WIN UP TO $500,000 FOR SCIENCE AND TECH SOLUTIONS TO STAMP OUT WILDLIFE CRIME

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, on the 45th anniversary of Earth Day, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge to combat illegal wildlife trade. USAID invites organizations and individuals to submit innovative science and technology solutions to help combat the illegal trade in marine and terrestrial wildlife. Successful applicants could win up to $500,000 as well as technical assistance and networking opportunities to scale their solutions.

The Challenge, an initiative of USAID in partnership with National Geographic, the Smithsonian, and TRAFFIC, represents one component of USAID's efforts to support the President's Implementation Plan for the National Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking, unveiled in 2014. 

"Today, our Agency is harnessing innovation, data, and public-private partnerships to both protect and manage the environment that supports us," said Acting USAID Administrator Alfonso Lenhardt. "The Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge represents a groundbreaking effort to not only root out poaching and trafficking, but to strengthen the economic and national security of the world's most vulnerable people."

To match the growing scale, pace, and sophistication of wildlife trafficking, the competition will:

Include a three-phase open competition to identify the most promising and innovative ideas

Engage a talented community of solvers from all corners of the globe and all areas of expertise

Provide technical expertise and networking support to help successful applicants develop their solutions

Award Grand Prizes of up to $500,000 to help applicants scale their solution

The Challenge is looking for fresh perspectives from innovators around the world to stem the slaughter of wildlife. The application window opens today, and interested organizations or individuals will have ten weeks to complete a short Concept Note describing themselves, their solution, and how it might scale to achieve greater impact.

Applications must address at least one of four Challenge issues for which innovative science and technology solutions could offer immediate impact:

Detecting transit routes

Strengthening forensic evidence

Reducing consumer demand

Tackling corruption 

Judges will evaluate applications based on impact and scalability and invite those with the most promising Concept Notes to move forward in the competition. For more information on the Challenge, please visit our website: https://www.wildlifecrimetech.org.

Take the first step today - sign up to apply!

Apply: https://wildlifecrimetech.org/new_profile

Newsletter sign up: https://wildlifecrimetech.org/get_updates

About the Challenge Team

The Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge is an initiative of USAID in partnership with the National Geographic Society, the Smithsonian Institution, and TRAFFIC. The Challenge is being implemented on behalf of USAID and its partners by Integra LLC, with subcontractor support from PricewaterhouseCoopers Public Sector LLP and Sonjara, Inc.

Source: usaid.gov

Two pangolin smugglers held

GEORGE TOWN: Two men who specialised in smuggling pangolins were detained by the state Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) at a single-storey house in mainland Butterworth here early yesterday.

Also seized from the house at Jalan Raja Uda, which they had used as a distribution centre, were 67 rare pangolins.

Of the 67 pangolins confiscated, 41 were alive while 26 others were in the form of skinned and frozen carcasses.

The seized sunda pangolins (manis javanica), comprised mature and infant pangolins, weighing between 5kg and 11kg.

The mammals have a market value of about RM60,000. Their scales could fetch up to RM800 per kg.

The two men, who are in their 30s, were from Kedah and Johor.

Department director Noor Aliff Wira Osman said the raiding party had observed the premises for almost three weeks before moving in at 2.15am.

"The pangolins arrive through the rear door and exit through the front after the treatment process. Our initial investigation showed that the pangolins were transported from Johor to Penang by road," Noor Aliff said at the Perhilitan headquarters at Jalan Gurdwara.

He said the buyers bought pangolins for their skins, scales and meat.

A Proton Iswara with a Johor registration plate, believed to be used to transport the pangolins, was also seized.

Noor Aliff did not rule out the possibility the pangolins were smuggled from Indonesia.

It is believed that the syndicate had been operating for about two years.

Sunda pangolins are found in Southeast Asia's forests and in rubber and oil palm plantations.

Their parts are used for medicinal purposes.

Resource article: NST Online

Malaysia a hub for wildlife smuggling

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is ranked among the top 10 illegal wildlife smuggling hubs in the world, specialising in transporting pangolins, birds and clouded monitor lizards.

The wildlife is smuggled out of the country through the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Penang International Airport, and through the sea via Johor.
South-East Asia regional director for Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network Traffic Azrina Abdullah said Malaysia was a transit and harvest hub for illegal wildlife trade.

“We are among the top 10 smuggling hubs together with Manila, Medan, Singapore and the United States.

“Hanoi is also catching up as a smuggling hub,’’ she said after attending a lecture by Bryan Christy, the author of The Lizard King: The True Crimes and Passion of the World’s Greatest Reptile Smugglers at the Academy of Sciences Malaysia yesterday.



During the talk, Christy touched on a chapter in his book which chronicled the dealings of a Penangite regarded as the top reptile smuggler in the world.

Azrina said the smuggled wildlife would end up in cooking pots in China; pet shops in Germany, the European Union countries and the United States.

“It is especially easy to smuggle reptiles because they are small and cold blooded,” she said.

She added that one could smuggle a snake by “balling” it and tying it up for long flights as it could withstand cold temperatures and survive on minimal food.

“Smugglers are also known to export dangerous wildlife species with valid papers as a front. The illegal wildlife are placed below the legal ones,” she said.

She added some smugglers even dispensed tips to buyers on how to smuggle their new ‘pet’ home on a long haul flight.

Azrina said Malaysia was the preferred hub because of its strategic location and low-risk.

“If you get caught smuggling drugs, you can be hanged. But if you are caught smuggling a tiger, you are fined,’’ she said.

Azrina said NGOs were lobbying for stricter laws under the Protection of Wildlife Act 1972 (PWA).

Resource article: TheStar By YENG AI CHUN