Ethiopian mountain vipers, Galapagos iguanas and Brazil’s Pernambuco tree – prized by violin bow-makers – and are just three of the more than 30 species that could be listed for special protection under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). “Because the trade in wild animals and plants […]
Originally conceived in 1963 at a meeting of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Convention entered into force in 1975, as the first global agreement of its kind. It continues to serve as a vital tool to help prevent the rapid decline of species. Why CITES matters? The urgency of CITES’ mission […]
The Karnataka Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has busted a gang of wildlife poachers, including a software professional, authorities said on Tuesday. The arrested were identified as Byatappa Gowda, a resident of Arehalli in Tumakuru district; Vaishak from Kadehalli; and Charan, the software professional, from Bengaluru. According to the CID Forest Cell wing, the accused […]
The rate that emerging wildlife diseases infect humans has steadily increased over the last three decades. Viruses, such as the global coronavirus pandemic and recent monkeypox outbreak, have heightened the urgent need for disease ecology tools to forecast when and where disease outbreaks are likely. A University of South Florida assistant professor helped develop a […]
One of the most serious threats to wildlife biodiversity, in addition to the climate crisis, is the illegal killing and trafficking of animals and plants. Despite many laws against the black-market wildlife trade, it is considered to be one of the most lucrative illicit industries in the world. Animals, especially endangered and threatened species, are […]
It may be surprising to learn that even giraffes, parrots, and oak trees are included in the list of threatened species, as well as cacti and seaweed. Seaweed is one of the planet’s great survivors, and relatives of some modern-day seaweed can be traced back some 1.6 billion years. Seaweed plays a vital role in […]