Authorities seize 3.7 tonnes of illegal ivory headed for Vietnam

1,783 pieces of raw ivory tusks were seized by the AVA. Photo: AVA/Singapore 

SINGAPORE — The shipment from Kenya was declared as tea leaves, but upon closer inspection, it was found to contain about 3.7 tonnes of illegal ivory, making it the second largest seizure of illegal ivory by the local authorities since 2002.

The seized shipment --- which also included four pieces of rhinoceros horns and 22 pieces of canine teeth, believed to be from   -- is estimated to be worth S$8 million.

The goods were shipped in two 20-footer containers from the African country and were transiting through Singapore for Vietnam, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) and Singapore Customs said in a joint media release today (May 19).

Upon inspecting the containers, the AVA uncovered 1,783 pieces of raw ivory tusks, whole and cut, concealed among bags of tea dust; as well as the rhinoceros horns and canine teeth. Further investigations into the shipment, which was seized last week, are underway. Read More

Source: todayonline.com

'Shocking' scale of pangolin smuggling revealed

By Ella DaviesReporter, BBC Nature

Official records show that pangolins are being illegally traded on a "shocking" scale, according to a report. The globally threatened animals are sought for their scales which are used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Annual seizures have been estimated at roughly 10,000 animals but experts warn the illegal trade is far greater Chinese enforcement officials worked with researchers from the UK to assess the extent of the problem.

Zhao-Min Zhou, from the Public Security Bureau for Forests in China's Yunnan province, worked with researchers from the University of Oxford to analyse official records of pangolins seized from smugglers.

The findings are published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.

"The numbers of pangolins traded are shocking, and all the more so considering the pharmaceutical pointlessness of the trade. This trade is intolerably wasteful," said Prof Macdonald, director of the University of Oxford's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), and a co-author of the paper.

He praised the leadership of Mr Zhou in the study, which gives conservationists the first glimpse of official records of seizures. Read more

Source: bbc.co.uk

Monkey business: theft of rare primates from French zoo mystifies police

A zoo in France is appealing for the return of 17 rare monkeys stolen by suspected animal traffickers over the weekend.

The seven golden lion tamarins and tensilver marmosets were taken from the Beauval Zoo, about 200 km from Paris, by what officials have described as ‘‘experts” who cut through a glass window to break into the enclosure.

The thieves were not picked up by security cameras and also managed to evade extra night patrols

Zoo Director Rodolphe Debord said he was very worried for the monkeys’ wellbeing: “These are extremely fragile animals that need specific care.” He said they are “rare, threatened monkeys,” adding that they had specific dietary requirements. One of the animals, which are the property of the Brazilian government, was being treated for an injury to its tail.

Investigators believe the carefully planned operation was carried out by a gang commissioned by a collector or criminals involved in trafficking exotic pets.

Responding to the theft, a France-based environmental group, Robin des Bois said there had been a rise across the world in the smuggling of rare monkeys since 2011.

Source: http://www.euronews.com

Marine engineer among 13 held for smuggling Indian pangolins to China

A baby Pangolin. (Getty images)

BHOPAL: In a major breakthrough Madhya Pradesh forest department on Monday arrested 13 people including a Kolkata-based marine engineer and a corporator involved in smuggling Indian pangolins to China and Vietnam.

Accused have allegedly confessed to poaching and trafficking of 100 pangolins from Madhya Pradesh to China in the last 12 months. Officials confiscated 2 kg pangolin scales from their possession. Blood, meat and scales of pangolins are sold to traditional medical practitioners at a premium in south eastern countries.

Those arrested from Kolkata have been identified as Jamal Iqbal, 59, and his son Danish, 24. Eleven others including an independent corporator were arrested from Chhindwara district.

While Jamal is into leather business, his son Danish was studying marine engineering and was arrested three days before completion of his course.

Chief conservator of forest (CCF), Chhindwara, Chitranjan Tyagi told TOI Jamal had developed a large pangolin poaching network in Madhya Pradesh with the help of Nafeez Ahmad, an independent corporator in Chhindwara. Read More

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

A New Tool To Combat Wildlife Trafficking in Vietnam

A customs officer uses WildScan to identify a protected Hamilton’s turtle

WildScan was first launched in Thailand last year, but the new availability of the application in Vietnamese language and its upgrade to include many additional species and information related to Vietnam, will support ongoing efforts to tackle the illegal wildlife trade in Vietnam. The launch is the beginning of a pilot phase to test the upgraded application, and continue to improve it based on feedback and suggestions from relevant agencies.

The mobile application contains a unique identification function, high resolution photos and critical information for over 300 endangered species and illegal wildlife products commonly trafficked into and throughout Southeast Asia, as well as essential animal care instructions and a simple reporting system. It is designed to enable frontline wildlife law enforcement agencies to efficiently and accurately identify, report, and handle animals and animal products caught in the illegal wildlife trade, without the need for large reference books.

The Vietnamese upgrade of WildScan and its launch in Vietnam was supported by the Biodiversity Conservation Agency (BCA) under the Vietnam Environment Administration (VEA) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE); working in collaboration with Freeland, a Bangkok-based counter trafficking organization; under the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Asia’s Regional Response to Endangered Species Trafficking (ARREST) program. Read More 

Source: http://english.vietnamnet.vn