Posts by Laurel Neme
National Geographic: Poachers Capitalize on Chaos in Central Africa
Posted by Laurel Neme in A Voice for Elephants on February 5, 2013 Poachers are capitalizing on the disarray in the Central African Republic (CAR) and appear to be moving freely in a search of elephants. Late last year several columns of Sudanese poachers, up to 200 well-armed men, were spotted traveling across northern CAR toward…
Read MoreRhino death toll in South Africa in January hits 57
South Africa reported that January’s rhino death toll hit 57. Kruger National Park is a key locus, with 42 rhinos, or 10% of the total killed in that park for 2012, killed there in this single month. SANParks attributes the increased poaching to the recent floods in the Kruger National Park, thick vegetation, two…
Read MoreTop Kenyan Official links Somali gangs and corrupt rangers to rise in elephant poaching
Kenya lost 375 elephants and 20 rhinos to poaching in 2012 compared to 289 elephants and 29 rhinos in 2011. In mid-January 2013, 11 elephants were killed for their tusks in Tsavo National Park by a gang of 10 poachers. Around the same time, two tonnes of ivory (638 pieces) of ivory estimated to…
Read MoreThe WildLife: Carbofuran impacts and forensic considerations, Ngaio Richards
Carbofuran was developed in the 1960s to replace more persistent pesticides such as DDT. Since then it has repeatedly been implicated in the mass mortality of nontarget wildlife, especially avian species. Conservationists worldwide have sought to regulate or ban the use of carbofuran for decades. However, this controversial product remains registered for use in…
Read MoreA Tree Calls for Help
A new wireless device, called Invisible Tracck, can deter illegal logging by allowing authorities to track illegally cut trees in Brazil. Brazilian authorities will attach this small device onto valuable trees that might be targets for illegal loggers. If and when that tree is cut down and moved, the device will wake up and send a signal to authorities when it comes into…
Read MoreThe WildLife: Rhino DNA Index System & Role in Anti-Poaching Efforts, Cindy Harper
The Rhino DNA Index System (RhODIS) is a secure database containing DNA profile data of individual rhinoceros. The extraction method has been optimized and is now used to individually identify rhinoceros horns from stockpiles and to link recovered horns to poaching cases. The information contained in this database has assisted in a number of…
Read MoreInjured Bald Eagle Gets New Prosthetic Beak
Heartwarming story of rehabilitation of an injured bald eagle, named Beauty. Beauty was found around a garbage dump in Alaska with part of her beak shot off. With the help of an Idaho-based raptor specialist and a kinetic engineer, Beauty just recently received a prosthetic beak — the first-ever of its kind. Amazing! For…
Read MoreNational Geographic: Elephants in Cameroon and Chad face Imminent Threat
Posted by Laurel Neme in A Voice for Elephants on December 5, 2012 Gangs of heavily armed elephant poachers have crossed the Central African Republic (CAR) from Sudan and are reported to be close to the southern Chad and northern Cameroon borders. Several columns of Sudanese poachers, comprising between 150 to 200 men riding on…
Read MoreRanger in Kruger National Park catches two rhino poachers
Two men asked a ranger in South Africa’s Kruger National Park ranger to kill and de-horn a rhino, saying it was easier for him to do so. The ranger played along, saying he couldn’t use his official weapon and that the poachers would have to supply the rifle. He set up another meeting and…
Read MoreGoing, Going, Gone! Animal Trafficking Threatens Many Endangered Species
From Living Green Magazine: Going, Going, Gone! Animal Trafficking Threatens Many Endangered Species November 15, 2012 By Erin McLaughlin If you’re like most people, you have read heart wrenching stories and perhaps watched documentaries about the illicit trading of drugs, weapons, women, and children. But how often do you hear about the illegal trafficking of…
Read MoreUS Government pledges to fight Wildlife Trafficking, Remarks by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
The U.S. will intensify its efforts to combat the illegal wildlife trade, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said at an event on “Wildlife Trafficking and Conservation: A Call to Action” held on November 8, 2012. “Over the past few years wildlife trafficking has…
Read More