching tended to …
Japan remains one of the world’s largest domestic ivory markets, and is home to an active, though shrinking, ivory manufacturing industry. The country also boasts significant stockpiles of raw tusks in private ownership—a cultural legacy from its past trade. Ivory Towers: An Assessment of Japan’s Ivory trade and domestic market, …
Iconic wildlife species such as rhinos and elephants could soon be wiped out if corruption continues to thrive. Corruption fuels wildlife crime, which in turn drives many species to extinction, CITES warned. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora released a statement following the …
About 57 508 people across the world have signed a petition for the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to stop the hunting of desert elephants in Namibia. Iris Koch from Esslingen, Germany, started the online petition on Change.org website. She stated in the petition that Namibia’s desert elephants are iconic …
Elephants are at imminent threat of extinction in western and central Africa, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species’ (CITES) secretary-general has said at the opening of its 69th week-long committee. While a steady decline in poaching has been seen across the African continent since 2011, illegal killings of …
Lusaka – Concerned with the continued rampant poaching of elephants and rhinos, among other endangered species, Germany has set aside 20 million euros to assist curb the practice in the 15 Southern African Development Community (SADC) member countries. Part of the funding will be used to train scouts who will …
Foreign armed groups, including the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), the Janjaweed (a Sudanese militia), and other non-State militias, are the main perpetrators of wildlife poaching and trafficking across Central Africa’s Garamba-Bili-Chinko Landscape, a region that straddles the northwest border of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the southwest border of …
Kenya Wildlife Service rangers on Tuesday arrested three suspected poachers and impounded 14 pieces of ivory weighing 58kgs. Addressing journalists at Chogoria Police Station, Maara OCPD Johnston Kabusia said the three suspects were arrested in a hotel in Chogoria Town, Tharaka-Nithi County, following a tip-off. UNDERCOVER He said the rangers …
The ministers responsible for wildlife conservation of the IGAD member states; namely Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda, have agreed to enforce the Regional Biodiversity Policy and the IGAD Biodiversity Protocol for cooperation on the wildlife anti-trafficking. IGAD Executive Secretariat Engineer, Mahboub Maalim underlined the need for …
Forest Department compensates for cattle loss Anywhere else, the incidence of 30 cattle heads being killed by tigers in a span of just five months would have raised a furore, but in Kagaznagar Forest Division in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district however, the trend is a welcome phenomenon. “The cattle kills …
The report on the status of elephants and ivory trade released yesterday by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species said there has been a steady decline in poaching levels since its peak in 2011. “There has however been a steady decline in poaching levels since its peak in …
The Liwonde Magistrates Court has slapped a 28-year-old Esau Chikondi Billy and hid accomplices with a lengthy jail term for poaching rhinos in Liwonde National Parks. The court convicted and sentenced Billy to 18 years imprisonment with hard labour (IHL) for killing a black rhinoceros with intentions of trafficking of …
