The daily dose of bad new from around the world …
Poaching, wildlife and environmental crimes …
in the spotlight today ……………………
Indonesia’s Forests Disappearing at Record Rates. extract: A 2014 study published in the journal of Nature Climate Change revealed that Indonesia had been under-reporting how much primary forest it was clearing, and that the country suffers the world’s highest rates of forest loss. Photo/Armin Hari
http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2015/02/25/indonesias-forests-disappearing-at-record-rates/
No 343 Wildlife Trade News 26th February 2015
Chinese money testing int’l morals. extract: “The elephants of Africa are dying in their tens of thousands every year to provide ivory for misguided consumers in China and elsewhere, the letter said. Without your help, they will continue to perish and be pushed towards extinction.” Evidently, much more needs to be done.
As Patrick Omondi, representing the Kenyan government, said at the United Nations: “People in China do not need ivory. They can live without it. We need our elephants. We appeal to the Chinese government to ban the legal domestic ivory trade and shut down all ivory markets.” (NA comment: CITES officials – are you listening or still intent of continuing to suck up to China – at the expense of elephants and other wildlife?)http://www.chinapost.com.tw/commentary/the-china-post/frank-ching/2015/02/25/429612/p2/Chinese-money.htm
"It’s surprising that African countries do business with China where the legal ivory trade is decimating our African elephants" Kenyan official
Fireworks blamed for death of tiger in China EXTRACT: More tigers in captivity in China than all the tigers in the wild.
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/environment/death-of-tiger-cub-in-china-highlights-threat-to-species/article/426972#ixzz3SpXNThF0
‘Choppers used as spotters’ in rhino slaying. SOUTH AFRICA (NA comment: SHAME ON VIETNAM FOR SHOWING NO INTERST IN STOPPING THIS TRADE)http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/science/environment/choppers-used-as-spotters-in-rhino-slaying-1.1823651#.VO667y7JIsc
Timber Concessions For Sabah Forestry Department’s Special Staff Members? MALAYSIA: (NA comment: More scandal coming out of Sabah – anyone surprised?) http://www.sarawakreport.org/2015/02/timber-concessions-for-sabah-forestry-departments-special-staff-members/
Symposium to examine how communities can be helped to combat wildlife crime. (NA comment: WOW! Another talking shop with free lunches provided. Will they, the lifestyle artists, spare a thought for the impoverished rangers who put their lives on the line while they fly from one conference to another? It feels like there is at least a conference a month on the wildlife trade, but no one seems to know if anything has ever been achieved by even one of them. The simple measure would be to ask – have things got better or worse? Must be due another ape conference soon, aren’t we?) http://www.iied.org/symposium-examine-how-communities-can-be-helped-combat-wildlife-crime
"Kenya is a money launderers, ivory traffickers and poachers haven. We know who these people are, we just have to act. We must stop doing workshops and trainings, and producing new laws, what we need is to stop being chickens, we have to have courage and demand effective institutions" Philip Murgor on Anti-Money laundering round-table on wildlife crime.
Amisom staff fined Sh1m for wearing eight ivory bangles. EXTRACT! A United Nations employee was on Tuesday fined Sh1 million by a Nairobi court after she admitted wearing ivory bangles against Kenyan laws. http://mobile.nation.co.ke/news/Ivory-bangles-earn-UN-staff-Sh1m-pain/-/1950946/2634192/-/format/xhtml/-/b8osp9/-/index.html
http://elephantopia.org/2015/02/25/qa-on-federal-ivory-bans-vs-state-ivory-bans/
Pair arrested for wildlife smuggling. THAILAND
Customs officials seize many wild animals, including capybara, pig-nosed turtles and snakes of various species, from two Japanese tourists at Suvarnabhumi airport on Feb 20. (Photo by Patipat Janthong)
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/480072/japanese-duo-arrested-for-alleged-wildlife-smuggling#
Antipoaching efforts must focus on reducing demand http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20150225000324
Killing defenceless animals – just tell me how that can be sport?
Why I shoot elephants http://www.theage.com.au/comment/why-i-shoot-elephants-20150225-13o9lf.html
Mozambique: Anti-Poaching Unit Seized 180 Guns Last Year http://allafrica.com/stories/201502250149.html
Peter Knights: Making a success of anti-poaching efforts http://gulftoday.ae/portal/b1bcee36-0822-490c-85ad-6a4f7e7f4296.aspx
Santander Bank cuts off APRIL due to deforestation (NA comment: Thank heavens for Greenpeace.) http://news.mongabay.com/2015/0224-banco-santander-april.html
Mother And Baby Orangutan Rescued In Sumatra
http://www.buzzfeed.com/orangutanssos/mother-and-baby-orangutan-rescued-in-sumatra-1ccdy
CITES: Changes in staff of the Secretariat (NA comment: will this make the slightest difference to elephants, rhino, tigers etc?)http://cites.org/sites/default/files/notif/E-Notif-2015-110.pdf
The Future Of Zoos Is Being Nice To The Animals—Not Making It Easy To Watch Themhttp://www.fastcoexist.com/3042458/the-future-of-zoos-is-being-nice-to-the-animals-not-making-it-easy-to-watch-them
(CORRECTION from yesterday’s newsletter) Hong Kong Customs seizes illicit 1,148 elephant tusks worth $2.25 million (TOGO) This is an old report from 2013 recycled by a customs agency of all people. This is the original report http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/hong-kong-customs-seize-tonnes-ivory-hidden-492509 )
OLD NEWS REPORThttp://customstoday.com.pk/hong-kong-customs-seizes-illicit-1148-elephant-tusks-worth-2-25-million/
Brigitte Bardot offers to send alcoholic Russian BEARS to rehab after they are rescued from restaurant where customers were allowed to give them drinks
Zimbabwe: Police Intercept 300kg Elephant Tusks http://allafrica.com/stories/201502260082.html
Kottur sanctuary turning into a nightmare for elephants http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/Kottur-sanctuary-turning-into-a-nightmare-for-elephants/articleshow/46377120.cms
Hunting of protected birds, animals ‘on rise’ http://www.ekantipur.com/2015/02/26/national/hunting-of-protected-birds-animals-on-rise/402136.html
Kenya’s electrified route to human-wildlife harmony http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22530104.200-kenyas-electrified-route-to-humanwildlife-harmony.html#.VO675S7JIsc
U.S. ‘Pet’ Tiger Trade Puts Big Cats at Great Risk (Op-Ed) http://www.livescience.com/49955-captive-tiger-trade-leads-to-abuse.html
2 held with Tokay Gecko http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=26..260215.feb15
Depleting forest cover slowly pushing leopards closer to Delhi: Officials http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/depleting-forest-cover-slowly-pushing-leopards-closer-to-delhi-officials/
Rainforest logging threatens endangered sea turtles. GABON http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0225-sea_turtles.html#wo6AzbS8fMcWw1mY.99
Rainforest loss increased in the 2000s, concludes new analysis http://news.mongabay.com/2015/0225-tropical-forest-loss.html#ixzz3SnNxcpTj
$7 million could save lemurs from extinction http://news.mongabay.com/2015/0225-hance-lemur-network.html
Tale of the tiger’s fight for survival is released in the UK
http://eia-international.org/tale-of-the-tigers-fight-for-survival-is-released-in-the-uk
