News Illegal wildlife trade

"East Indes Market Stall in Batavia", painted in the 17th century by an unknown artist

Flight of Fancy: early depictions of the parrot...

Fri, 20/07/2018
Parrots are such popular pets that their capture has driven many species to the brink of extinction in the wild. But this isn't a new phenomenon - their role in human culture has been ingrained for millennia. We explore what parrots in art can tell us about the history of world trade routes.
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WorldwideBrazilIndonesia

The Dog Patrol – Kazakhstan’s wildlife wardens

Mon, 25/09/2017
Danara Zharbolova & Alyona Krivosheyeva introduces Kazakhstan’s newest crack security squad – a dog patrol, trained to sniff out illegal wildlife trafficking.
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Europe and Central AsiaKazakhstan
Armonía's Alternative Feather programme is protecting the rare Blue-throated Macaw © Wendy Willis

A new hope for the Blue-throated Macaw

Fri, 13/01/2017
A successful programme geared towards promoting the use of artificial feathers in ceremonial headdresses gives renewed hope for the survival of the Blue-throated Macaw.
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AmericasBolivia
Market in Jakarta, Indonesia © Michelle Robinson

The silencing of the songbirds

Thu, 08/12/2016
The 2016 Red List reveals that Indonesia’s love of songbirds is a tainted love; unsustainable trapping is driving many endemic species towards extinction.
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AsiaIndonesia
At 1.5 metres long the Helmeted Hornbill is the largest of its kind in Asia © Michaela Koschova

Ivory poachers driving rare bird to extinction

Wed, 28/09/2016
It's not just elephants and rhinos that face the wrath of ivory poachers; the distinctive casque of the Helmeted Hornbill is also being targeted for its supposed medicinal benefits.
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AsiaIndonesiaMalaysiaThailand

One more in a cage; no more in the wild

Fri, 27/05/2016
A new study shows that, without action, soon the only places to see and hear Indonesian bird species will be in cages. There are 13 bird species found in Sundaic Indonesia which are at serious risk of extinction. Holding the status of Indonesia’s national bird would render Javan Hawk-eagle immune to over-harvesting? No, even this species is rapidly disappearing.
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AsiaIndonesia
Hon. Ibrahim Usman Jibril (3rd from Right) Nigeria’s State Minister for Environment with side event organisers ©Ken Mwathe

African leaders step up fight against Illegal...

Fri, 29/04/2016
African governments make a commitment towards addressing Illegal Exploitation and Illegal Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora in Africa during the Sixth Special Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) held on 16-19 April in Cairo, Egypt.
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Worldwide

'Slipgate': The Naked Truth

Tue, 10/11/2015
LPO/BirdLife France volunteers and journalists were physically assaulted by a man with a shovel after they attempted to remove illegal poaching traps in a village in south-east France.
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Europe and Central AsiaFrance

Africa begins Journey to Combat Illegal Trade in...

Mon, 11/05/2015
Experts from governments, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), African Union (AU), Regional Economic Commissions, civil society organisations and donors met in Brazzaville to develop an African Strategy to Combat Illegal Wildlife Trade to coordinate action across the continent.
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Africa