Wildlife Trade
National Geographic: East African Smugglers Push Ivory Out of the Continent
Posted by Laurel Neme in A Voice for Elephants on September 18, 2015 Elephant poaching and ivory trafficking in East Africa is driven not only by foreign consumers but also by African nationals who actively “push” ivory to these markets. A recent report, Pushing Ivory Out of Africa: A Criminal Intelligence of Elephant Poaching and Ivory Trafficking in East Africa,…
Read MoreNational Geographic: Elephant Killings in Chad’s Signature Park Cause Alarm
After three years of zero poaching in Zakouma National Park, killing of two female elephants shows no population is safe. By Laurel Neme, for National Geographic PUBLISHED September 01, 2015 A routine aerial surveillance flight over the western part of Chad’s Zakouma National Park has uncovered the deaths of two female elephants and their calves…
Read MoreMongabay.com: Wildlife forensics unmask poachers and traffickers
Mongabay WildTech 10th July 2015 / Laurel Neme When border agents seize two tons of smuggled ivory, how do they tell where it’s from? When meat on sale in Southeast Asia is suspected to be from a tiger, how can the police prove it? And when blood in a hunter’s truck is thought to come from a poached…
Read MoreNational Geographic: Two Nations Show Good News, Bad News for Africa’s Elephants
Visits to Gabon and Tanzania show the head of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that commitment from the top makes all the difference. By Laurel Neme, National Geographic PUBLISHED June 28, 2015 Gabon and Tanzania are both high-stakes countries for elephants and other endangered species, but…
Read MoreNational Geographic: To Stem Thriving Online U.S. Ivory Market, Stronger Laws and Enforcement Needed, Says Author of New Report
First posted on 2015-05-18 To Stem Thriving Online U.S. Ivory Market, Stronger Laws and Enforcement Needed, Says Author of New Report Posted by Laurel Neme in A Voice for Elephants on May 8, 2015 Images: Craigslist.org via “Elephant vs. Mouse” report by IFAW and 96elephants.org In a new report, Elephant vs. Mouse, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)…
Read MoreTrafficking Jam: In Wildlife CSI, Scientists Become Nature’s Detectives (Weather.com)
First posted on 2015-05-01 Fantastic article by Michele Berger, Science Editor for Weather.com that explores the field of wildlife forensics. For complete article with photos, please see: http://stories.weather.com/animalforensics. In it, you’ll meet many of the folks that have appeared in my articles, podcast and books. Bravo to Ms. Berger for a great and comprehensive article! …
Read MoreNational Geographic: Speaking up for Elephants: Reflections on Vermont’s Ivory Sales Ban Hearing
Posted by Laurel Neme in A Voice for Elephants on April 17, 2015 “In a world where everything feels like it is moving at the speed of light, slowing down and watching an elephant in its natural habitat is calming and shows us the importance of paying attention to the natural world.” That opinion…
Read MoreNational Geographic: Citizens Spur States to Ban Trade in Ivory and Rhino Horn
From Vermont to California, grassroots efforts drive state actions to protect elephants and rhinos. By Laurel Neme, for National Geographic PUBLISHED April 06, 2015 SHELBURNE, Vermont—”When you think things need to change, you have the power to make it happen,” Ashley McAvey, homegrown elephant activist and mother of two, told students recently at Endeavour…
Read MoreNational Geographic: Ethiopia Burns Entire 6.1-Ton Ivory Stockpile
Posted by Laurel Neme in A Voice for Elephants on March 20, 2015 ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – At a ceremony today in the capital, Ethiopia burned its entire 6.1-ton ivory stockpile. The event was held at the Gulele Botanical Garden, close to the headquarters of the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA), where the ivory had been stored.…
Read MoreNational Geographic: Will Mobilization of Military Forces Stop Elephant Poaching in Cameroon
Posted by Laurel Neme in A Voice for Elephants on February 14, 2015 Ten elephant carcasses discovered in mid-January in and around Cameroon’s Bouba Ndjida National Park are raising fears that poachers may again be targeting the park. But information remains sketchy. According to the Cameroon Tribune, a government newspaper, the military made several patrols following reports of gunfire…
Read MoreNational Geographic: U.S. Indictment Accuses South African Brothers of Trafficking Rhino Horns
Safari outfitters allegedly duped hunters into paying extra to illegally shoot rhinos. Laurel Neme for National Geographic Published October 23, 2014 U.S. authorities today announced the indictment of the alleged kingpin of a South African rhino poaching and trafficking syndicate, Dawie Groenewald, and his brother, Janneman, and their company Out of Africa Adventurous Safaris on multiple charges,…
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