Secretary of State Clinton Calls for End to Illegal Wildlife Trafficking

National Geographic (David Braun)

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called today for a global strategy to protect wildlife in their environments and begin to dry up the demand for trafficked wildlife goods. “I’m calling for the creation of a global system of regional wildlife enforcement networks to take advantage of those networks that already are operating and the lessons we have learned from them. The sooner we get this off the ground, the better, and to that end, the State Department is pledging $100,000 to help get this new global system up and running,” she said at a Partnership Meeting on Wildlife Trafficking, attended by conservation groups and representatives of several countries at the Department of State in Washington, D.C.

UN Recognizes Wildlife Crime as Threat to Rule of Law

WWF

Poaching and the illicit trafficking of wildlife products were raised on the floor of the United Nations General Assembly for the first time Monday during discussions on strengthening national and international governance. World leaders gathering in New York for the global body’s 67th annual meeting highlighted wildlife trafficking along with other severe threats to the rule of law such as corruption and drug running.

In a written statement, permanent Security Council member United States highlighted “the harm caused by wildlife poaching and trafficking to conservation efforts, rule of law, governance and economic development.” The rapidly-growing illicit international trade in endangered species products, such as rhino horn, elephant ivory and tiger parts, is now estimated to be worth $8-10 billion per year globally.

India Tiger Killed by Poachers Inside Itanagar Zoo

BBC (Subir Bhaumik)

Police in India’s north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh are looking for a gang of poachers who entered a high-security zoo in the capital, Itanagar, and hacked a tiger to death.

Asia’s New Taste for African Lion Bones Threatens Conservation Efforts

The Herald Sun

Lion bones have become a hot commodity for their use in Asian traditional medicine, driving up exports from South Africa to the East and creating new fears of the survival of the species.

Conservationists are already angry over lion trophy hunting.

The skeletons are mostly shipped to Vietnam and Laos, feeding conservationists’ fears that the market will drive up lion poaching – just as the illegal hunting of rhinos escalates for their horns, also popular in Asian traditional remedies.

Forest Guards Told to Shoot Poachers on Sight After Rash of Tiger Killings

The Independent

Authorities in India have told forest guards to shoot tiger poachers “on sight” in the latest effort to save the country’s most famous animal.

Confronted by the killing of at least eight tigers in the state so far this year, officials in the western state of Maharashtra, whose capital is Mumbai, have told forest guards they will have the same legal protection as police officers who have to use their guns on duty.

WildAid PSA: Tiger Farms

WildAid’s public service announcement about the relatively unknown tiger farming practice in Asia. If the sale of farmed tiger products is legalized, the global demand for tiger parts will rise and increase poaching.