Wildlife trafficking and poaching are on the rise, thanks to growing incomes in Asia and the involvement of major international crime syndicates. Is there hope for ending the war on wildlife?
Endangered Species
Report: One in Five Reptiles at Risk of Extinction
A new study from the Zoological Society of London has found that one in five of the world’s reptile species are at risk of extinction
The Mystery of the Purring Elephant
The lowest registers of an elephant’s voice are inaudible to humans—but they’ve been a longstanding puzzle all the same
Ivory Bonfire Highlights Elephant Poaching Crisis in Africa
Gabon is among many Central African countries attempting to crack down on the ivory trade after a record-breaking number of elephants were slaughtered in 2011.
How to Greet a Mountain Gorilla
Rwanda’s mountain gorillas are the centerpiece of a program that combines tourism with conservation
Conditions of Life: How Climate Change Has Driven Evolution
We are the products of our environment — and that goes for egrets and elephants as much as human beings. The history of all life on this planet has been one of change and adaptation. The environment changes, and life adapts. …
Frankincensored: How a Venerable Christmas Gift Could Be Headed for Extinction
In the days before Amazon Prime, your Christmas gift-giving options were somewhat more limited. So it that the three wise men in the Biblical account brought local gifts to the baby Jesus in Bethlehem: gold, frankincense and …
Is Shark Fin Slowly Becoming Passé in Hong Kong?
It was the go-to soup for emperors of centuries past — a tradition revered in Chinese culture that ultimately symbolized wealth, status and prestige. But as China has gotten richer, shark fin soup consumption has increased. And …
How Climate Change Is Turning Plants and Animals into Refugees
Regardless of what Rick Perry and the rest of Republican presidential candidate field believe (except for you, Jon Huntsman), climate change is real and it’s happening. The questions for the 98% of climate researchers who accept the consensus on man-made global warming is how fast the climate is changing, and what impact it will have …
One Baby Gorilla Is Rescued From Poachers—But Others Aren’t So Lucky
It’s easy enough to get the public interested in the great apes when you plaster James Franco’s handsome face on a movie poster and promise visual effects on the level of Lord of the Rings and King Kong. But these animals get other types of attention too – the wrong kind. On Sunday a baby mountain gorilla named Ihirwe was …