Crushing the Ivory Trade

Watch our interactive panel discussion on New York State's success in closing what was formally the largest domestic ivory market in the United States. Captain Jesse Paluch talked about his team's undercover investigative work, "Operation White Gold" which led to the biggest ivory bust in New York State history and the seizure of $8 million in ivory.

Learn how you can be a force-multiplier and help report ivory items you see in store windows or online, using the "i of the Elephant" App created by Biologists without Borders, which thanks to engaged citizens has led to several successful prosecutions and ivory busts in the United States.

PANEL SPEAKERS

Captain Jesse Paluch: Chief Environmental Conservation Officer, Bureau of Environmental Crimes Division, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Captain Paluch has 20 years of service with the New York State DEC. He currently leads the Bureau of Environmental Crimes Investigation with 30 investigators and 10 Investigative Lieutenants under his command. "Operation White Gold" which he initiated and led from 2015-2018, resulted in the largest ivory bust in New York State history.

Sue Orloff: Founder & President of Biologists without Borders. Ms. Orloff is a wildlife biologist (M.A. California State University) with over 30 years of experience in wildlife management, endangered species studies, and monitoring wildlife populations. Sue has always had a great love of Africa and has traveled, lived, and volunteered in many African countries over the years. Sue founded Biologists without Borders in 2015 and is the creator of the "i of Elephant" app.

Wendy Hapgood (Moderator): Co-founder of Wild Tomorrow Fund. Wendy left her international career in finance to dedicate her life to the protection of global biodiversity, co-founding Wild Tomorrow Fund in 2015. She is a graduate of Columbia University's Master of Science in Sustainability Management Program at the Earth Institute, and the Master of International Relations (Political Science) at The University of Queensland, Australia.

Sara Walker: Senior Advisor on Wildlife Trafficking, AZA. Sara has led the Wildlife Trafficking Alliance (WTA) since 2015, which joined forces in 2018 with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums in a united effort to fight the global epidemic of wildlife trafficking. The WTA coordinates efforts to raise public awareness about scope of the wildlife trafficking crisis, effect behavior change to reduce consumer demand for wildlife and wildlife products, while working to mobilize companies to adopt best practices in the fight against wildlife trafficking. Sara has an MA in International Relations from the University of San Diego and a BA in International Studies from the University of Oregon.

Food for Guns

Nsefu Wildlife has recently started offering food for guns, which will help to end poaching. We’ve gotten our first three guns with this program.

Due to the economic impact of COVID on the tourism industry, countless jobs have been lost in Zambia leading to escalating poaching for survival. Nsefu Wildlife tackles the crisis of poaching from all angles, even during a pandemic.

You’re donations make this new program and our other continuing program possible.

Farming wild animals – is China the model for South Africa?

Posted on May 4, 2020 by Team Africa Geographic in the OPINION EDITORIAL post series.

Authors: Jamie Paterson (science editor) and Simon Espley (CEO) of team Africa Geographic

Farmed lions in crowded pens in South Africa. These lions are petted by tourists as cubs, walked with tourists as juveniles and then either hunted in enclosures (canned hunting) or killed for their bones © Simon Espley

South Africa is a long-standing and respected leader when it comes to farming wild animals. Yes, there are instances of bad and biodiversity-damaging behavior (which we condemn via focused articles), but as an industry, the South African wildlife industry does earn its keep and its kudos, and it maintains sizable swathes of land for wildlife, and away from intensive crop and livestock farming. But recent moves by the South African government suggest that the game is about to change, and not for the better.

In 2019, the Ministry of Agriculture in South Africa quietly (and without public consultation or scientific research) passed a “minor amendment” to the Animal Improvement Act that reclassified 33 wild animals as farm animals – including lions, cheetahs, several antelope species, giraffes, zebras and both black and white rhinos. Now, the government plans to revise the Meat Safety Act of 2000 by expanding the list of animals to which the Act applies for slaughter, consumption, import, export, and sale. The intent was published in the official government Gazette on 28 February 2020. New animals added to this list now include impala, bushpig, warthog, giraffe, elephant, buffalo and rhinoceros.

South African government aims to legalize rhino consumption!

Original story posted by Anita Froneman on 6 May 2020 | www.getaway.co.za

COVID-19 has brought the world to its knees and is believed to have been caused by the consumption of an endangered animal.

Now, South African Government is proposing an amendment to the Meat Safety Act which expands the list of animals that may be legally consumed by humans.

The proposed amended list classifies animals for slaughter, consumption, import, export and sale. This list now includes many threatened species in South Africa including rhino, elephant and giraffe. It also includes undefined birds, reptiles and fish.

While the Act is under revision, however, members of the public can have their say via online platform Dear South Africa. ‘The Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Angela Thokozile Didiza, invites all interested institutions, organizations and individuals to submit written comments on the proposed update to Schedule 1, as provided for in section 1(2) of the Meat Safety Act, 2000 (Act No 40 of 2000), extending the list of animals to which the Act applies,’ the draft amendment notice says.

The original Meat Safety Act says that it aims ‘to provide for measures to promote meat safety and the safety of animal products; to establish and maintain essential national standards in respect of abattoirs; to regulate the importation and exportation of meat; and to establish meat safety schemes.’

The proposed extended list now includes a host of wild animals already on the brink of extinction.

12 Rangers Among 17 Killed in Congo Park Ambush

12 Wildlife Rangers in the Democratic Republic of Congo were ambushed and killed by poachers.

Nsefu Wildlife sends our condolences to the families and friends of the Rangers and others that were killed in the ambush.