In 2019, the illegal wildlife trade reached staggering levels. Pangolin scales and ivory were being trafficked in massive quantities from Africa to Asia, exposing a network of crime syndicates operating at an industrial scale. The sheer volume of these shipments marked a disturbing milestone, one that revealed the global reach …
In the first four months of 2015, a record 393 rhinos were killed by poachers in South Africa, marking an 18 percent rise over the same period last year, the country’s environment minister said, during a public briefing on Sunday. Rhino poaching in South Africa has been surging since 2008, …
A report prepared on an investigation into the alleged deforestation of Sri Lanka's famous Wilpattu National Park has been handed in to Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Monday. Secretary to the Ministry of Irrigation, Mahaweli and Environment Nihal Rupasinghe said that the report relating to the special investigation on …
Drones will be used to monitor quarries and stone crushers to ensure regulations are observed, the Ministry of Environment and Water has announced. Saif Mohammed Al Shara, assistant undersecretary for external audit at the Ministry of Environment and Water, said the initiative was in line with Sheikh Mohammed’s designation of …
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has ordered to immediately stop deforestation and land reserving around Wilpattu National Park in Northern Province. Effective immediately, it has been prohibited to clear the surrounding area and land reserving of Wilpattu National Park and Vavuniya, Mannar under a special decree by the President, President's …
The African elephant risks being extinct by 2025 if urgent action is not taken, an animal trust has said. David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust said it is estimated that one elephant is killed every 15 minutes as a result of Asia's demand for ivory. Climate change, habitat degradation and loss, forest …
Nagpur: In perhaps one of the biggest illegal mining scams in the country, at Pachgaon near Nagpur, at least 21 forest officials and employees may face action if the list submitted to the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court is considered. On April 20, a bench of justice AB Chaudhari …
The permission to allow mining in Bishanpur and Bhogpur areas of Haridwar district after three days of an announcement regarding its closure has once again stirred a hornet's nest. Even as the district magistrate and director, mining and geology department, pass the buck, Matri Sadan priests on Thursday wrote a …
Despite a blanket ban by the Supreme Court, illegal mining continues to wreck havoc in the environmentally fragile Aravalli ranges of the district. Though the administration claims to pro-active in tackling the menace by impounding 90 vehicles and recovering more than Rs30 lakh as fine from the violators in the …
Two Kenya Wildlife Service casual workers have accused senior KWS officials of illegal logging at the Shimba Hills National Reserve. Alfred Mumbo and William Wachira said they were arrested by Kenya Forest Service officers last Wednesday to cover up the saga. They were released on Sh10,000 police bail each on …
The National Assembly Committee on Environment and Natural Resources has launched investigations into to the smuggling of three tonnes of ivory through the Mombasa port that was seized in Thailand. The 511 pieces of ivory was found on April 25 in a container disguised as tea leaves transported from Mombasa …
17 countries, 12 of who are in Africa have been urged by the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wildlife and Flora (CITES) to strengthen their legal frameworks to combat illegal trade in wildlife. According to the latest figures released by the National Legislation Project of the Convention, Algeria, Comoros, …
Following a major seizure of illegal wildlife goods in North Sumatra, the Indonesian authorities released 94 pangolins into the wild last week, including a newborn whose mother died shortly after the authorities caught up with the traffickers. Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya flew to the provincial capital of Medan …
Global pressure is building to end the importation of lion trophies from "canned" hunts in Africa. But those hunts are getting more popular. When Australia banned the importation of lion trophies this year, it became the first country to take legislative action against the lucrative business of hunting captive lions, …
Signs supplementary lease deeds for 10 mines The Odisha government has inked supplementary lease deeds to facilitate reopening of 10 iron and manganese ore mines in Sundargarh district. The lease deeds were executed for five mines owned by Rungta Group including Rungta Mines, Fee-grade & Company Ltd and the rest …
Large grass-eating animals including elephants, rhinos and hippos are facing extinction, a new study has warned. As many as 60 per cent of large herbivores are struggling to survive, with all of the threatened species living in the developing nations in Africa and Asia, with the exception of the European …
A Haridwar ashram and its sadhus have been fighting a battle against illegal mining on the Ganga riverbed A long and dusty road along the Ganga leads to the Matri Sadan ashram in Jagjitpur village, some distance away from Haridwar city . Two policemen lounge outside the gates -perhaps the …
WASHINGTON — Denis Sassou-Nguesso, president of the Republic of Congo, smiled broadly as he set fire to more than five tons of illegally hunted elephant tusks this week in Brazzaville, the nation’s capital. The ivory had been seized from poachers across the country, and, fueled by similarly poached timber, the …
This paper provides an analytical framework for assessing the impact of international trade in wildlife and wildlife products on conservation and local livelihoods. It also explores the role of factors related to particular species and their habitat, governance settings, the supply-chain structure, and the nature of the end market. The …
The US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle has said that Nigeria's rapidly depleting wildlife population calls for attention. Entwistle said at an event marking the celebration of the 2015 World Earth Day in Abuja that: "Elephants which once roamed widely in the country are today limited to only five …
Poaching went down almost by half last year compared to 2013, latest government figures show. The figures are expected to drop further this year, Kenya Wildlife Service says. KWS acting director general William Kiprono said poaching of elephants has gone down by 47 per cent. About 302 elephants were killed …
