And a few hard hitting truths about illegal wildlife trade andwhat CITES is doing about it, or rather what CITES is NOT
doing about it …
This will from now on be a regular feature here, every time I
get a news update from them
in the spotlight today ……………………
China “main destination” for illegally traded chimpanzees Baby chimpanzees are being hunted and sold to populate China’s growing number of wildlife parks, says photographer Karl Ammann at launch of documentary in Beijing.
When adult chimpanzees are killed for food, their young — who can be trained to perform — are often sold on to zoos and wildlife parks (Image by Karl Ammann) https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/7371-China-main-destination-for-illegally-traded-chimpanzees
No 233 Wildlife Trade News 10th October 2014
Rhino poaching not being treated as a priority crime (South Africa) http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=36518&catid=87&Itemid=188
Russia Hopes China Will Protect Rehabilitated Amur Tiger: Special Inspection Tiger (NA comment: Would you trust China?) http://en.ria.ru/society/20141009/193844390/Russia-Hopes-China-Will-Protect-Rehabilitated-Amur-Tiger-Special.html
War against poachers extract: POTENTIALY controversial measures approved by government to dehorn black rhinos in order to discourage poaching are making its debut in Namibia. (NA comment: What a sad sight)
http://www.informante.web.na/war-against-poachers.14966
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It took posters like this one below by Nature Alert to force the return
of even 54 (it really should have been more like 104) orangutans to Indonesia.
We found then, as we do now, CITES to be completely unhelpful.
The cruel and sickening orangutan boxing shows continue to
this day, unimpeded by the Thai authorities.
The top right-hand photo was from Malaysia where the shows have since been banned and
some orangutans returned to Indonesia.
The lower right-hand photo is from Safari World, Bangkok, and these shows continue every day.
Kenya: Black Rhino Is Killed in Nyeri http://allafrica.com/stories/201410091042.html
Surge in the number of dumped exotic pets (UK) http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/11524881.Surge_in_the_number_of_dumped_exotic_pets/
Role of business in disappearance of 50% of world’s wildlife From the growth of palm oil to the popularity of rhino horn as a status commodity, business can take its share of responsibility for the species loss statistics in WWF’s latest report http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/blog/2014/oct/09/role-business-disappearance-50-worlds-wildlife-wwf-report
Hundreds of Bushmen abused in Botswana – new report http://www.survivalinternational.org/news/10474 Illegal loggers to face the music, says Awang Tengah (Sarawak/Malaysia)
Unilever and WRI partnership targets deforestation Unilever to increase agricultural supply chain transparency with the help of Global Forest Watch http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/oct/09/unilever-global-forest-watch-partnership
Commercial poaching threatens Sabah’s wildlife (Malaysia) http://www.thesundaily.my/news/1194064 (NA comment: It wasn’t long ago the impotent SWD were claiming they had everything under control – not that anyone with even half a brain believed them. What will be the next wildlife disaster to be announced from Sabah? How long will we have to wait?)
Wild panda land threatened by China’s forest reforms http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26350-wild-panda-land-threatened-by-chinas-forest-reforms.html#.VDapeRawQuc
The calculus of logging (Cambodia) extract: In what may be the largest documented case of timber laundering in recent Cambodian history, one of the country’s most powerful tycoons, Try Pheap, allegedly made more than $220 million in unreported profit by illegally logging rosewood over a three-year period in the Cardamom Mountains, official figures suggest. http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/calculus-logging2
Smuggled Elephants a Hefty Weight on the Minds of Phuket Officials
Elephants are popular with Phuket tourists despite concerns about cruelty
Photo by phuketwan.com http://phuketwan.com/tourism/smuggled-elephants-hefty-weight-minds-phuket-officials-21154/
Turtles quietly becoming a top target for poachers and smugglers looking to cash in on Asian demand (Canada)
A handler holds a tortoise at the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak, Mich. The zoo is caring for more than 1,000 turtles authorities say are tied to an international smuggling ring. AP Photo/Detroit Zoo, Jennie Miller http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/10/09/turtles-quietly-becoming-a-top-target-for-poachers-and-smugglers-looking-to-cash-in-on-asian-demand/
Trading Indonesia’s Debt for Sumatran Tigers, Rhinos, and Orangutans The U.S. is forgiving some of the Southeast Asian nation’s bills so it can use the money to help save the world’s rarest wildlife http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/10/09/trading-indonesias-debt-tigers-rhinos-and-orangutans
Sri Lankan president resists pressure to burn ivory
Customs officials in Sri Lanka seized 359 elephant tusks from Tanzania
Buddhika Weerasinghe/ Getty Images http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/asia/article4231981.ece
It’s time for circuses to unchain their elephants (USA) http://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/2014/10/09/time-circuses-unchain-elephants/16894675/
No More Licence Until Illegal Timber Activities Curtailed – Sabah CM http://www.malaysiandigest.com/news/522431-no-more-licence-until-illegal-timber-activities-curtaile d-sabah-cm.html
Endangered Orangutans Gain From Eco-Friendly Shifts in Palm Oil Market Oil palm plantations are a major threat to orangutans, but new initiatives for deforestation-free palm oil may help save them. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/10/141009-orangutans-palm-oil-malaysia-indonesia-tigers-rhinos/
Cargill’s pledge to end deforestation across supply chain – a tipping point? http://www.edf.org/blog/2014/10/09/cargills-pledge-end-deforestation-across-supply-chain-tipping-point
Google and London Zoo to stream live footage of animals to YouTube Live video of London Zoo’s meerkats, Asian otters and giant Galapagos tortoises is being streamed to YouTube over a TV white space network http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/11152459/Google-and-London-Zoo-to-stream-live-footage-of-animals-to-YouTube.html
Dawos: Malaysian rainforests significant factor in achieving carbon emissions target http://www.eco-business.com/news/dawos-malaysian-rainforests-significant-factor-achieving-carbon-emissions-target/
Indigenous people redefine conservation South Suriname Conservation Corridor engages local communities http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/oct/9/indigenous-people-redefine-conservation/
City conclave to discuss jumbo conservation (India) http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/City-conclave-to-discuss-jumbo-conservation/articleshow/44721881.cms
Strong convictions in Benin against ivory traffickers
http://en.gabonews.com/environment/items/strong-convictions-in-benin-against-ivory-traffickers.html
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