Officially, the oil sheiks didn’t use their falcons THARPARKAR, Pakistan––Birding enthusiasts, conservationists, and inquiring minds throughout Pakistan are wondering how endangered houbara bustards really fared this past winter, after––according to the Urdu newspaper Daily Dunya––an alleged falconing camp set up in Tharparkar, Sindh district, by Qatari prince Fahad Abdul Rahman Al Thani was removed […]
Snehal Bhatt, “The Cobra Girl of Gujarat,” dies at 55
Made famous by The Snake Wranglers Snehal Bhatt, 55, made famous worldwide as “The Cobra Girl of Gujarat” by the second episode of the National Geographic reality television series The Snake Wranglers, died in her sleep from a heart attack in the early morning hours of January 23, 2017 at her home in Vadodara, Gujarat, […]
“Jaws 13, Cecil 0” at Johannesburg endangered species meeting
Hunters prevail on African lion listing JOHANNESBURG, South Africa––The final score in the last contentious rounds at the 12-day CITES CoP 17 meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa might be posted as “Jaws 13, Cecil 0,” with a series of landmark decisions for sharks but nothing good done for African lions. Concluding on October 5, […]
What “CITES CoP 17” means to animals in plain English
Elephants, rhinos, African grey parrots, & pangolins among the species whose fates are on the block JOHANNESBURG, South Africa––The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) seventeenth triennial Conference of Parties (CoP 17) on October 2, 2016 adopted a resolution of elephant-sized importance to elephants worldwide, more than 140,000 of whom have been […]
Ashok Kumar, 81, brought India’s most notorious poacher to justice
Co-founded Wildlife Trust of India NEW DELHI, India––Ashok Kumar, 81, the quiet man of Indian wildlife conservation, died on August 19, 2016, after a lifetime of undercover and behind-the-scenes work on behalf of tigers, elephants, and every other iconic, rare, or struggling species on the subcontinent. Co-founder and president emeritus of the Wildlife […]
Eluding jail since 1998, alleged poacher Salman Khan to be tried one last time
Mythical “Famous Persons Act” appears to protect one of Bollywood’s biggest stars JAIPUR, India––Arguably the most notorious case of allegedly poaching endangered species still before the courts of any nation, and certainly the longest running soap opera of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s career may end on August 10, 2016, when Khan goes to court […]
Back to The Jungle Book: U.K. wildlife law post-Brexit
Last of a five-part series See also Will U.K. leaving E.U. mean leaving animal welfare behind?, Farmed animals & the Brexit “diet plan,” Farmed animals & money talks and What Brexit means for “pet passports” & lab animals. LONDON, U.K.––When Britannia ruled the waves, when the sun never set on the British Empire, Rudyard Kipling in 1894 […]
Has the Tiger Temple run out of lives?
Tigers impounded, abbot on the run, but tourist trap has survived raids before KANCHANABURI, Thailand––Thai authorities, assisted by personnel from the Wildlife Friends Foundation of Thailand, on May 30, 2016 began impounding the 137 tigers kept by erstwhile Buddhist monks at the internationally notorious Tiger Temple. The monks-turned-tiger-keepers initially turned the impoundment team away, as […]
Is Thai “Tiger Temple” trafficking?
Exposed by Australian charity & National Geographic BANGKOK, Thailand––More than 15 years of allegations that the renowned Tiger Temple is engaged in breeding and trafficking tigers for body parts gained weight with the January 21, 2016 release of a detailed investigative report and collection of documents from the Australian wildlife charity Cee4Life, founded by […]
Washington voters trounce hook-&-bullet crowd on behalf of endangered species
71% in favor OLYMPIA––Washington state voters on November 3, 2015 overwhelmingly approved Initiative Measure 1401, introducing state-level felony penalties for the purchase, sale, and/or distribution of products made from elephants, rhinos, lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, sea turtles, pangolins, sharks and rays. At least 50 individuals have reportedly been apprehended in possession with such contraband […]