How much is a rhino worth to you? A hundred dollars? A thousand? Hundreds of thousands? It’s not likely a question you are asked every day. If you are like me, you initial answer was, “a little” or perhaps even, “not much”. After all, with all the other pressing causes… read more
Zambia ends trophy hunting ban
Zambia recently announced the end of a twenty month ban on trophy hunting. This announcement came from Zambia’s Minister Of Tourism and Arts, Ms. Jean Kapata, who replaced the previous minister Ms. Sylvia Masebo after she was fired for being found guilty of abuse of power and lying under oath. As noted… read more
Mercado de Sonora: Black Magic, Black Trade
Can’t find the love of your life? Having problems with a mean boss? Trying to get a powerful lucky charm? Want to get rid of your bad luck? The Mercado de Sonora, in the heart of Mexico City, offers a wide variety of occult items to fulfill any macabre… read more
The Phragmipedium Kovachii: Is CITES guilty of over criminalization?
While reports indicate that many species of rare plants, including multiple varieties of orchids, are nearing the brink of extinction, the debate over what to do to protect them rages on. A combination of rampant poaching, greed, and habitat destruction are blamed for their destruction, and strong feelings swirl around… read more
Addressing Wildlife Demand Reduction in China
The Chinese government, with the support of international wildlife NGOs, must implement a systematic approach to curbing the demand for wildlife products. A seemingly arbitrary cherry-picking of species with mixed motives—like that of curbing corruption—have garbled the message of wildlife conservation in China. For the past three decades, environmental concerns… read more
Overfishing – Who cares?
Wildlife populations have declined 52% since 1970. This staggering statistic was published recently by the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) in their annual Living Planet Report. The question is, where did the animals go? According to the report, and the WWF graphic below, human development and population growth are the primary… read more
The potential to save animals by killing them?
Sport hunting is highly controversial, and has heavily armed critics (no pun intended) on both sides. Animal rights activists, as well as many conservationists, argue that sport hunting is cruel and unusual and cannot benefit conservation efforts. On the other side of the issue, some argue that sport hunting can… read more
Hunter celebrities risk efforts of wildlife conservation
In 2012, the former King of Spain went to Botswana to hunting elephants and paid more $60,000 for the opportunity. Prince William and Kate from the UK are also well known for their hunting activities. Jimmy John Liautaud, the owner of the famous sandwich franchise “Jimmy John”, also likes hunting and in… read more
Is it possible to change wildlife consumer behavior?
Despite decades of international efforts in wildlife conservation, both the international community and countries worldwide continue to tackle the challenge of wildlife poaching. In 1979, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna (CITES) was established as a multilateral agreement dedicated to “…ensure that international trade in… read more
Are Public Awareness Campaigns Effective?
On September 15, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) launched the month-long “Ivory Challenge.” USFWS crushed six tons of confiscated ivory in November of last year. Through the Ivory Challenge, they are calling for artists “to create a compelling, thought provoking, informative and impactful display to increase awareness about… read more