How Laos lost its tigers
The last tiger in Lao PDR likely died in terrible anguish. Its foot caught in a snare, the animal probably died of dehydration. Or maybe, in a desperate bid to…
On the front line of climate change in India’s Sundarbans
SAGAR ISLAND, India — Saktipada Bhuinya looks out over the ocean that surrounds Sagar Island. The Indian part of the Sundarbans, the vast mangrove forest in the Bay of Bengal,…
A tiger refuge in Sumatra gets a reprieve from road building
The rainforests that once carpeted Indonesia's Sumatra Island are among the world's most biodiverse ecosystems, home to iconic species like the Sumatran tiger, rhino and orangutan. They are also among…
Indigenous communities, nat’l parks suffer as Malaysia razes its reserves
KUALA KOH, Malaysia — On a daytime flight into Kuala Lumpur airport, it’s hard not to feel a certain sense of despair. The land, at times adorned by jungle-clad mountains,…
Big cat trade driven by demand for traditional Asian medicine, according to report
Traditional Asian medicine is driving the growing international trade in big cat products and leading to the mistreatment of thousands of animals, according to a recent report. Bones, blood, and…
Conservation groups concerned as WHO recognizes traditional Chinese medicine
The World Health Organization (WHO) approved the inclusion of traditional Chinese medicine in the revision of its influential International Classification of Diseases for the first time on May 25, touching…
’Unprecedented’ loss of biodiversity threatens humanity, report finds
Life on this planet, in all its wide diversity, is disappearing more quickly now than it has at any time in human history, and some 1 million species of plants…
Scientists urge overhaul of the world’s parks to protect biodiversity
Countries should concentrate on outcomes instead of actions when they set aside areas for parks and reserves to shore up the loss of biodiversity, according to a group of scientists.…
Nepal court blocks road construction in rhino stronghold of Chitwan Park
KATHMANDU — Nepal’s Supreme Court has ordered the government not to construct any new roads inside Chitwan National Park without approval from UNESCO, park authorities and other stakeholders. Chitwan National…
Sumatran tiger killed at London Zoo by potential mate
A male Sumatran tiger named Asim attacked and killed Melati, a female of the same subspecies, shortly after he was allowed to enter her enclosure Feb. 8 at ZSL London…
Urbanization in Asia provides a window of hope for tigers, study finds
Whether Asia’s tiger populations bounce back, or they evaporate into the pages of history depends on the decisions humans make about how we live on this planet, new research suggests.…
In the belly of the beast: journalist delves into wildlife trafficking
Ivory, pangolin scales, bear bile: Rachel Nuwer, author of the new book “Poached,” saw it all as she trekked from rainforests to posh restaurants on the trail of wildlife traffickers.
The Bangladeshi tribe that’s guarding turtles, co-authoring research papers
In the beginning, Shahriar Caesar Rahman’s trips to the remote forests of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh would invariably end in frustration. Rahman was searching for reptiles, and based…
New dam set to spoil Sumatran wonderland (commentary)
The general public knows about the precarious situation of the world’s mostly recently identified great ape — the Tapanuli orangutan — within the Batang Toru Ecosystem. There, the construction of…
China restores ban on rhino and tiger parts, for now
China has backtracked on a recent decision to legalize the “controlled” use of rhino and tiger parts for cultural and medicinal use. In an announcement on Oct. 29, the Chinese…
Roads divide opinions along with forests, study finds
Politicians and planners often sell roads as wholly beneficial to communities. New arteries open up opportunities for employment, connections to markets and access to services such as health care, so…
China legalizes use of tiger bone and rhino horn for traditional medicine
China has legalized the “controlled” use of rhino horn and tiger bone for medical use and cultural purposes in the country, the government announced on Oct. 29. Rhino horn and…
Genome-wide study confirms there are six tiger subspecies
While there were perhaps as many as 1000,000 tigers in the world a century ago, scientists say that there are fewer than 4,000 today, occupying less than 10 percent of…
Indonesia’s Aceh sees harshest penalty yet for a wildlife crime
A court in Indonesia’s Aceh province has sentenced two men to four years behind bars for attempting to sell a tiger skin, in the toughest ever penalty handed down for…
Audio: How an African bat might help us prevent future Ebola outbreaks
On this episode, we look at research into an African bat that might be the key to controlling future Ebola outbreaks. Listen here: Our guest is Sarah Olson, an…
New survey results show Nepal is on track to double its tiger population by 2022
A census led by the government of Nepal has found that the tiger population in the country nearly doubled over the past ten years. Data gathered from camera trap surveys…
Indonesia’s Teater Potlot takes on the plight of the Sumatran tiger
PALEMBANG, Indonesia — For those worried about the plight of the Sumatran tiger, of which only a few hundred remain, concern typically flows from a sense that all life is…
Conservation groups herald protection of tiger habitat in Malaysia
Tigers and other wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia now have a new refuge, as the state government of Terengganu recently axed plans to log more than 100 square kilometers (39 square…
DNA database helps Nepal’s officials monitor tigers, punish poachers
In December 2015, officials from Nepal's Central Investigation Bureau had a hunch that something was amiss with the country’s tigers. The bureau, in the past few months, had seized more…
Alan Rabinowitz, big cat evangelist and voice of the wild, dies at 64
The wildlife conservation community has lost a leader in big cat conservation. Alan Rabinowitz, an American zoologist dubbed the “Indiana Jones of wildlife protection” by Time magazine, died of cancer on…
Tiger, clouded leopard skins among illegal wildlife parts seized in Malaysia
Malaysian authorities have seized wildlife parts worth 500,000 ringgit ($124,000) and arrested six Vietnamese nationals during a raid in Kuala Lipis, a town located near Taman Negara, the country’s oldest national…
Animals are becoming night owls to avoid humans
Large mammals are spending more time hunting and foraging under the cover of darkness to avoid humans, a new study has found. Researchers compiled data from 76 studies, and analyzed…
‘Rarest’ ape’s path to survival blocked by roads, dams and agriculture
Even as scientists introduced the world to a new species of orangutan in 2017 — one of only seven non-human great apes alive today — they were already working to…
‘Rarest’ ape’s path to survival blocked by roads, dams and agriculture
Even as scientists introduced the world to a new species of orangutan in 2017 — one of only seven non-human great apes alive today — they were already working to…
Sumatran tiger blamed for killing two people is captured alive after marathon hunt
JAKARTA — Authorities in Indonesia have captured a Sumatran tiger blamed for killing two people earlier this year. They have moved the female tiger, nicknamed Bonita, to a wildlife rehabilitation…
