Conservation Action Trust News Updates

4 January 2017 | City Press | Andreas Wilson-Späth | Free to publish credit CAT

A scathing new report shows that key countries affected by wildlife crime have failed to halt poaching and illegal trafficking of endangered animals as a result of widespread corruption and inadequate law enforcement, thus putting increasing numbers of species at risk of extinction. Wildlife crime – a multibillion-dollar-a-year business run by large international syndicates – … Full Stor

7 January 2017 | The Guardian | Paula Kahumbu |

A saleswoman tries to stop a photograph being taken of ivory items for sale in a department store in Hong Kong. Ivory traffickers operate under the cover of the “legal” trade in China and Hong Kong. Photograph: Alex Hofford/EPA China’s decision to ban all trade in ivory by the end of the year has been … Full Story ?

7 January 2017 | PBS Newshour | Mark Scalla |

An elephant walks in the open field within the Amboseli National Park, southeast of Kenya’s capital Nairobi, April 25, 2016. In the last seven years, about 144,000 African elephants were slaughtered for ivory. Thomas Mukoya/REUTERS On the surface, China’s complete ban of ivory sales seems to fulfill a 2015 pledge made with the U.S. to … Full Story ?

5 January 2017 | SA Breaking News | Don Pinnock | Free to publish credit CAT

Outrage at the looting of Africa’s wildlife and environmental destruction by Chinese nationals boiled over in Namibia last month in a strongly worded letter of protest to the Chinese Ambassador, Xiun Shunkang, signed by almost every environmental protection and research organisation in the country. Because Chinese nationals cannot travel independently, the letter states, they appear … Full Story ?

4 January 2017 | Newsweek | Laura Smith |

Climate change, wildlife crime and disease have created a shocking acceleration in the disappearance of species. Giraffes face ‘silent extinction’ due to human-wildlife conflict If 2016 was a rough year for the animal kingdom, 2017 could be worse. Most scientists agree that we are experiencing a sixth mass extinction, but unlike the previous five that extended over … Full Story ?

4 January 2017 | National Geographic | Betsy Mason |

In a world driven by a globalized economy, the biggest threat to an endangered species is often fueled by consumer demand thousands of miles away. And this makes protection of wildlife and biodiversity an even more daunting task. Now scientists have traced these economic pressures back to their origins and mapped the spots where major … Full Story