Tag Archives: wildlife

No elephants at India’s Elephant Festival

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Jaipur, 26 March 2013

Jaipur, 26 March 2013

I was in Jaipur, India for this year’s annually celebrated Elephant Festival held in the so-called ‘pink’ city two weeks ago. The Elephant Festival is supposed to be held to celebrate Holi, an Indian festival that fills every street with colour to inaugurate the spring season. The festival, held at the Rajasthan Polo Grounds, boasted a plethora of Jaipur’s finest talent: dancers in traditional garb, singers thrilling foreign audiences with folk songs, and turban-tying competitions that left the tourists in a twist. This year’s elephant festival however, was conspicuously missing one thing: the elephants.

The cavalcade of elephants, pimped-out so to speak, for a beauty competition which is usually followed by a tug-of-war and an elephant polo match – as it turns out – was flagged by animal rights’ activists from PETA as a cause of serious ill-treatment of the animals, with the Mahouts using inhumane techniques such as iron hooks to train the elephants.

So, whilst many tourists were disappointed at the lack of jumbo-sized pageantry at Jaipur this year, Rajasthan Department of Tourism’s decision to scrap the elephant festival was a decisive gain for the elephants themselves. Assistant Director of Tourism Department of Rajasthan, Upendra Singh Shekhawa passed the buck to the state-controlled Animal Welfare Board, stating “The Animal Welfare Board of India had written to us that there is some violation of exhibiting the elephants. That is why; we are going whatever they are saying. We will adopt whatever they want”.

PETA activist Sarvgya Bhargil, explained the problem more clearly, stating that the elephants used in the festival are given insufficient food and are chained into tight spaces by their Mahout handlers, causing them to develop foot infections and arthritis. He also argued against the use of performing animals as keeping elephants and camels in captivity for long periods of time restricts their natural social behaviour and can induce health problems and loneliness.

The Elephant Festival is a clear example of how irresponsible tourism can be. The cancellation of this year’s Elephant Festival should stand as a precedent to stop the cruel treatment of performing animals in India.

Poaching Britain’s rhinos

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A report in AFP today said that the British police have noted an increase in rhino poaching in Britain’s wildlife parks. The Aspinall Foundation which, a wildlife charity which runs two animal parks in Kent in southeastern England, appealed for residents living near those parks to keep a watch for suspicious activity.

The Aspinall Foundation’s chairman, Damian Aspinall, said police had told them there was a “genuine threat” which it attributed to poachers seeking the rhinos’ valuable horns.

“It is tragic and beyond belief that, as we do everything possible to restore these magnificent animals safely to the wild, the traders who seek to profit from their slaughter should bring their vile activities to the UK,” he said.

The foundation has 20 black rhinos across its two parks in Kent, out of an estimated 200 held in captivity around the world and just 700 who survive in the wild.

This report should alert us of how intense of a threat poaching is to the black rhino.

Here’s a weird argument

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Alexander N. Songorwa, Director of wildlife for the Tanzanian Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism has written a piece in the New York Times about why trophy hunting is invaluable to Tanzania’s wildlife. 

Trophy hunters pay incredible amounts of money to the Tanzanian government to hunt wild lions – about $1.9 million every year. This money, plus the millions of dollars spent annually on camping out in the bush (which amounts to a total of $75 million), are an important source of revenue for 26 wildlife parks, their employees and the local communities which they support.

Listing lions as endangered would put a stop to trophy hunting, but the effects of this may be counteracted by a lack of funding to maintain Tanzania’s wildlife. 

Songorwa’s argument may seem outrageous to animal lovers, but in practical terms, the revenue generated by hunting excursions are in fact indispensable and the revenue they generate annually give an important incentive to maintain these wildlife parks rather than razing the ground they stand on for agriculture or industry.
 
Painfully, I have to admit, though trophy hunting is abhorrent and tragic, it seems to have a utilitarian value in maintaining wildlife habitats. 
 
The argument around trophy hunting shouldn’t be about whether it should be illegal or not, but rather about how much we need to regulate it in order to protect the species and habitats it affects.

Shark tales, ebony and ivory: a round up of the 2013 CITES conference

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This year’s CITES conference in Thailand has come to a close and a new international agenda to protect sharks will headline tomorrow. In an unprecedented move to protect the world’s marine life, eight species of sharks and rays will become a priority for conservation action.

A crack down on the illegal poaching of elephants for their tusks and rhino for their horns has also been announced.

According to a press release from CITES,

The conference saw a record number of countries vote to regulate the international trade in the Oceanic Whitetip Shark, three hammerhead species,  the Porbeagle shark and the two existing species of manta rays. Parties also voted to ban the international commercial trade in the Critically Endangered Freshwater Sawfish.

The rising demand for shark fins, shark meat, gill plates, and aquarium animals is seriously threatening the survival of these species, according to IUCN. Up to 1.2 million Oceanic Whitetip Sharks, which are fished for their large and distinctive fins, pass through the markets of Southeast Asia every year and over 4,000 manta rays are harpooned for their gills.

“This is a historic step towards better protection of these marine species,” says Nick Dulvy, Co-Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Shark Specialist Group. “Now, after nearly two decades of slow and fragmentary progress, Parties agreed that CITES can complement existing national fisheries measures to ensure that global trade is sustainable and legal.”

Attending parties also reaffirmed their commitment to stop the illegal trade of ivory and rhino horn. Country-specific measures were noted to implement this.

According to the IUCN SSC African Rhino Specialist Group, poaching of African rhinos increased by 43% between 2011 and 2012 and illegal rhino horn trade continues to pose a serious threat to rhinos worldwide.

Finally, a commitment to curb the trade of Madagascan timber, specifically rosewood and ebony was announced.

Other decisions taken at the meeting include actions relating to a number of crocodile and snake species, a renewed focus on monitoring of the trade in pangolins and continued commitment to sustainably manage the Humphead Wrasse fishery – an Endangered, coral-dwelling species that was one of the first commercially fished species to be addressed under CITES.

Return of the Painted Wolves

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An update from Finny Taylor and Hannah Davenport in Kenya:

Increased spotting’s have recently been occurring of Africa’s
rare Wild Dog in Kenya. Currently one of the continents most
endangered predators; these creatures were believed to have
completely vanished from some regions.

In Kenya it is now thought that only six percent of wild dogs’
historical range might still support resident populations. However
increased, recent sightings both in the Maasai Mara reserve and
Laikipia region suggest they are making a return. Last year the
Ol Pejeta Conservancy announced the birth of nine puppies- the
first time in over a decade that a pack of wild dogs had denned on
the conservancy. Their tortoise-shell coat and large, rounded ears
make these animals an intriguing sight to behold: that is if you are
lucky enough to spot them.

Elephants at Ol Pejeta breaking fences

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This video, filmed by Finnoula Taylor and Hannah Davenport at the Ol Pejeta conservancy in Kenya shows a herd of elephants breaking fences to cross into forbidden territory.

When areas are fenced off for agricultural purposes, elephants lose migrations paths and are constricted to increasingly small territories. When elephant populations in one area grow, the land can no longer support them. In the dry season, this can lead to dehydration and starvation of elephants. This also leads to conflict with local farmers and as a result, many elephants are killed.

A letter from Leonardo Di Caprio – if he’s jumping, I’m jumping

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In 2012,  sanctuary around Antarctica was blocked by Russia, China and the Ukraine. But the letter below, signed by Leonardo Di Caprio, got over 1 million people to sign a petition in October 2012, which led to a new postponed meeting for July 2013 to discuss the issue of protecting Antarctica. The petition still needs more signatories to keep the pressure up later this year: 

I’m writing to ask for your help. Within days, governments could begin turning wide stretches of the Antarctic ocean into the world’s largest marine sanctuary, saving the habitat of whales, penguins, and thousands of other polar species from industrial fishing fleets.

But they won’t act unless we speak out now.


Most countries support the sanctuary, but Russia, South Korea and a few others are threatening to vote it down so they can plunder these seas now that others have been fished to death. This week, a small group of negotiators will meet behind closed doors to make a decision. A massive people-powered surge could break open the talks, isolate those attempting to block the sanctuary, and secure a deal to protect over 6 million square kilometers of the precious Antarctic ocean.

The whales and penguins can’t speak for themselves, so it’s up to us to defend them. Let’s change negotiators’ minds with a massive wave of public pressure – Avaaz will surround the meeting with hard-hitting ads, and together we’ll deliver our message to delegates via a deafening cry on social networks. Sign this urgent petition and share it with everyone you know:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_southern_ocean_5/?bHXzdcb&v=18908

More than 10,000 species call these remote Antarctic waters their home, including blue whales, leopard seals, and emperor penguins, and many are found nowhere else on Earth. Climate change has already taken a cruel toll on their fragile habitat, but they will come under further threat from the industrial fishing fleet’s mile-long nets cast over these precious waters. Only a marine sanctuary will increase their odds for survival.

The 25-member governing body that regulates the Antarctic oceans has already committed to creating these marine protected areas. But the two plans being negotiated — one to protect part of the fragile Ross Sea and one for East Antarctica — are at risk of dilution or delay. Shockingly, the talks have been off the media’s radar and countries like Russia and South Korea are betting their opposition will go unnoticed, but if we cast a public spotlight on the talks we can force them to back off, and encourage champions like the US and EU to push for even stronger protections.

The future of the Southern ocean is in our hands. Let’s unleash a massive surge of global pressure and ensure governments don’t put profits before our planet. Please sign and share this petition with everyone you know:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_southern_ocean_5/?bHXzdcb&v=18908

The Avaaz community has come together time and time again to protect our oceans. We’ve already helped win two of the largest marine reserves in the world. But the threats to our oceans continue, and one by one species are coming closer to the brink. Join me in saving the Antarctic ocean before it’s too late.

With hope,

Leonardo DiCaprio, with the Avaaz team

Tracking the tusks found in Singapore from Mombasa disguised as waste paper

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Tracking the tusks found in Singapore from Mombasa disguised as waste paper

If the 1,099 tusks are to be returned to the country of origin Kenya, there may a chance for them to slip back into the supply chain of illegal wildlife products. Therefore, WWF-Singapore and TRAFFIC Southeast Asia encourage Singaporean authorities to incinerate the tusks once the audit and investigations are complete.

World Pangolin Day

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This Saturday will mark the celebration of the most common victim of the wildlife trade: and you’ve probably never even heard of it – the pangolin.ImageThe Chinese pangolin, widely hunted for its scales and its meat is listed as Endangered. Little is known about these creatures, their nocturnal habits are part of the cause. But governments and large NGOs too have consistently neglected these creatures: their campaigns are usually figureheaded by charismatic species like rhino, elephants, and Bengal tigers. But the speed at which these animals are vanishing from East Asia means we need to act fast.

These creatures look and behave a lot like anteaters but they are mammals. Pangolins are hunted for their scales and their meat which is considered a delicacy. According to TRAFFIC, 22,000 pangolins were illegally traded in the Malaysian state of Sabah alone over the last 18 months. In Vietnam, it is estimated that 40-60,000 pangolins were killed in 2011. This is just a fraction of the vast numbers of pangolins that have been illegally killed and traded worldwide.

Though these animals are nocturnal and elusive, hunters have found ingenious ways to capture them. They are often kept alive until they are sold to be eaten, and are forced to live in unbearably harsh conditions. They are often force-fed starches to fatten them up.

We know so little about the pangolin trade that it is difficult to fight. We know that the Asian pangolins are at highest risk and once the pangolins run out in Asia, traffickers will shift their focus to African pangolins. The 4 Asian species of pangolin are on the brink of extinction already: it is time to act now before the same happens to pangolins in Africa. Image