Wildlife

Written by: Kimberly White  African elephants face a greater risk of extinction than previously thought, according to a new assessment from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). African elephants have been reclassified from Vulnerable to Endangered and Critically...

Written by: Karla Mendes Brazilian authorities announced the seizure of almost 29 tons of shark fins in June, exposing the extent of what they described as illegal fishing in the country. It was apparently the world’s largest confiscation in history:...

Written by: John E. Scanlon There is no global agreement on wildlife crime, nor any universally agreed definition of wildlife crime. In the absence of such an agreement, CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, a trade convention created to...

Written by: Kimberly White Leonardo DiCaprio has joined forces with the European Commission and Global Wildlife Conservation to protect biodiversity through the launch of two new initiatives.  The Rapid Response for Ecosystems, Species, and Communities Undergoing Emergencies (Rapid RESCUE) initiative aims...

Written by: Elizabeth Claire Alberts From high above, the blue sea looks like it’s speckled with tiny white dots. But a closer look reveals more: each dot is actually a sea turtle swimming toward the shore of a coral cay....

Written by: Kimberly White  The World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia has announced a new strategy to aid koala recovery following the bushfires that have razed New South Wales and Queensland. Bushfires have destroyed more than two million hectares in the...

Written by: Kimberly White  Rhino poaching has decreased significantly in South Africa and Namibia.  Rhino poaching in South Africa fell by 53 percent in the first six months of this year.  During the first half of the year, 166 rhinos were...

Written by: Kimberly White  Tasmanian devils have returned to mainland Australia.  In an effort to rewild Australia, conservationists released 26 Tasmanian Devils into a 400-hectare wildlife sanctuary at Barrington Tops National Park. The historic moment is thanks to conservation group Aussie...

Written by: Mike Gaworecki New research finds that large filter feeders in the waters of Indonesia could be ingesting dozens to hundreds of microplastic particles every hour. Due to their filter feeding strategy, manta rays and whale sharks must swallow hundreds...

Written by: Shreya Dasgupta There may be a glimmer of hope for the critically endangered gharial, a unique crocodile known for its long, narrow snout that ends in a bulbous growth resembling a cooking pot called a ghara. The fish-eating crocodile was...