Biodiversity
Animals
Environmentalists say Da Nang’s Son Tra must remain pristine
Without the original Son Tra, Da Nang will be just like other sea cities in Vietnam, according to environmentalists who are opposed to tourism development at the site. Biodiversity Conservancy International’s Chair Dang Trung Phuoc has sent letters to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and ministries, ...
Four million blue swimmer crabs released off Phú Quốc Island
More than four million pregnant blue swimmer crabs on Monday were released into the sea off Phú Quốc Island in an effort to replenish stocks in the area. Quảng Trọng Thao, deputy director of the Kiên Giang Province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said ...
Animal farms in Southeast Asia fuel an illegal trade in rare wildlife
The tiger paced back and forth in its cage, groaning mournfully. A second big cat slept soundly in the corner, while a third stared blankly at the bars. Next to this cage was another containing three more tigers, and after that three more cages: a ...
China's ivory ban sparks dramatic drop in prices across Asia
The price of raw ivory in Asia has fallen dramatically since the Chinese government announced plans to ban its domestic legal ivory trade, according to new research seen by the Guardian. Poaching, however, is not dropping in parallel.Undercover investigators from the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC) ...
Organisations discuss capacity for improved regional forest governance
The Center for People and Forests in partnership with the Lao Biodiversity Association and the World Wide Fund for Nature have launched a five year project to strengthen capacity in forest governance. Supported by the European Union, the project’s objective is to empower non-state actors ...
The Mekong and the battle for the ‘Mother of Rivers’
For wildlife enthusiasts in the region, these are exciting times. A horned lizard and rainbow-headed snake were among 163 delightful new species documented last year by scientists alongside 10 endangered Irrawaddy dolphin calves. Fewer than 90 Irrawaddy dolphins exist on the planet.But all is not ...
Meet the activists risking life and limb to protect rivers
In late March of this year, an unusual group of activists gathered in Tbilisi, Georgia for a four-day conference to strategize around stopping destructive hydropower projects across the globe. Hailing from countries as diverse as Chile, Congo, Albania, Mongolia, China, Thailand, and Colombia, they had ...
Nepal burns more than 4,000 confiscated wildlife parts
On Monday, the Nepalese government set fire to more than 4,000 items of confiscated wildlife parts in an attempt to demonstrate zero tolerance for the illegal wildlife trade. The stockpile included parts from 48 species, including 67 tiger skins, 418 common leopard skins, 354 elephant ...
Illegal meat confiscated
Koh Kong provincial authorities, in collaboration with the Wildlife Alliance, on Tuesday confiscated 50 kilos of illegal game meat as well as several wild animals that were still alive. The animals were released in Botum Sakor National Park while the confiscated meat was buried. Agriculture ...
Customs at Tan Son Nhat airport seize products from elephant tusks
Customs officers at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCM City on May 4 discovered over 4kg of products from elephant tusks and pangolin scales illegally transported from Africa to Vietnam. The products included bracelets and jewellery suspected of being made of African elephant tusks ...