UK Government and Parliament Petition – “Shut down the domestic ivory market in the United Kingdom“ Update from ivory auctioneers in Australia: “Leonard Joel kicks elephant out of the saleroom,” Financial Review, 7 December 2016 On Wednesday, 16 November 2016, Action for Elephants UK organised a gathering outside of the Department for Environment, Food …
Saving the animals of Taiz Zoo, Yemen – Please help!
Note: Article Updated, 14 January 2017 Since the war in Yemen* began last year, civilians have paid (and continue to pay) a heavy price – tragically, more than 6,800 people have been killed and 35,000 injured since March 2015, the majority in air strikes by a Saudi-led multinational coalition that …
Lion Hunting Trophy Imports
Banner image – courtesy of Mwana – Kanimambo Creations The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Service Director Dan Ashe has recently announced (20 October 2016) that the United States will no longer permit the import of lion trophies from captive hunts in South Africa. Melissa Bachman poses with …
Another Missed Opportunity by CITES
In early September 2016, the renowned body of scientists, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) passed Motion 009 – “the prohibition by the South African Government on the capture of wild lions for breeding or keeping in captivity.“ IUCN Motion 009 – “Terminating the hunting of captive-bred lions (Panthera leo) and other predators …
Support for European Union Proposed Trophy Hunting Resolution
Update (6 October 2016): Hunting Trophies resolution passed at CoP17 To: European Union Member State Environment Ministers September 2016 International regulations concerning hunting trophies of species listed on the CITES Appendices Dear Minister, The signatories to this letter, representing a wide range of international organisations with an interest in …
‘Canned’ Hunting – The ‘End Game’
Banner image: courtesy of Campaign Against Canned Hunting article ‘Canned’ Phase Out We have seen the acknowledged damage being done to South Africa’s reputation from its continued harbouring of ‘canned’ practices. The ‘canned’ industry is in steep decline (with a reported 70% drop in the ‘appetite’ for ‘canned’ executions of bred stock). Figure 1 – …
Ivory Trade in The United Kingdom
Banner Image “Elaborately Carved Tusks” Courtesy of Kate Wong UK Petition – “Shut down the domestic ivory market in the UK“ The United Kingdom Ivory Trade – Should there be a blanket ban on all ivory trading? Let’s take a look at the high end of the ‘legal’ antique ivory trade. Figure …
Rhino Horn Harvesting – “A Shortcut to Extinction?”
Banner image – Courtesy of Brent Stirton, Getty/National Geographic Creative On Wednesday (3 August 2016), I attended a live debate at London’s The Royal Institution of Great Britain. The motion before the house was “This house believes that the global trade of rhino horn should be legalized” – The Royal …
World Lion Day, the African Lion and CITES
On the 10 August, it will be World Lion Day……so what events can we look forward to that gives us hope that this iconic species can survive in the wild for future generations to see and enjoy? In September this year, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of …
Elephant Misery
Have you ever been to a zoo, or animal ‘safari’ park where elephant rides are offered and you have been tempted to try it? Or perhaps attended a ‘festival’ in India or Sri Lanka where elaborately decorated elephants are ‘proudly’ paraded by their ‘masters?’ Figure 1 – Tourists riding elephants …