Biggest ever seizure of pangolin scales

Hong Kong Customs seized a container en route from Nigeria to mainland China with ivory and pangolin scales worth HK$62 million

The container was believed to be destined for mainland China, for use in traditional medicine and  sculptures.

The haul included more than 8.2 tonnes of scales from thousands of endangered pangolins, with an estimated street value of HK$42 million.

It was the biggest seizure of pangolin scales, by value AND weight, ever in the city.


 Somebody please nuke China

Poaching threatens to wipe out some species in Angola

Mbanza Kongo — some animal species under protection regime with highlights to elephants and African forest buffalo, are on the verge of extinction due to poaching, said on Friday in Mbanza Kongo, the head of the Forest Development Institute (IDF), João Domingos.

Speaking to ANGOP, the official pointed out the corridors of Casa da Telha / Soyo and Musserra / Rio Loge as the main localities of the province where the indiscriminate killing of these animal species is frequently verified.

According to the source, these hunters are operating outside the law, since the IDF General Directorate suspended the hunting license issued five years ago to allow the repopulation of protected animals in the region.

Kenya: 26 Elephants Die in Maasai Mara in 90 Days

 

Mystery surrounds the death of 26 elephants in the Maasai Mara ecosystem in the past three months.

Although the cause of the deaths remains "unknown", at least 11 of the jumbos are suspected to have been poisoned.

In November alone, seven deaths were categorised as "unknown" but there was evidence pointing toward poisoning, a damning report published last week by the Mara Elephant Project (MEP) says.

Giraffe meat being sold in Kenya for human consumption

Giraffe meat is finding its way onto Kenyan plates marketed as beef, conservationists have warned.

Results from recent DNA analysis of meat being sold in butcheries, particularly in the coastal region, have shown components of giraffe meat.

Other animals commonly showing up are buffalo and Grant's gazelle. The meat is often diced and mixed in with beef to hide it.

Snare recovery

From 2001 and 2016, a total of 34,333 snares were recovered by AWF program personnel. Estimates indicate that approximately 10% of snares placed in the bush result in the killing of wildlife; thus, approximately 3,433 animal lives were saved through de-snaring initiatives over those years.

China allows the use of tiger parts and rhino horn in tradtional medecine

China unveiled new rules on Monday that would allow the use of rhino horn and tiger parts for some medical and cultural purposes, watering down a decades-old ban in a move conservation group WWF said could have “devastating consequences”.

China’s State Council issued a notice replacing its 1993 ban on the trade of tiger bones and rhino horn. The new rules ban the sale, use, import and export of such products, but allow exceptions under “special circumstances”, such as medical and scientific research, educational use, and as part of “cultural exchanges”.


This is absolute madness. A crime commited by a Government.

Almost a ton of Pangolin scales found in Vietnam

Hanoi authorities on Friday found pangolin scales and ivory weighing almost 805 kilograms plus 193 kilograms of ivory, which had arrived by air from Nigeria. The latest haul is further evidence of weak enforcement in Vietnam that allows the illegal trade in wildlife parts to flourish.


Pangolins are treasured in Vietnam and the region for their meat and alleged medicinal properties of their scales. Vietnam has banned trade in tusks and pangolins, but the practice has continued.

Since the shutdown of the Chinese ivory market it has been observed that the traders are moving to nearby countries including Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia to continue their business where there is little or no enforcement.

Huge shipment of rhino horn seized in Kuala Lumpur

Authorities have seized rhinoceros horns worth nearly RM48 million (US$ 11.5 million)  at Kuala Lumpur's cargo terminal, bound for Vietnam, the largest ever haul of horn discovered here.
Malaysia is a major transit point for the illegal trafficking of endangered species to other Asian countries.
Officials acting on a tip-off seized 50 horns, weighing about 116kg, at the cargo terminal of Kuala Lumpur airport on 13 August, a wildlife official said in a statement.

Major investigation exposes horrific tiger slaughterhouse in the Czech Republic

Czech Republic authorities raided premises in Prague and other locations, revealing a nightmarish tiger slaughterhouse at the centre of an international criminal trade ring.
Dubbed Operation Trophy, the raids were the culmination of two-and-a-half years of work and employed more than 200 enforcement officers from customs, police and the Czech Environmental Inspectorate (CEI).

In the illegal slaughterhouse, they found:
* a freshly killed tiger, shot through the eye to leave its skin undamaged
* a boiler for preparation of tiger glue
* many tiger claws, bones and skins
* dozens of dead animals, often in a state of decay.


Read more at https://eia-international.org/major-investigation-exposes-horrific-tiger-slaughterhouse-czech-republic

Canada: Black bear poaching operation busted by Quebec wildlife ministry.

 Sixty-four people allegedly involved in a black bear poaching operation have been caught by Quebec’s Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks.

According to a statement from the ministry released Wednesday, the individuals were illegally trapping and selling black bear gall bladders. The gall bladders — specifically the bile inside — apparently are used by some practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine, said Jasmin Larouche, director of wildlife protection for the Saguenay—Lac-St-Jean region.

The suspects, who come from the Saguenay, Mauricie, Côte-Nord and Laval regions, face 121 charges and could have to pay up to $328,000 in fines, Larouche said.