Consultation on Conservation and Sustainable Use – South Africa

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Banner Image: Courtesy of Michelle Riley HSUS The Minster (Barbara Creecy), the Republic of South Africa, Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) has released, for public consultation, a Draft White Paper on Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africa’s Biodiversity: Government Notice 2252 of 2022 “South Africa’s Biodiversity 2022: …

Gucci Tiger Collection Marketing – Failure

Stephen Wiggins Article, Speaking Out 1 Comment

Using tigers (or any wildlife for that matter) as dangerous show props (for example, Siegfried and Roy – “It took four men and a fire extinguisher to get the tiger off him”), or to promote an ‘aspirational lifestyle’ (sic) is reprehensible. However, it appears that some fashion brands/influencers don’t get it – …

2020 Review

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 “Scotland to ban mass culling of mountain hares” (The Guardian 18 June 2020) – Image courtesy of Robert Harding   Well, 2020 has been a year to remember and forget at the same time…..and as we head into 2021, the legacy of 2020 will be coming with us for the foreseeable……hopefully, …

Crossing the Red Line – Japan’s Exotic Pet Trade

Stephen Wiggins Article, Studies 2 Comments

“Crossing the Red Line – Japan’s Exotic Pet Trade,” TRAFFIC, June 2020 “Japan has historically been identified as one of the biggest consumer countries of exotic pets, where hundreds of threatened species are in demand, including slow lorises, owls and pythons privately kept by individuals. Demand in Japan has been a persistent driving force within …

Breaking Point: Uncovering South Africa’s Shameful Live Wildlife Trade with China

Stephen Wiggins Article, Studies 5 Comments

Image Credit: Karl Ammann on location in China. Karl Ammann is a conservationist and wildlife photographer “Breaking Point: Uncovering South Africa’s Shameful Live Wildlife Trade with China,” EMS Foundation and Ban Animal Trading report, 17 May 2020 “South Africa has become the largest exporter of live wild animals to Asia, …

Zoonotic Diseases of Mass Destruction (Part II) – Who is regulating who?

Stephen Wiggins Article 1 Comment

Banner image courtesy of Animals Asia In the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the legal trade and illegal wildlife trafficking trade has come under increasing scrutiny (for good reason). A 2019 study concluded that one in every five species is affected by trade of some sort, but that the wildlife trade will expand …

Living with wild animals (Part Two): Eat them like there’s no tomorrow

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Banner Image – “Late last year, 32 wild animals, including lions, giraffes, white and black rhinos, lions and cheetahs, were listed under the Animal Improvement Act, effectively rendering them farm animals subject to manipulation and consumption“ Article by Don Pinnock, “Living with wild animals (Part Two): Eat them like there’s …

Open letter to World Health Organisation

Stephen Wiggins Article 5 Comments

6th April 2020 Dear Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus [Director General, World Health Organisation] and Dr Zhang Qi [Co-ordinator of Traditional and Complementary Medicine Unit (TCM), World Health Organisation], COVID-19: Health risks and wildlife[1] markets – the need for a permanent global ban on wildlife markets and a highly precautionary approach to …

Zoonotic Diseases of Mass Destruction

Stephen Wiggins Article 4 Comments

Banner image courtesy of artist Olaf Hajek and The New York Times Sunday Review The ‘true’ cost of wildlife abuse – Coronavirus and the viruses to follow…. “If we fail to understand and take care of the natural world, it can cause a breakdown of these systems and come back …