Ivory trade in China is now banned
China's ivory trade ban is now in effect, making it illegal to sell and buy ivory in the country. China, one of the world's largest markets for both legal and…
Audio: Indonesian rainforests for sale and bat calls of the Amazon
This episode of the Mongabay Newscast takes a look at our new investigative series, “Indonesia for Sale,” and also features a new acoustic study of Amazonian bats. We recently published…
Ivory is out in the UK, as government moves to shutter legal trade
The UK government has announced that it will shut down the legal ivory trade within its borders. “The decline in the elephant population fueled by poaching for ivory shames our…
Audio: Legendary musician Bruce Cockburn on music, activism, and hope
Music has a unique ability to inspire awareness and action about important issues — and we’re excited to welcome a living legend onto the program to discuss that very topic.…
Central Africa’s ivory trade shifts underground, according to new report
The ivory trade in Central Africa appears to be diminishing, according to a new report from TRAFFIC, a U.K.-based watchdog NGO. But that finding might be misleading, say the authors,…
Audio: A rare earth mine in Madagascar triggers concerns for locals and lemurs
On this episode of the Mongabay Newscast we discuss a proposed rare earth mining project in Madagascar that worries both lemurs and locals, and we also speak with a researcher…
Leading ivory trade investigator slain in Tanzania
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania - One of Africa’s top ivory trade investigators has been shot dead by gunmen in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Wayne Lotter was the co-founder and President…
High volumes of ivory continue to be sold online in Japan
Thousands of jewelry, seals, scrolls and other items made of elephant ivory continue to be sold online in Japan each week, concludes a new report by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade…
U.K. is the world’s biggest exporter of legal ivory, data analysis shows
The United Kingdom ships more legal ivory beyond its borders than any other country, according to an analysis released today by the London-based NGO Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). The announcement…
New research provides baseline for evaluating effectiveness of US ban on ivory trade
Last year, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) announced a “near-total ban” on the commercial trade of elephant ivory after years of campaigning by environmental and conservation groups who…
Watch: $8 million worth elephant ivory crushed in New York City
Hundreds of pieces of jewelry, sculptures and vases made of elephant ivory were destroyed at New York City's Central Park on Thursday. The ivory, weighing nearly two tons, is estimated…
Investigation finds ‘thriving’ rhino horn trade in Asia
The trade in rhino horn is still flourishing in China and other parts of Asia, despite a worldwide squeeze on the illegal trafficking of wildlife, according to a report by…
Audio: DJ remixes the sounds of birds, lemurs, and more to inspire conservation
On this episode of the Mongabay Newscast, we take a break from our usual science reporting to look at some of the ways nature inspires people to create art —…
Hong Kong officials seize ‘largest ever’ ivory shipment worth $9 million
On July 4, Hong Kong customs officials seized about 7.2 metric tons of ivory tusks in what they estimate to be the world's largest seizure of ivory tusks over the…
The Chinese town at the epicenter of the global illegal ivory trade
When China announced at the end of 2016 that it would close its domestic ivory market within a year, the news was hailed as a “game changer” for African elephants,…
‘Crunch time for biodiversity’: Farming, hunting push thousands of species toward extinction
Unless we sort out how we feed the growing human population, thousands of birds and mammals will face the specter of extinction in coming decades, according to a new study…
Conservation group African Parks to look after West African wildlife
The conservation NGO African Parks has signed an agreement with the government of Benin to rejuvenate a little-known park in the West African country of Benin. The organization will help…
Hong Kong Ivory traders encouraging buyers to smuggle ivory: TRAFFIC
Several licensed ivory dealers in Hong Kong are offering strategies for buyers to take ivory out of the city illegally, according to a new report by wildlife trade and monitoring…
Cross River superhighway changes course in Nigeria
The path of a major highway project in eastern Nigeria has been altered in response to concerns from local and international groups about its impact on wildlife and communities. The…
Notorious elephant poacher, ‘The Devil’, sentenced to 12 years in jail
On March 3, a Tanzanian court sentenced one of the country's most wanted elephant poachers to 12 years in prison. Boniface Matthew Mariango, nicknamed "The Devil" by law enforcement officials…
More than 25,000 elephants were killed in a Gabon national park in one decade
New research suggests that more than 25,000 forest elephants were killed for their ivory in Gabon’s Minkébé National Park, one of the largest and most important wildlife preserves in Central…
Seven ‘most wanted’ elephant poachers arrested in Malaysia
On February 10, Malaysian authorities arrested seven of the country's "most wanted" elephant poachers in Kelantan, Malaysia. The men, believed to have killed at least 15 Asian elephants over a period…
Bridge through Borneo wildlife sanctuary moving forward
A controversial bridge appears to be inching toward construction in northern Malaysian Borneo. For more than a year, scientists and conservationists have argued that the 350-meter (1,148-foot) Sukau bridge crossing…
Newscast #9: Joel Berger on overlooked ‘edge species’ that deserve conservation
Happy New Year to all of our faithful listeners! On the first episode of 2017, we’re joined by Joel Berger, a professor at Colorado State University and a senior scientist…
Elephants in Borneo slaughtered for ivory (WARNING: graphic photos)
Last month, poachers slaughtered two elephants for ivory in Sabah in Malaysian Borneo. Wildlife rescuers discovered the remains of the first Borneo elephant on December 27, and those of the second…
Hong Kong to ban ivory trade by 2021
On Wednesday, Hong Kong government announced that its three-step plan to phase out domestic ivory trade by the end of 2021 was approved by the Chief Executive in Council. The legislature amendments…
Elusive elephants: Determining where 19th century ivory trade victims roamed
In the 19th century, wild African elephants roamed free of fences. The migratory mega-herbivores had vast impacts on the ecology and flora of East African habitats. But humans, in pursuit…
Most illegal ivory comes from recently killed elephants: new study
The multi-billion-dollar illegal ivory trade is almost entirely being fueled by recently killed African elephants, a new study has found. Tusks in illegal seizures usually come from elephants killed within…
Elephant poaching costs African nations $25 million a year in lost tourism revenue
Every year, poachers kill around 30,000 African elephants for the illegal wildlife trade. The insatiable demand for ivory, mainly to supply Asian markets, has resulted in elephant population declines of…
Poaching in Africa becomes increasingly militarized
n January 29, a 37-year-old Englishman and ardent conservationist named Roger Gower was piloting a helicopter over Tanzania’s Maswa Game Reserve when he spotted the corpse. With safari guide Nick…
