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		<title>Conservation news</title>
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		<link>https://news.mongabay.com/list/trophy-hunting/</link>
		<description>Environmental science and conservation news</description>
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	<url>https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/05/16160320/cropped-mongabay_icon-32x32.png</url>
	<title>News on Trophy Hunting</title>
	<link>https://news.mongabay.com/list/trophy-hunting/</link>
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				<item>
					<title>Trump called trophy hunting a “horror show,” but permitted 300-plus elephant trophy imports in 2025</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/trump-called-trophy-hunting-a-horror-show-but-permitted-300-plus-elephant-trophy-imports-in-2025/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/trump-called-trophy-hunting-a-horror-show-but-permitted-300-plus-elephant-trophy-imports-in-2025/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 May 2026 15:33:55 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Spoorthy Raman]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sharon Guynup]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/05/15171641/ele-mom-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=319539</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, North America, and United States]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Crime, Elephants, Endangered Species, Environment, Environmental Law, Governance, Hunting, International Trade, Mammals, Trophy Hunting, Wildlife, Wildlife Trade, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The U.S. issued more than 300 elephant trophy import permits during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, according to records obtained by U.S.-based NGO the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD). It’s the most ever issued on Trump’s watch in a year, and indicates that as many as 300 elephants were killed. Trophies [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The U.S. issued more than 300 elephant trophy import permits during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, according to records obtained by U.S.-based NGO the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD). It’s the most ever issued on Trump’s watch in a year, and indicates that as many as 300 elephants were killed. Trophies are usually the taxidermied heads or feet, which hunters display in their homes as décor. Tanya Sanerib, the center’s international legal director who analyzed the data, called the permit numbers “alarming.” It’s a 154% increase in the total number of elephant trophy import permits issued during all of Trump&#8217;s first term. Because elephants are listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), importers need a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to bring elephant trophies into the country. In 2018, the agency issued 114 permits. That dropped to just four in 2019 and none in 2020 and 2021. Receiving a permit does not necessarily mean an elephant was killed that year. Some hunters apply for permits before going on a hunting trip; others apply after an animal is killed. Each permit is valid for a year. African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) are an endangered species. In the 1800s, about 26 million roamed the continent. But poaching for the international trade in ivory crashed their numbers: Since 1965, 60% of them were slaughtered for their tusks. Only about 415,000 remain today. While the ivory trade has declined, this wide-ranging pachyderm’s habitat&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/trump-called-trophy-hunting-a-horror-show-but-permitted-300-plus-elephant-trophy-imports-in-2025/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/trump-called-trophy-hunting-a-horror-show-but-permitted-300-plus-elephant-trophy-imports-in-2025/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-319539</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>The value of South Africa’s wildlife shouldn&#8217;t be in the hands of wealthy foreign hunters (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/the-value-of-south-africas-wildlife-shouldnt-be-in-the-hands-of-wealthy-foreign-hunters-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/the-value-of-south-africas-wildlife-shouldnt-be-in-the-hands-of-wealthy-foreign-hunters-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>30 Apr 2026 12:07:04 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Stephanie Klarmann]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/03/27145726/gemsbok-Oryx-gazella-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=318405</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, South Africa, and Southern Africa]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Business, Commentary, Conservation, Ecotourism, Environment, Ethics, Hunting, Lions, Predators, Top Predators, Trade, Trophy Hunting, Wildlife, and Wildlife Trade]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[South Africa’s conservation debate is too often anchored within the blunt slogan, “If it pays, it stays.” At face value, this appears pragmatic, even responsible. But there’s a troubling premise underneath it: the survival of South Africa’s wildlife depends on its ability to generate an enormous income for a select group of wealthy farmers and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[South Africa’s conservation debate is too often anchored within the blunt slogan, “If it pays, it stays.” At face value, this appears pragmatic, even responsible. But there’s a troubling premise underneath it: the survival of South Africa’s wildlife depends on its ability to generate an enormous income for a select group of wealthy farmers and professional hunters from an even wealthier foreign clientele. According to this logic, wildlife is protected not because it is ecologically vital, culturally significant, or ethically deserving of life, but purely because it can be killed for a hefty price. When conservation is built on the premise that wildlife must pay its way to exist, we should ask not only who benefits, but what is being lost, and at whose expense. Each year I examine the professional hunting statistics provided to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) to demand transparency regarding how South Africa’s wildlife is being utilized for financial gain. The most recently available statistics (for 2024) show a substantial increase of 17%: 7,756 visitors killed 40,508 wild animals (if one includes indigenous mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and exotic mammals also killed). For proponents of the euphemistically termed “sustainable use,” this will naturally look like a significant success. But can we continue to justify the continuous intensification and amplification of commercial wildlife use on ecological and ethical grounds? Number of animals hunted and hunting clients in South Africa, 2018-2024. Table provided by the author. ‘If it pays, it stays’ Superficially, this phrase&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/the-value-of-south-africas-wildlife-shouldnt-be-in-the-hands-of-wealthy-foreign-hunters-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/the-value-of-south-africas-wildlife-shouldnt-be-in-the-hands-of-wealthy-foreign-hunters-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-318405</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Trophies, body parts &#038; live animals dominate global lion trade, data show</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/trophies-body-parts-live-animals-dominate-global-lion-trade-data-show/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/trophies-body-parts-live-animals-dominate-global-lion-trade-data-show/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 May 2025 12:17:25 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Alex ShawSpoorthy Raman]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Daniel]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[africa]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/05/08112218/lion-africa-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=298793</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Global, and South Africa]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Cats, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environment, Environmental Law, Illegal Trade, International Trade, Lions, Poaching, Trophy Hunting, Wildlife, Wildlife Trade, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As apex predators, lions (Panthera leo) roam the African savanna, and occasionally even the rainforests, as the only social big cats. A small, isolated population of Asiatic lions (Panthera leo persica), an endangered subspecies, is found in the scrublands of the Indian state of Gujarat. Their majestic manes, thunderous roars and regal presence have piqued [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As apex predators, lions (Panthera leo) roam the African savanna, and occasionally even the rainforests, as the only social big cats. A small, isolated population of Asiatic lions (Panthera leo persica), an endangered subspecies, is found in the scrublands of the Indian state of Gujarat. Their majestic manes, thunderous roars and regal presence have piqued human fascination since the Stone Age — so much so that our ancestors drew them on cave walls. Even to this day, our enchantment with the world’s second-largest wildcat doesn’t seem to have ebbed, as the felines make up a lion’s share of the legal global wildcat trade. While the commercial trade of Asiatic lions, which are listed on Appendix I of CITES, isn&#8217;t permitted, African lions can be traded legally with permits — both as live individuals and body parts of dead lions. “The drivers for legal (and illegal) trade are diverse – as are the products,” wildlife trade researcher Vivienne Williams at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, told Mongabay in an email, adding that buyers and purposes of trade are also diverse. For instance, lion bones are in demand in Southeast Asia to substitute tiger bones in many traditional medicine prescriptions. Lion trophy hunting is a significant industry where hunters bring home a part of their kill. Captive-bred live lions are traded for entertainment purposes, circuses and private zoos. “Culturally and traditionally, lion parts are used and traded domestically, quite extensively across Africa,” Katrina Mole from TRAFFIC Africa told Mongabay. “​​That&#8217;s&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/trophies-body-parts-live-animals-dominate-global-lion-trade-data-show/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/05/trophies-body-parts-live-animals-dominate-global-lion-trade-data-show/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-298793</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>‘Trophies’ shared on social media reveal scale of mass bird slaughter in Lebanon</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/trophies-shared-on-social-media-reveal-scale-of-mass-bird-slaughter-in-lebanon/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/trophies-shared-on-social-media-reveal-scale-of-mass-bird-slaughter-in-lebanon/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Apr 2025 14:10:08 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Spoorthy Raman]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/04/17051926/kestrel-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=297740</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Lebanon, and Middle East]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birding, Birds, Conservation, Crime, Endangered Species, Environment, Environmental Law, Governance, Illegal Trade, Over-hunting, Poaching, Raptors, Trophy Hunting, Wildlife, Wildlife consumption, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Every year, during the Northern Hemisphere spring and autumn, the skies over Lebanon are dotted with millions of birds on their epic migrations. From soaring Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) to charismatic white storks (Ciconia ciconia), more than 500 species of birds traverse the African-Eurasian flyway, which funnels over Lebanon, as they migrate between their breeding [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Every year, during the Northern Hemisphere spring and autumn, the skies over Lebanon are dotted with millions of birds on their epic migrations. From soaring Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) to charismatic white storks (Ciconia ciconia), more than 500 species of birds traverse the African-Eurasian flyway, which funnels over Lebanon, as they migrate between their breeding grounds in Europe and their wintering grounds in Africa. “It&#8217;s an incredible spectacle,” says seabird biologist Andre Raine, science director at Archipelago Research and Conservation in Hawai‘i. “You can see thousands of storks, huge flocks of eagles, honey-buzzards, sparrowhawks … they&#8217;re just coming through in waves and waves and waves.” But this avian spectacle draws in a darker element. As large flocks of migratory birds fly over Lebanon and other countries in the region, they become an easy target for poachers, who fire indiscriminately at them, sometimes killing almost every bird in a single flock. Across the Mediterranean, people shoot dead an estimated 11 million to 36 million birds each year, and in Lebanon, one of the worst countries in the region for bird poaching, that number stands at 2.6 million birds a year. “The scale of it is intense … you have to see it to believe it,” Raine says. “You can go to mountaintops … and it&#8217;s just littered with snowdrifts of feathers of raptors, where you&#8217;re wading through, sometimes up to your knees, in dead birds.” What’s also harrowing is that many dead birds don’t end up as food on the table,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/trophies-shared-on-social-media-reveal-scale-of-mass-bird-slaughter-in-lebanon/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/trophies-shared-on-social-media-reveal-scale-of-mass-bird-slaughter-in-lebanon/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-297740</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Maltese Falcon Poachers: European hunters endanger Egypt’s birds</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/maltese-falcon-poachers-european-hunters-endanger-egypts-birds/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/maltese-falcon-poachers-european-hunters-endanger-egypts-birds/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Apr 2025 19:59:49 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mahmoud ElsobkyWael El-Sayegh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Daniel]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[africa]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/04/02172057/illustration-Malta-Bird_Smuggling-v1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=296943</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Egypt, Malta, and North Africa]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birding, Birds, Conservation, Crime, Endangered Species, Environment, Environmental Law, Governance, Illegal Trade, Over-hunting, Poaching, Raptors, Trophy Hunting, Wildlife, Wildlife consumption, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The New Arab and The Shift co-published a set of edited versions of this investigation. As the sun hung low over the Nile, casting golden ripples across the water, we navigated Lake Nasser. The air carried whispers of wings overhead, the soft rustle of migratory birds seeking refuge during their epic winter journey from Europe [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The New Arab and The Shift co-published a set of edited versions of this investigation. As the sun hung low over the Nile, casting golden ripples across the water, we navigated Lake Nasser. The air carried whispers of wings overhead, the soft rustle of migratory birds seeking refuge during their epic winter journey from Europe to Africa. In January 2024, it was here, in these seemingly tranquil landscapes, that we began unraveling the tangled web of illegal bird hunting — a world where beauty and brutality collide. Evidence was everywhere. In Malta, freezers filled with bird skins and carcasses were confiscated in raids, many tied directly to hunting expeditions in Egypt. The scenes were grotesque: a clash of cultures, politics and conservation. Hashim Morsi, an Egyptian bird-watcher, recalled a shocking find in 2017. He discovered around 7,000 dead birds along an approximately 15-kilometer (9-mile) stretch near Port Said. Many bore the hallmarks of Maltese poaching: plastic wrapping bearing text in Maltese. In a call with Mahmoud*, a veteran hunting guide, he told us that “Italian hunters usually want ducks. Maltese hunters are the ones who want different kinds. The Maltese hunters take everything in sight … even stray dogs if they get the chance. In Aswan, I had Maltese clients, and we did what we could there.” From Aswan, our investigation took us deeper into Egypt’s rural heartlands, tracing a shadowy trail to Fayoum and beyond. There, The New Arab (TNA) uncovered the digital footprints of Maltese hunters flaunting their&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/maltese-falcon-poachers-european-hunters-endanger-egypts-birds/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/maltese-falcon-poachers-european-hunters-endanger-egypts-birds/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-296943</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Sweden&#8217;s &#8216;nature friendly&#8217; reputation is being shot to pieces (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/09/swedens-reputation-as-nature-friendly-is-being-shot-to-pieces-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/09/swedens-reputation-as-nature-friendly-is-being-shot-to-pieces-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Sep 2024 17:19:15 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Misha Istratov]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/09/04163436/fg4_9903_c_f-g_grandin_mnhn-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=286922</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Europe, European Union, and Sweden]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Bears, Commentary, Conservation, Ecotourism, Environment, Ethics, Forestry, Governance, Hunting, Trophy Hunting, Wildlife, and Wolves]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The majority of foreign visitors, and even most Swedish inhabitants, consider their country to be one that values nature. The image is also continually used in popular culture, for example, in the most recent Netflix adaptation of renowned author Astrid Lindgren&#8217;s novel Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter, in which stunning forests full of animals are shown. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The majority of foreign visitors, and even most Swedish inhabitants, consider their country to be one that values nature. The image is also continually used in popular culture, for example, in the most recent Netflix adaptation of renowned author Astrid Lindgren&#8217;s novel Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter, in which stunning forests full of animals are shown. This may have been the case in the past, but the same forests — and that one specifically, in fact — are either being deliberately destroyed or mercilessly felled right now. Things are far worse when it comes to wildlife, since, if one digs a little deeper, the nation has become a trophy hunter&#8217;s paradise that routinely flouts the European Union&#8217;s own Habitats Directive, which was put in place to safeguard endangered species. The European Union has been monitoring Sweden&#8217;s activities since 2010, when a number of environmental organizations lodged a complaint against the country&#8217;s hunt of protected species, particularly wolves. A letter to the European Commission, co-signed by 29 NGOs, was sent last year asking for the reopening of the infringement procedures against Sweden over its wolf management policy. In response, the commission stated that it is still keeping an eye on Sweden&#8217;s activities, 13 years after it began. Over those years, Sweden has killed hundreds of red-listed large carnivores every year, including wolves, bears, wolverines, and lynxes, who are the nation&#8217;s most adored creatures. Detail from the Rovdjurskampanjen (predator campaign) website. The influential Swedish hunting lobby, which has been essentially allowed to act&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/09/swedens-reputation-as-nature-friendly-is-being-shot-to-pieces-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/09/swedens-reputation-as-nature-friendly-is-being-shot-to-pieces-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-286922</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Luxury hunting firm linked to decades of poaching in Tanzania, whistleblowers say</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/08/luxury-hunting-firm-linked-to-decades-of-poaching-in-tanzania-whistleblowers-say/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/08/luxury-hunting-firm-linked-to-decades-of-poaching-in-tanzania-whistleblowers-say/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Aug 2024 09:49:32 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay.com]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/08/21225837/2-Ngorongoro-giraffe-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=286382</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, and Tanzania]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Bushmeat, Conservation, Crime, Environment, Environmental Policy, Ethics, Giraffes, Governance, Hunting, Illegal Trade, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Land Conflict, Mongabay investigation, Poaching, Protected Areas, Trophy Hunting, Wildlife, Wildlife Trade, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[LOLIONDO, Tanzania — Whistleblowers speaking to Mongabay have reported instances of poaching over decades in Tanzania linked to a luxury hunting firm catering to the United Arab Emirates’ elites and royals. The insiders are from Ortello — sometimes spelled Otterlo — Business Corporation (OBC), which operates shoots in Loliondo, part of Tanzania’s northern Ngorongoro district. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[LOLIONDO, Tanzania — Whistleblowers speaking to Mongabay have reported instances of poaching over decades in Tanzania linked to a luxury hunting firm catering to the United Arab Emirates’ elites and royals. The insiders are from Ortello — sometimes spelled Otterlo — Business Corporation (OBC), which operates shoots in Loliondo, part of Tanzania’s northern Ngorongoro district. Interviews with the sources, who requested pseudonyms due to safety concerns, provide a rare insight into OBC-organized hunting expeditions, which attracted members of UAE royalty and their associates at least once or twice a year from the 1990s until as late as 2016. They report that some of these trips culminated in live animals being flown abroad. Exports of live wildlife have been outlawed in Tanzania since 2016 to protect rare animals and birds. In 2022, lawmakers swiftly reversed a controversial decision to lift the ban that had been in place for six years. The sources’ testimony comes as Tanzanian authorities have served waves of eviction notices affecting Maasai pastoralists in and around Loliondo, as part of efforts to lease 1,500 square kilometers (580 square miles) of ancestral land to OBC. In 2023, an Amnesty International report condemned government forces for violence and mass arrests that left an estimated 70,000 Maasai without access to their traditional grazing areas. To verify the whistleblowers’ allegations as fully as possible, we observed OBC’s hunting estate, interviewed nearby villagers and obtained court documents, company filings and shipping records. Based in Dubai, OBC was registered as a foreign company in&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/08/luxury-hunting-firm-linked-to-decades-of-poaching-in-tanzania-whistleblowers-say/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/08/luxury-hunting-firm-linked-to-decades-of-poaching-in-tanzania-whistleblowers-say/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-286382</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Conservation success leaves Nepal at a loss for dealing with ‘problem tigers’</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/02/conservation-success-leaves-nepal-at-a-loss-for-dealing-with-problem-tigers/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/02/conservation-success-leaves-nepal-at-a-loss-for-dealing-with-problem-tigers/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Feb 2024 16:02:52 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Abhaya Raj Joshi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Abhaya Raj Joshi]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/02/29155733/tiger-ntnc-rescue-nepal-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=279338</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Nepal, and South Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Carnivores, Cats, Conservation, Human-wildlife Conflict, Hunting, Mammals, Tigers, Trophy Hunting, and Zoos]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[KATHMANDU — Nepal’s government remains undecided on how to manage tigers captured after attacking or killing humans, even as different stakeholders make varied suggestions on dealing with the urgent issue of these so-called problem animals. The rising incidence of human-tiger conflict is a direct consequence of Nepal’s stunning success in conserving tigers (Panthera tigris), which [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[KATHMANDU — Nepal’s government remains undecided on how to manage tigers captured after attacking or killing humans, even as different stakeholders make varied suggestions on dealing with the urgent issue of these so-called problem animals. The rising incidence of human-tiger conflict is a direct consequence of Nepal’s stunning success in conserving tigers (Panthera tigris), which has seen the population of the endangered big cat nearly triple since 2010. With that increase, the number of tigers that authorities have determined must be removed from their habitat for human safety has also gone up. Today, there are 18 of these apex predators in captivity, stretching the capacity of the government to feed and accommodate them. “The government hasn’t taken any new decision so far on how to manage the captive tigers,” Bed Kumar Dhakal, a spokesperson for the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, told Mongabay. Last year, the country’s environment minister proposed, controversially, that sport hunters be allowed to kill “problem tigers,” thereby addressing human-tiger conflict while also generating revenue that can be invested back into conservation. Other government officials have called for gifting the animals to zoos abroad, while NGOs have lobbied for the establishment of rescue centers at the provincial level. Some academics have suggested simply shooting tigers deemed dangerous to human life. “After a lot of backlash over the proposal to allow sport hunting of problem tigers, the minister hasn’t raised the proposal again,” a wildlife department official familiar with the development told Mongabay, asking not to&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/02/conservation-success-leaves-nepal-at-a-loss-for-dealing-with-problem-tigers/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/02/conservation-success-leaves-nepal-at-a-loss-for-dealing-with-problem-tigers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-279338</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>For Nepal, 2023 changed course of tiger conservation efforts</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/12/for-nepal-2023-changed-course-of-tiger-conservation-efforts/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/12/for-nepal-2023-changed-course-of-tiger-conservation-efforts/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Dec 2023 14:03:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Abhaya Raj Joshi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Abhaya Raj Joshi]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/08/03070605/3580677981_8c205a68f5_o-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=276991</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Nepal, and South Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Conservation, Conservation Technology, Human-wildlife Conflict, Hunting, Infrastructure, Roads, Tigers, Trophy Hunting, Wildtech, and Year-end review]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[KATHMANDU — A year after nearly tripling its population of tigers (Panthera tigris) in just 12 years, Nepal’s conservation authorities and stakeholders decided in 2023 to change their approach from increasing numbers to sustaining the milestone achievement. While shoring up the number of tigers around the world, which had reached historical lows, was the main [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[KATHMANDU — A year after nearly tripling its population of tigers (Panthera tigris) in just 12 years, Nepal’s conservation authorities and stakeholders decided in 2023 to change their approach from increasing numbers to sustaining the milestone achievement. While shoring up the number of tigers around the world, which had reached historical lows, was the main objective of the TX2 program launched in St. Petersburg in 2010, the new approach focuses on ensuring coexistence between the predators and people and on enhancing connectivity and genetic viability of populations across the Terai Arc Landscape, where the tigers live. The deployment of community-based anti-poaching units and the Nepali Army in the protected areas has significantly controlled poaching of tiger parts. However, implementing the new vision remains challenging.Negative human-tiger interactions, development of linear infrastructure, availability of food and use of proper technology are some of the emerging issues related to the conservation of the iconic species in the country. These issues were reported extensively by Mongabay throughout 2023. Here’s a summary of Mongabay’s coverage of tiger conservation in Nepal: Nepal won’t set fresh tiger number goal, to focus on coexistence, connectivity After nearly tripling its population of tigers in just 12 years, Nepal’s The National Tiger Conservation Action Plan (NTCAP) for 2023-32 has set four objectives: ensuring effective management of tiger habitats, reducing human-tiger conflicts, enhancing connectivity and genetic viability of tiger populations and strengthening institutional capacity and coordination. A study underscored just how serious the problem of road traffic impeding tiger movements within&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/12/for-nepal-2023-changed-course-of-tiger-conservation-efforts/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/12/for-nepal-2023-changed-course-of-tiger-conservation-efforts/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-276991</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Critics decry Nepal minister’s ‘terrible idea’ of ‘sport hunting’ tigers</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/07/critics-decry-nepal-ministers-terrible-idea-of-sport-hunting-tigers/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/07/critics-decry-nepal-ministers-terrible-idea-of-sport-hunting-tigers/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 Jul 2023 08:19:09 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Abhaya Raj Joshi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Abhaya Raj Joshi]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/07/26075606/bengal-tigers-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=271393</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Nepal, and South Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Charismatic Animals, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environment, Global Environmental Crisis, Governance, Human-wildlife Conflict, Hunting, Predators, Tigers, Top Predators, Trophy Hunting, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[KATHMANDU — Nepal’s environment minister has suggested allowing wealthy foreigners to kill tigers for “sport,” sparking outrage from wildlife experts, conservationists and local community representatives. Birendra Mahato raised the issue in a recent podcast interview, where he said he’d received offers from U.S. and Japanese hunters who wanted to pay millions of dollars to kill [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[KATHMANDU — Nepal’s environment minister has suggested allowing wealthy foreigners to kill tigers for “sport,” sparking outrage from wildlife experts, conservationists and local community representatives. Birendra Mahato raised the issue in a recent podcast interview, where he said he’d received offers from U.S. and Japanese hunters who wanted to pay millions of dollars to kill a tiger in Nepal. The country represents a rare conservation success story for the big cat, Panthera tigris, whose population here has tripled over the past 12 years. &#8220;They told me that we could go into global bidding, and allow the highest bidder to hunt tigers for a month every four to five years,&#8221; Mahato said. He pointed out that Nepal would soon face the problem of having too many tigers for its limited space and resources, which could lead to increased conflicts with humans and lack of food for the animals. The money raised from selling hunting could be used for conservation work, he added. &#8220;We could charge $25 million for every tiger killed,&#8221; he said. At that price, the cost of killing five tigers would easily cover the environment ministry’s total budget for the 2023/24 fiscal year. But Mahato’s suggestion and justifications have come under scathing criticism from conservationists, experts and local communities. They say “sport hunting” would be a disastrous move that would jeopardize Nepal’s remarkable achievement in tiger conservation and pose serious ecological and cultural risks. &#8220;Hunting just doesn&#8217;t work to reduce conflict,&#8221; Mark Elbroch, director of the puma program at&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/07/critics-decry-nepal-ministers-terrible-idea-of-sport-hunting-tigers/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/07/critics-decry-nepal-ministers-terrible-idea-of-sport-hunting-tigers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-271393</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Montana cannot be trusted with grizzly bear &#038; wolf management (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/05/montana-cannot-be-trusted-with-grizzly-bear-wolf-management-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/05/montana-cannot-be-trusted-with-grizzly-bear-wolf-management-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 May 2023 22:52:41 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Lara Birkes]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/11/17040402/WOLF-cropped-e1682981335598-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=268143</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Montana, North America, and United States]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Bears, Carnivores, Commentary, Conservation, Endangered Species, Endangered Species Act, Environment, Hunting, Trophy Hunting, Wildlife, and Wolves]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Whether you live in Big Sky country, have enjoyed its natural wonders as a tourist, or marveled at the iconic imagery of Yellowstone National Park’s bears and wolves from afar – what’s happening to wildlife in the American West should concern you. Montana’s state legislature has proposed a litany of extreme anti-wildlife bills despite widespread, diverse, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Whether you live in Big Sky country, have enjoyed its natural wonders as a tourist, or marveled at the iconic imagery of Yellowstone National Park’s bears and wolves from afar – what’s happening to wildlife in the American West should concern you. Montana’s state legislature has proposed a litany of extreme anti-wildlife bills despite widespread, diverse, and credible opposition. The onslaught began in 2021 and continues in this legislative session with the introduction of bills that go from bad to worse. Last session those included snaring, night shooting and baiting wolves, and approving bounties to encourage more killing. It targeted black bears too, allowing the use of hounds after Montana had banned that for a century. And it opened up unlimited wolf take along Yellowstone’s border, despite the fact that those wolves spend 96% of their time in the Park and provide incredible research data that helps us manage them everywhere. A grizzly bear cub in Montana. Image by Marshal Hedin published to the Creative Commons. This year that effort continues, and the Legislature is making it clear that the next species it wants to target is grizzly bears. They are still protected under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), which has led to a remarkable comeback for a species that was almost wiped out before we began strong conservation work. That helped us get back to where we are today, with more than 2,000 grizzlies in the northern Rockies. But now, Montana lawmakers and Gov. Greg Gianforte are pushing measures that&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/05/montana-cannot-be-trusted-with-grizzly-bear-wolf-management-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/05/montana-cannot-be-trusted-with-grizzly-bear-wolf-management-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-268143</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Namibia’s first peoples struggle to access their traditional lands (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/04/namibias-first-peoples-struggle-to-access-their-communal-lands-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/04/namibias-first-peoples-struggle-to-access-their-communal-lands-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Apr 2023 17:46:15 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Izzy Sasada]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/04/19142305/Devils-Claw-harvest-Nyae-Nyae-Conservancy-Namibia-e1681926001826-768x490.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=267598</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Namibia, and Southern Africa]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Commentary, Conflict, Human Rights, Hunting, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Land Conflict, Land Grabbing, Land Rights, Resource Conflict, and Trophy Hunting]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Namibia’s internationally acclaimed Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) Program, whereby the government ostensibly allows rural and Indigenous communities the opportunity to manage and profit from their own natural resources, has received significant Western backing. However, research indicates that within the two CBNRMs which are designated to Indigenous San communities (the Nyae-Nyae Conservancy to the Ju/hoansi [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Namibia’s internationally acclaimed Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) Program, whereby the government ostensibly allows rural and Indigenous communities the opportunity to manage and profit from their own natural resources, has received significant Western backing. However, research indicates that within the two CBNRMs which are designated to Indigenous San communities (the Nyae-Nyae Conservancy to the Ju/hoansi San and the N#a Jaqna Conservancy to the !Kung San), the benefits from natural resources are felt more so by unscrupulous traders, cattle herders and trophy hunting safari operators. The San’s traditional subsistence way of life is being threatened, and without means of finding employment elsewhere, many Indigenous communities in the Kalahari face impoverishment, starvation, exploitation, and marginalization. This may see the annihilation of one of the world’s oldest cultures as we know it, and it reflects a growing pattern whereby the communities who have the most knowledge of the natural world are today being obstructed from utilizing these natural resources. The loss of access to land is particularly devastating to Indigenous communities who rely on natural resources for their self-sufficiency. Map of Namibia showing the two conservancies. Land grabs in N#a Jaqna Conservancy  The Indigenous !Kung San people who occupy the N#a Jaqna Conservancy (b) are witnessing their historical lands be overrun by cattle herders from Namibia’s ruling ethnic groups, which is tacitly sanctioned by central and local government authorities. Authorities on conservancy land are thought to be accepting illegal bribes by non-San settlers in return for grazing rights on San traditional land within&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2023/04/namibias-first-peoples-struggle-to-access-their-communal-lands-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2023/04/namibias-first-peoples-struggle-to-access-their-communal-lands-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-267598</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Top 10 notable Indigenous stories of 2022</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/12/top-10-notable-indigenous-stories-of-2022/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/12/top-10-notable-indigenous-stories-of-2022/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Dec 2022 13:00:14 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Latoya Abulu]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Latoya Abulu]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/12/24012757/52018320474_eedd760da9_k-e1671845474877-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=264098</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Indigenous Peoples and Conservation]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Amazon and Arctic]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[30x30 conservation target, Animals, Biodiversity, Community-based Conservation, Conservation, Conservation Finance, Conservation Philosophy, Conservation Solutions, Crime, Culture, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Policy, Forests, Funding, Gold Mining, Human Rights, Hunting, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Reserves, Indigenous Rights, Land Conflict, Land Rights, Law, Mining, Murdered Activists, Murdered Journalists, Oil, Oil Drilling, Organized Crime, Politics, Private Reserves, Protected Areas, Rainforests, Social Justice, Solutions, and Trophy Hunting]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[This year ended with a big bang for many Indigenous leaders, communities and activists around the world. During the U.N. biodiversity conference, known as COP15, Indigenous traditional lands and rights were successfully incorporated into the final global agreement to halt and reverse biodiversity loss after more than two years of campaigning. Indigenous leaders fear being [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[This year ended with a big bang for many Indigenous leaders, communities and activists around the world. During the U.N. biodiversity conference, known as COP15, Indigenous traditional lands and rights were successfully incorporated into the final global agreement to halt and reverse biodiversity loss after more than two years of campaigning. Indigenous leaders fear being evicted and losing more of their traditional lands to newly created protected and conserved areas through the agreement’s infamous ’30 by 30’ target protecting 30% of land and marine areas by 2030. Once the agreement was cinched on December 19, Indigenous delegates were among the attendees celebrating what they dub a “major shift” in recognizing their rights and role as among the world’s most effective environmental stewards. “It&#8217;s historic. It&#8217;s a moment to celebrate,&#8221; said Jennifer Tauli-Corpuz, a representative of the Indigenous caucus (IIFB) at COP15. However, this was not the only notable story that marked Indigenous communities around the world in 2022. As Indigenous peoples gain more global attention and the climate and biodiversity crises advance onto their territories, Indigenous communities, along with their struggles, conservation successes and conflicts are further thrust into the spotlight. From a historic number of Indigenous candidates elected in Brazil’s elections to a new cycle of investigations into Indigenous people killed in a national park, Mongabay presents its 10 most notable Indigenous news stories from 2022. 1. Indigenous youths lured by the illegal mines destroying their Amazon homeland Robervaldo a young Yek&#8217;wana that used to work in an illegal&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/12/top-10-notable-indigenous-stories-of-2022/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/12/top-10-notable-indigenous-stories-of-2022/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-264098</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Nepal&#8217;s wild yaks ‘need more conservation than research’: Q&#038;A with Naresh Kusi</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/11/nepals-wild-yaks-need-more-conservation-than-research-qa-with-naresh-kusi/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/11/nepals-wild-yaks-need-more-conservation-than-research-qa-with-naresh-kusi/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>15 Nov 2022 07:43:41 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Abhaya Raj Joshi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Abhaya Raj Joshi]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/11/15070457/Photo_7-1-e1668496047918-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=262615</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, China, Nepal, South Asia, and Tibetan Plateau]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environmental Heroes, Human-wildlife Conflict, Mountains, Over-hunting, and Trophy Hunting]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[KATHMANDU – Wild yaks (Bos mutus) are believed to have once roamed the regions north of Nepal’s Himalayas. The iconic large bovine, considered the ancestor of the domesticated yak (Bos grunniens), is native to the mountains and had a deep relationship with the people living north of the tallest mountains in the world. However, even [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[KATHMANDU – Wild yaks (Bos mutus) are believed to have once roamed the regions north of Nepal’s Himalayas. The iconic large bovine, considered the ancestor of the domesticated yak (Bos grunniens), is native to the mountains and had a deep relationship with the people living north of the tallest mountains in the world. However, even the sighting of the animal, now categorized as “vulnerable” by IUCN, the global conservation authority, has been rare in Nepal since the dawn of the new millennium — although they are still found in numbers in neighboring Tibet. As the red list says that its presence in Nepal is uncertain, researchers and wildlife photographers alike feel excited to catch a glimpse of them. Naresh Kusi in Upper Mustang during a wild yak research expedition in 2017. Image by Prajwol Manandhar Researcher Naresh Kusi is no exception. He, along with researcher Geraldine Werhahn, were thrilled to encounter three wild yaks (known as dong in Tibetan) in Humla district of Nepal in July this year. This was a sight to behold for the duo, who were the first to sight the animal in 2014, decades after they were believed to have gone extinct. Following their discoveries, the IUCN plans to conduct a reassessment of the distribution map of the animal to possibly include Nepal. Kusi, now country program director at the Himalayan Wolves Project, has relentlessly studied wild yaks since 2014. Mongabay’s Abhaya Raj Joshi met Kusi in Kathmandu recently to talk about the status of the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/11/nepals-wild-yaks-need-more-conservation-than-research-qa-with-naresh-kusi/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/11/nepals-wild-yaks-need-more-conservation-than-research-qa-with-naresh-kusi/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-262615</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Reframing trophy hunting’s socio-economic benefits in Namibia (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/04/reframing-trophy-huntings-socio-economic-benefits-in-namibia-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/04/reframing-trophy-huntings-socio-economic-benefits-in-namibia-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Apr 2022 23:36:51 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Frowin Becker]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/04/28195323/1280px-Professional_hunter_with_a_hunting_guest_Kalahari_Namibia_01-768x512.png" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=255298</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Namibia, and Southern Africa]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Commentary, Community Development, Conservation, Environment, Mammals, Poverty, Poverty Alleviation, Racism, Social Justice, Sustainable Development, Tourism, Trophy Hunting, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[With the relatively recent proposal in the British parliament to ban the import of wildlife trophies, the issue has once again taken center stage among factions of the global conservation community. Despite the potential ban’s limited impact on its own trophy hunting industry, Namibia is often raised as a case study to make a strong [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[With the relatively recent proposal in the British parliament to ban the import of wildlife trophies, the issue has once again taken center stage among factions of the global conservation community. Despite the potential ban’s limited impact on its own trophy hunting industry, Namibia is often raised as a case study to make a strong argument for a morally contentious practice that has been adapted into a conservation strategy. Most of Namibia’s hunting clients are either EU or US citizens, making a ban in the UK no immediate threat. Data from 2016 suggest that only 4% of Namibia’s hunting clients are even likely to be British. However, as other African conservation sectors stand to lose valuable clientele, fears over a hugely impactful precedent have put Namibia’s conservation and hunting fraternities on high alert as well. Fears arise from revenue generated through trophy hunting being diminished by a blanket ban; revenue often earmarked for conservation and in Namibia’s case, rural poverty alleviation. While not untrue, this framing neglects some socio-political history, which is still playing itself out today. Gemsbok (Oryx gazella) are the largest of the Oryx species and are a common target of trophy hunters visiting Namibia. Image by Joachim Huber via Wikimedia Commons. The country’s conservancy-based conservation model has distinguished itself by conferring rights to wildlife resource use to communally-run conservancies. This was enacted through a legislative amendment back in 1996, after Namibia gained independence from South Africa in 1990. Before that, rights to wildlife resources were reserved for&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/04/reframing-trophy-huntings-socio-economic-benefits-in-namibia-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/04/reframing-trophy-huntings-socio-economic-benefits-in-namibia-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-255298</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Can we plan for a future without trophy hunting? (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/03/can-we-plan-for-a-future-without-trophy-hunting-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/03/can-we-plan-for-a-future-without-trophy-hunting-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Mar 2022 15:52:17 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Merrill Sapp]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2019/03/04222619/Botswana-Elephants-Linyanti-Drinking-Herd-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=253846</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa and United Kingdom]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Commentary, Community Development, Conservation, Development, Elephants, Human-wildlife Conflict, Illegal Trade, Ivory, Sustainable Development, Trophy Hunting, Wildlife, and Wildlife Trade]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In December, the British government announced a plan to ban the import of hunting trophies into the UK.  The proposal has popular support, but there is a vocal contingent that claims the ban will do more harm than good for both people and animals.  Though the ban would be for all trophy hunted items, the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In December, the British government announced a plan to ban the import of hunting trophies into the UK.  The proposal has popular support, but there is a vocal contingent that claims the ban will do more harm than good for both people and animals.  Though the ban would be for all trophy hunted items, the most vocal dissent has come from those who are particularly interested in hunting in Africa, especially elephants.  I support the ban, but it must be accompanied by money and a plan for infrastructure development by other means. Trophy hunting of elephants primarily happens in the countries of southern Africa—Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.  These also happen to be places that suffer from long lasting effects of colonialism and marginalization of local people, often with harsh living environments and few natural resources that result in widespread poverty. The middle 1900s, especially the 1970s and 80s, were rough for elephants in Africa.  Elephants were hunted by Europeans and Americans to perilous levels and extirpated from many areas.  This was both for sport and for ivory.  As elephants gained protection due to their decreasing numbers and demand for ivory went down in many parts of the world, the number of African savanna elephants rebounded slightly.  Elephants have been in decline again since the early 2000s.  Although they are still endangered and at risk of extinction, some people in Southern Africa complain of “too many” elephants because of conflict with humans over space and resources.  People&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/03/can-we-plan-for-a-future-without-trophy-hunting-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/03/can-we-plan-for-a-future-without-trophy-hunting-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-253846</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>UK trophy hunting import ban not supported by rural Africans (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/02/uk-trophy-hunting-import-ban-not-supported-by-rural-africans-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/02/uk-trophy-hunting-import-ban-not-supported-by-rural-africans-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Feb 2022 17:16:23 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Dr Malan LindequeGail ThomsonHilma AngulaKenneth /UisebRosalia Iileka]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/01/07184258/namibia_1098_21_header-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=252605</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Namibia, Southern Africa, and United Kingdom]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Commentary, Community Development, Development, Elephants, Human-wildlife Conflict, Mammals, Poverty, Sustainable Development, Trade, Trophy Hunting, Wildlife, and Wildlife Trade]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Proposed legislation to ban the import of hunting trophies (e.g. horns, antlers, tusks) apparently enjoys popular support within the UK, yet the effects of these policies are likely to be felt by rural people in countries beyond its borders. The opinions of rural Africans, in particular, are rarely or never heard in such policy debates [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Proposed legislation to ban the import of hunting trophies (e.g. horns, antlers, tusks) apparently enjoys popular support within the UK, yet the effects of these policies are likely to be felt by rural people in countries beyond its borders. The opinions of rural Africans, in particular, are rarely or never heard in such policy debates even though they stand to be directly affected by these decisions. In the interest of highlighting their opinions, we share some responses to a recent series of interviews regarding elephant management in Namibia. When evaluating the results of opinion polls or questionnaire surveys, it is good practice to reflect on where the data come from and how the responses were gathered. In this case, the Namibian government commissioned conservation professionals including three of the authors of this article (with Mr. Kenneth /Uiseb providing oversight), to hold a series of public meetings in rural areas known to host elephants. These stakeholder meetings included 38 communal conservancies – community-based institutions that have been granted conditional ownership rights over wildlife that occur within their jurisdiction. Between these meetings, people were interviewed about elephants. The respondents we highlight here were part of the daily management (staff members, including field staff) or oversight (committee members) of their communal conservancies. As residents and managers in conservancies, these interviewees have both first-hand experiences of living with wildlife and a detailed understanding about how hunting works in their conservancies. They were interviewed in small groups, informed regarding how their responses would be used,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/02/uk-trophy-hunting-import-ban-not-supported-by-rural-africans-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/02/uk-trophy-hunting-import-ban-not-supported-by-rural-africans-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-252605</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Congo&#8217;s bongos are in danger, and curbs on trophy hunting could save them</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/09/congos-bongos-are-in-danger-and-curbs-on-trophy-hunting-could-save-them/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/09/congos-bongos-are-in-danger-and-curbs-on-trophy-hunting-could-save-them/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Sep 2021 10:28:43 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Malavika Vyawahare]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Malavikavyawahare]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[africa]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/09/24073156/S116B_C05_20170204_090844-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=247510</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Central Africa, and Republic of Congo]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Antelope, Conservation, Diseases, Endangered Species, Hunting, Logging, Over-hunting, Research, Species, Trophy Hunting, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[When the first bongo was reported dead by the Sangha River in the Republic of Congo in 1997, it was believed to have drowned. Several more turned up in the following weeks. Some were spotted tottering along open roads, unusual for a mostly nocturnal animal. Others appeared uncharacteristically fearless. All were emaciated. At least 17 bongos [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[When the first bongo was reported dead by the Sangha River in the Republic of Congo in 1997, it was believed to have drowned. Several more turned up in the following weeks. Some were spotted tottering along open roads, unusual for a mostly nocturnal animal. Others appeared uncharacteristically fearless. All were emaciated. At least 17 bongos died that year after a catastrophic explosion of Stomoxys flies descended upon the ungulates, biting them, enfeebling them, and often killing them. It alerted researchers to the possibility that all was not well with the bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus). Now, a study conducted more than two decades later shows bloodsucking flies aren&#8217;t the only existential threat for this rare African antelope — unsustainable trophy hunting quotas are too. An allotment of 15 adult males a year could lead to their disappearance from the Republic of Congo’s Bonio hunting concession within 25 years, according to the survey led by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), a U.S.-based NGO. The bongo&#8217;s bold stripes and striking horns make it a prized trophy, or, as one hunter put it, the &#8220;animal of a lifetime.&#8221; Fewer than 30,000 of the chestnut-colored ungulates remain today, found in a belt just south of the Sahara. Of the two known bongo subspecies, the eastern bongo (T. e. isaaci) faces a steeper uphill battle for survival: Only around 100 of these mountain-dwelling antelopes remain in Kenya&#8217;s mountains. The lowland bongo (T. e. eurycerus) is found in western and central African countries, its range straddling the Congo&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2021/09/congos-bongos-are-in-danger-and-curbs-on-trophy-hunting-could-save-them/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-247510</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>‘What’s your real footprint on the animal world?’: Q&#038;A with author Henry Mance</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/07/whats-your-real-footprint-on-the-animal-world-qa-with-author-henry-mance/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/07/whats-your-real-footprint-on-the-animal-world-qa-with-author-henry-mance/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Jul 2021 14:24:34 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Elizabeth Claire Alberts]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Elizabethalberts]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/07/19132623/WAM14322-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=244980</guid>

					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Intelligence, Animal Rights, Animal Welfare, Animals, Captive Breeding, Charismatic Animals, Conservation, Environment, Ethics, Farming, Fish, Fishing, Food, Food Industry, Hunting, and Trophy Hunting]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Many of us love animals. At least, we think we do. We may serve our cats gourmet food and let them sleep in our beds. We may buy our dogs expensive squeaky toys and take them on vacations with us. But the love we have for our pets doesn’t always translate to the pigs, chickens [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Many of us love animals. At least, we think we do. We may serve our cats gourmet food and let them sleep in our beds. We may buy our dogs expensive squeaky toys and take them on vacations with us. But the love we have for our pets doesn’t always translate to the pigs, chickens and fish that end up on our plates, or the cows used to make our shoes or belts. Why is this? The book How to Love Animals in a Human-Shaped World by British writer Henry Mance explores this conundrum: Why do we love some animals but not others? The first chapter takes a hard look at one of the most obvious places for humanity’s strained relationship with animals: factory farms. Mance, who converted from vegetarianism to veganism while writing the book, got a job at an abattoir to learn the true reality of what it takes for meat, milk and eggs to end up on our dinner tables. “[O]ccasionally I would look up and see animals being killed, and I would just think, &#8216;Why do we think this is necessary?&#8217;” Mance told Mongabay. “If this were essential for human culture to exist, then maybe there is a justification. But what I realized at the abattoir is &#8230; how much power we have over other animals&#8217; lives and how unthinkingly we wield it.” Mance also briefly worked at a “good pig farm” to see if the argument of only buying “good meat” stands up to scrutiny.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2021/07/whats-your-real-footprint-on-the-animal-world-qa-with-author-henry-mance/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-244980</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>NRA Video: Conquering nature will never be the silver bullet (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/05/nra-video-conquering-nature-will-never-be-the-silver-bullet-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/05/nra-video-conquering-nature-will-never-be-the-silver-bullet-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 May 2021 15:32:42 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kate Dylewsky]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rhett Butler]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/05/06153215/maxresdefault-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=242404</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Botswana and United States]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Welfare, Animals, Commentary, Elephants, Environment, Hunting, and Trophy Hunting]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A horrifying video surfaced last week showing National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre struggling to kill an African savanna elephant in Botswana. LaPierre’s pursuit of a trophy, documented (though never aired) for an NRA-sponsored series, ended with an elephant collapsed in agony while the hunter repeatedly failed to deliver the kill shot at close range. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A horrifying video surfaced last week showing National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre struggling to kill an African savanna elephant in Botswana. LaPierre’s pursuit of a trophy, documented (though never aired) for an NRA-sponsored series, ended with an elephant collapsed in agony while the hunter repeatedly failed to deliver the kill shot at close range. After we have spent more than a year held hostage by a virus that emerged due to humanity’s exploitation of the natural world, we should have learned our lesson: Nature is not meant to be conquered. Screen grab of National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre killing an elephant in Botswana. Video from The New Yorker. Trophy hunters continue to claim that they promote conservation, even as they slaughter imperiled species in need of meaningful protection. There is no conclusive scientific evidence, however, that trophy hunting benefits conservation programs or significantly drives economic development. In fact, these majestic animals are worth far more alive than dead. They capture carbon naturally out of the environment, which helps to fight climate change, and, according to research by the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a living elephant generates more than $1.6 million in ecotourism opportunities over the course of a lifetime. A separate economic analysis of eight African countries found that overall tourism, which relies heavily on wildlife resources in those nations, contributes as much as 5% to their gross domestic product (GDP), while the total economic contribution of trophy hunters does not exceed 0.03% of GDP. Responsible photo safaris, by&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2021/05/nra-video-conquering-nature-will-never-be-the-silver-bullet-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/05/nra-video-conquering-nature-will-never-be-the-silver-bullet-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-242404</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Saving our ‘Beloved Beasts’: Q&#038;A with environmental journalist Michelle Nijhuis</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/04/saving-our-beloved-beasts-qa-with-environmental-journalist-michelle-nijhuis/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/04/saving-our-beloved-beasts-qa-with-environmental-journalist-michelle-nijhuis/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Apr 2021 18:23:41 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[John Cannon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[John Cannon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/04/22181955/Black_rhinoceros_37034456474-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=241916</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Evolving Conservation]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Books, Community-based Conservation, Conservation, Conservation Philosophy, Endangered Species, Environment, Extinction, Green, History, Human Rights, Innovation, NGOs, Poaching, Poverty, Racism, Trophy Hunting, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[For more than 50 years, Earth Day has been a celebration of protecting the planet and the array of life, including us, that it supports. Though that common goal seems straightforward enough, the details are anything but. Ensuring the survival of species that populate the Earth turns out to be as complicated as the life-forms [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[For more than 50 years, Earth Day has been a celebration of protecting the planet and the array of life, including us, that it supports. Though that common goal seems straightforward enough, the details are anything but. Ensuring the survival of species that populate the Earth turns out to be as complicated as the life-forms themselves, and the path humans have taken toward conservation turns out to be as full of missteps and U-turns as it is with conservation heroes and species pulled back from the brink. Environmental and science journalist Michelle Nijhuis wrestles with the winding and sometimes problematic history of conservation in her new book, Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction. As the title suggests, charismatic “beasts” such as eagles, rhinos and bison all make cameos in the book. She explores the troublesome backstory of turning points like the creation of protected areas in the U.S. and abroad. National parks and the like are cornerstones of conservation policy but are also reminders of past — and present — colonialist and racist approaches to dealing with the impact humans have on the environment. (For more on the current reckoning with such issues, read Nijhuis’s recent essay in The Atlantic, “Don’t Cancel John Muir. But don’t excuse him either.”) The focus of the book is on the lives of the people who have grappled with that impact we have had on the rest of life on Earth and our attempts to save it. Nijhuis’s lively characters&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2021/04/saving-our-beloved-beasts-qa-with-environmental-journalist-michelle-nijhuis/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/04/saving-our-beloved-beasts-qa-with-environmental-journalist-michelle-nijhuis/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-241916</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Does trophy hunting hurt giraffe populations? A planned lawsuit says it does</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/10/does-trophy-hunting-hurt-giraffe-populations-a-planned-lawsuit-says-it-does/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/10/does-trophy-hunting-hurt-giraffe-populations-a-planned-lawsuit-says-it-does/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Oct 2020 15:14:56 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Elizabeth Claire Alberts]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Elizabethalberts]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/10/16145435/10724131114_92ea844813_k-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=235856</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa and United States]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Charismatic Animals, Conservation, Critically Endangered Species, Endangered Species, Endangered Species Act, Environment, Giraffes, Green, Human-wildlife Conflict, Hunting, Over-hunting, Species, Trophy Hunting, Wildlife, and Wildlife Trade]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Skinned, stuffed and tanned, wild giraffes are up for sale at dozens of stores across the United States. While importing and selling wild giraffes and giraffe products, such as giraffe rugs and taxidermied trophies, is legal in the U.S., conservationists and animal welfare advocates say these practices are nudging the species closer toward extinction. On [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Skinned, stuffed and tanned, wild giraffes are up for sale at dozens of stores across the United States. While importing and selling wild giraffes and giraffe products, such as giraffe rugs and taxidermied trophies, is legal in the U.S., conservationists and animal welfare advocates say these practices are nudging the species closer toward extinction. On Oct. 15, a coalition of groups, including the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Humane Society International (HSI), and the Center for Biological Diversity, filed a notice of intent to sue the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The federal agency is tasked with managing wildlife and natural habitats, but the groups say it’s failing to protect giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) through the nation’s Endangered Species Act (ESA). Three years ago, the coalition had petitioned USFWS to uplist giraffes as an endangered species through the ESA, but the agency failed to respond, even though it’s legally obligated to do so within a year, Laura Smythe, staff attorney at HSUS, told Mongabay in an email. The groups filed an initial lawsuit against USFWS in 2018, which prompted the agency to say that giraffes may qualify for protection under the ESA — but no further steps were taken, according to HSUS. Giraffe in Uganda. Image by Rod Waddington / Flickr. The agency’s inaction, Smythe said, implies that it is “catering to the special interests of trophy hunters, and not doing what is in the best interest of the species.” “[T]he U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/10/does-trophy-hunting-hurt-giraffe-populations-a-planned-lawsuit-says-it-does/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/10/does-trophy-hunting-hurt-giraffe-populations-a-planned-lawsuit-says-it-does/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-235856</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Rangers protecting Philippine tamaraws go hungry as pandemic bites</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/08/rangers-protecting-philippine-tamaraws-go-hungry-as-pandemic-bites/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/08/rangers-protecting-philippine-tamaraws-go-hungry-as-pandemic-bites/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>20 Aug 2020 07:30:10 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mavic Conde]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Leilani]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/08/20000818/TCP-Rangers-Gregg-Yan-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=234037</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Philippines, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Conservation Finance, COVID-19, Crime, Critically Endangered Species, Endangered Species, Finance, Hunting, Pandemics, Protected Areas, Slash-and-burn, Subsidies, Trophy Hunting, Wildlife, Wildlife Rangers, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[For the rangers protecting one of the most threatened species of cattle in the world, a day at the office can involve facing off against poachers or walking a tightrope between the military and armed rebels in a conflict zone. But with the onset of COVID-19, the guardians of the critically endangered tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis), [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[For the rangers protecting one of the most threatened species of cattle in the world, a day at the office can involve facing off against poachers or walking a tightrope between the military and armed rebels in a conflict zone. But with the onset of COVID-19, the guardians of the critically endangered tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis), a species found only on the Philippine island of Mindoro, face a different kind of threat: hunger, as budget cuts caused by the pandemic bite into their already meager salaries. Mounts Iglit-Baco Natural Park (MIBNP) on Mindoro is the last stronghold of the tamaraw, a dwarf wild buffalo whose dwindling population stands at 480, based on a 2019 count. &#8220;They used to roam around in the lowlands, but the eventual growth of communities pushed the tamaraws into the mountains,” says Neil Anthony del Mundo, coordinator of the Tamaraw Conservation Program (TCP). “Now, tamaraw habitats are isolated into patches, with most of the present habitats under constant threats [from] encroachment, kaingin [slash-and-burn farming], deforestation, poaching, and hunting.&#8221; The elusive Philippine tamaraw can only be found in Mindoro Island, Philippines. Image by Gregg Yan The TCP was established in 1979 as a special project under the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to protect and conserve the remaining tamaraws that inhabit the park&#8217;s 2,500-hectare (6,180-acre) core protection zone. Twenty-four rangers regularly patrol the park 22 days out of the month. But during the Philippines’ pandemic lockdown period, which began in March, they logged even more&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/08/rangers-protecting-philippine-tamaraws-go-hungry-as-pandemic-bites/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/08/rangers-protecting-philippine-tamaraws-go-hungry-as-pandemic-bites/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-234037</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>The ‘Cougar Conundrum’: Q&#038;A with author Mark Elbroch</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/08/the-cougar-conundrum-qa-with-author-mark-elbroch/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/08/the-cougar-conundrum-qa-with-author-mark-elbroch/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>20 Aug 2020 00:58:06 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[John Cannon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[John Cannon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/08/20003805/F61_NealWight-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=234046</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Canada, North America, and United States]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Books, Cats, Conflict, Conservation, Environment, Hunting, Interviews, Mammals, NGOs, Over-hunting, Predators, Social Conflict, Social Media, Top Predators, Trophy Hunting, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In 2016, a mountain lion known as P-45 killed 10 alpacas on a ranch in California’s Santa Monica Mountains. That’s rare behavior for a mountain lion, writes wildlife biologist Mark Elbroch in his new book, Cougar Conundrum: Sharing the World with a Successful Predator. Even so, the killing spree touched off a firestorm of controversy [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In 2016, a mountain lion known as P-45 killed 10 alpacas on a ranch in California’s Santa Monica Mountains. That’s rare behavior for a mountain lion, writes wildlife biologist Mark Elbroch in his new book, Cougar Conundrum: Sharing the World with a Successful Predator. Even so, the killing spree touched off a firestorm of controversy over what to do about the problem. Livestock owners argued for the right to kill problem pumas. Animal rights advocates said that pumas like P-45 are critical to the survival of the small population living in this part of southern California. The polarization is common in wildlife management, with entrenched views on each side and very little common ground on which to build consensus. But the community persisted, said Elbroch, the puma program director for Panthera, the global wild cat conservation organization. In the end, ranchers were authorized to go after problem mountain lions only after they’d tried and failed other measures to deter them, an outcome that was criticized. But Elbroch said it could also be seen as an example of a compromise that, in his view, happens far too infrequently in wildlife management. “I would argue that, at least on a local scale, the Malibu community wrestled with the cougar conundrum and came up with a solution,” he writes. “Not everyone involved was happy with the end result, but it’s the process that’s most important, not the outcome.” The book, published on Aug. 13, likewise wrestles with the vexing questions that living alongside&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/08/the-cougar-conundrum-qa-with-author-mark-elbroch/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/08/the-cougar-conundrum-qa-with-author-mark-elbroch/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-234046</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Coronavirus is a crisis for South Africa’s captive lions, campaigners warn</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/04/coronavirus-is-a-crisis-for-south-africas-captive-lions-campaigners-warn/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/04/coronavirus-is-a-crisis-for-south-africas-captive-lions-campaigners-warn/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Apr 2020 16:07:53 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[James Fair]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Terna Gyuse]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/04/13150147/LionCub3_LionParkSouthAfrica_TambakoTheJaguarBY-ND-2.0-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=228978</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, South Africa, and Southern Africa]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Carnivores, Cats, Conservation, COVID-19, Endangered Species, Globalization, Green, Hunting, Lions, Mammals, Over-hunting, Tourism, Trade, Trophy Hunting, Wildlife, and Wildlife Trade]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Wildlife conservation and animal welfare groups say the COVID-19 pandemic ought to spell the end for one of South Africa’s most controversial businesses: the captive breeding of lions. Industry representatives say animal rights groups have destabilized the lion-breeding business by misrepresenting it. Image by Tambako the Jaguar via Flickr (CC BY-ND-2.0) It is widely accepted [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Wildlife conservation and animal welfare groups say the COVID-19 pandemic ought to spell the end for one of South Africa’s most controversial businesses: the captive breeding of lions. Industry representatives say animal rights groups have destabilized the lion-breeding business by misrepresenting it. Image by Tambako the Jaguar via Flickr (CC BY-ND-2.0) It is widely accepted that SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that has precipitated the global crisis, came from wildlife (bats or pangolins are the most likely sources), and campaign groups long opposed to lion breeding on an industrial scale in South Africa argue this highlights the risks that humans face by exploiting wildlife for meat or other purposes. They also say that many of the breeding centers — of which there were 297 in 2016, according to a paper published last year by researchers Vivienne Williams of the University of the Witwatersrand and Michael ’t Sas-Rolfes from Oxford University — rely on tourist income that has now vanished. These centers will now either allow their lions to starve to death or euthanize them — a charge denied by the industry. From cuddled cubs to lion bone wine Outside of zoos, lions are bred and kept in captivity in South Africa for three main reasons: to provide “cub-petting” and “walk with lions” experiences to visitors at theme parks; to be sold to other operations for “canned” trophy hunting; and, when they die or have been killed, to be sold on to countries in East Asia, where their bones are turned into wines and other products&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/04/coronavirus-is-a-crisis-for-south-africas-captive-lions-campaigners-warn/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/04/coronavirus-is-a-crisis-for-south-africas-captive-lions-campaigners-warn/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-228978</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Community conservation in Namibia requires balance and understanding (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2019/05/community-conservation-in-namibia-requires-balance-and-understanding-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2019/05/community-conservation-in-namibia-requires-balance-and-understanding-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 May 2019 13:47:15 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Gail Potgieter]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mike Gaworecki]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2019/05/28134600/namibia-conservancy-lion_1210px-768x451.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=218957</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa and Namibia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Commentary, Community-based Conservation, Conservation, Environment, Hunting, Research, Trophy Hunting, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[This commentary is a response to an article by John Grobler published by Mongabay on February 26, 2019: “It pays, but does it stay? Hunting in Namibia’s community conservation system.” In a recent article, John Grobler recounted his experiences from a one-week visit to Nyae Nyae Conservancy in Namibia. Mr. Grobler’s report, based on brief [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[This commentary is a response to an article by John Grobler published by Mongabay on February 26, 2019: “It pays, but does it stay? Hunting in Namibia’s community conservation system.” In a recent article, John Grobler recounted his experiences from a one-week visit to Nyae Nyae Conservancy in Namibia. Mr. Grobler’s report, based on brief experiences in Nyae Nyae and a cursory study of the Namibian conservancy system, leaves much to be desired. As with many things in life, the more you know about an issue the more you come to realize that it is much more complicated than it first appears. In all fairness, it would be unrealistic to expect anyone wishing to write about a subject to become an expert before they put pen to paper, and that is especially true of Namibia’s conservancy program. That would mean that reporting on the status of any given conservancy would require at least a year of being immersed in the local culture, studying the historical and ecological context, and attending conservancy meetings. Alternatively, you can talk to the experts – the people who have spent most of their careers working with individual conservancies or supporting the conservancy program at a national level. I was privileged to work with five conservancies in Namibia’s Kunene Region for two years. Working with conservancy committees and employees, along with attending community meetings, gave me insights into the conservancy system that I could not have obtained just by reading about it. During this time, I&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/05/community-conservation-in-namibia-requires-balance-and-understanding-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2019/05/community-conservation-in-namibia-requires-balance-and-understanding-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-218957</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Hunting pumas to save deer could backfire, new research suggests</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2019/04/hunting-pumas-to-save-deer-could-backfire-new-research-suggests/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2019/04/hunting-pumas-to-save-deer-could-backfire-new-research-suggests/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Apr 2019 12:05:05 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[John Cannon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[John Cannon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2019/04/09063910/Puma02_CreditMarkElbroch-Panthera.b926e4d6f9e44ce6ad2d2c5d27bdc9c6-768x450.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=217308</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Evolving Conservation]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[United States]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behavior, Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Cats, Conservation, Ecology, Ecosystems, Environment, Forests, Hunting, Impact Of Climate Change, Insects, Invertebrates, Mammals, Natural Capital, NGOs, Over-hunting, Parks, Politics, Predators, Protected Areas, Research, Top Predators, Trophy Hunting, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The puma family took biologist Mark Elbroch by surprise. They were supposed to be a ways off. But here they were, year-old kittens, bungling the final moments of a baby mule deer&#8217;s life in a matted-down circle of grass as the mother mountain lion looked on. Elbroch, the puma program director for Panthera, saw a rare [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The puma family took biologist Mark Elbroch by surprise. They were supposed to be a ways off. But here they were, year-old kittens, bungling the final moments of a baby mule deer&#8217;s life in a matted-down circle of grass as the mother mountain lion looked on. Elbroch, the puma program director for Panthera, saw a rare opportunity to capture on film what biologists call “operant learning.” So he set up the remote cameras he had in his backpack, and he waded back into the hip-high grass of western Wyoming and out of sight. What unfolded on film over the next 25 minutes confirmed that “mountain lions take a long time to become efficient killers,” Elbroch said. Even at a year old and each outweighing the fawn by 50 pounds (23 kilograms) or more, he said, “They’re just clueless.” They still hadn’t dispatched the screaming fawn when the kittens dragged it off camera. “It’s horrific to watch,” Elbroch said. A camera trap photograph of a mountain lion in California. Image by Sebastian Kennerknecht. It turns out that, as pumas learn to hunt throughout their lifetimes — even long after they’ve left their mothers’ sides — it affects their choice of prey. This discovery, reported March 29 in the journal Conservation Science and Practice, potentially calls into question the assumption that allowing hunters to kill more pumas (Puma concolor) will translate into more of the elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) that human hunters prize. This assumption has led to&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/04/hunting-pumas-to-save-deer-could-backfire-new-research-suggests/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2019/04/hunting-pumas-to-save-deer-could-backfire-new-research-suggests/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-217308</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>A plea to Botswana: Please rethink a “Not Enough Fences” approach (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2019/03/a-plea-to-botswana-please-rethink-a-not-enough-fences-approach-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2019/03/a-plea-to-botswana-please-rethink-a-not-enough-fences-approach-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Mar 2019 11:46:51 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Steve Osofsky]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mike Gaworecki]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2019/03/14111111/3-giraffe_M_Atkinson_1200px-cropped-768x473.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=216527</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Atlantic Forest, Botswana, and Southern Africa]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Beef, Cattle, Commentary, Conservation, Diseases, Ecotourism, Elephants, Environment, Environmental Policy, Fences, Human-wildlife Conflict, Hunting, Mammals, Migration, Research, Trophy Hunting, Wildlife, and Wildlife Corridors]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Recent headlines around the world indicate that the government of Botswana is considering significant changes to the country’s approach to wildlife management. I give the government great credit for the transparency it has shown, something which encourages constructive dialogue within Botswana — as well as beyond, given Botswana’s global importance to the future of free-ranging wildlife. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Recent headlines around the world indicate that the government of Botswana is considering significant changes to the country’s approach to wildlife management. I give the government great credit for the transparency it has shown, something which encourages constructive dialogue within Botswana — as well as beyond, given Botswana’s global importance to the future of free-ranging wildlife. Having served as the Government of Botswana’s first Wildlife Veterinary Officer in the early 1990s, I have a first-hand understanding of the realities of human-wildlife conflict and its impacts on Botswana’s rural communities. I thus acknowledge the very real tensions at play, but I nonetheless believe that the new draft plans pose a significant threat to the long-term survival of wildlife in southern Africa, and to the ongoing economic growth that Botswana’s wilderness has been supporting. The proposed policy reflects a deeply worrying lack of recognition of the habitat and migration route requirements that the future of southern Africa’s wildlife fundamentally depends upon. A typical veterinary cordon fence in southern Africa. Boteti Fence, Makgadikgadi National Park, Botswana. Photo Credit: M. Atkinson, AHEAD. A potential re-opening of trophy hunting after a five-year moratorium as well as culling of elephants are certainly complex and emotion-laden issues, but getting less attention is a new push via the Hunting Ban Subcommittee of Cabinet that threatens the very future of Botswana’s wildlife: a call for more fencing, as well as the cutting-off of wildlife migration routes “not beneficial to the country’s conservation efforts.” The over-riding problem is that wildlife migration&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/03/a-plea-to-botswana-please-rethink-a-not-enough-fences-approach-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2019/03/a-plea-to-botswana-please-rethink-a-not-enough-fences-approach-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-216527</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Cross-border camera trap research puts wild Amur leopard number at 84</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/cross-border-camera-trap-research-puts-wild-amur-leopard-number-at-84/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/cross-border-camera-trap-research-puts-wild-amur-leopard-number-at-84/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Jul 2018 01:22:53 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay.com]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[John Cannon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2018/07/18080041/PHOTO-CREDIT-EMMANUEL-RONDEAU-768x450.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=208484</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, China, and Russia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Camera Trapping, cameras, Cats, Conservation, Critically Endangered Species, Ecology, Endangered Species, Environment, Extinction, Forests, Habitat Loss, Hunting, Leopards, Mammals, National Parks, Over-hunting, Parks, Poaching, Protected Areas, Research, Temperate Forests, Trophy Hunting, Wildlife, Wildlife Trade, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[An international team of scientists has used camera traps in China and Russia to come up with a more accurate estimate of Amur leopards in the wild. The research, published in the journal Conservation Letters on June 19, used photographs from the traps to identify individual leopards that live in the borderlands between the two countries. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[An international team of scientists has used camera traps in China and Russia to come up with a more accurate estimate of Amur leopards in the wild. The research, published in the journal Conservation Letters on June 19, used photographs from the traps to identify individual leopards that live in the borderlands between the two countries. Scientists recognize this area as likely the last place on Earth where this critically endangered leopard subspecies (Panthera pardus orientalis) lives. That fact makes collaborations of this type, which included biologists from Chinese, Russian and U.S. institutions, critical to learning more about an elusive animal. “This first rigorous estimate of the global population of the Amur leopard represents an excellent example of the value of international collaboration,” Dale Miquelle, who coordinates the Wildlife Conservation Society’s tiger program and was a co-author of the study, said in a statement. Twenty percent of the leopards counted in the study moved across the border between China and Russia. Image by Julie Larsen Maher/WCS. Previous surveys of the Amur leopard used their tracks in the snow, which made it difficult to pick out individual cats. The camera trap photographs used in this study allowed the team to pick out individuals by the patterns of their spots. The work revealed that 20 percent of the leopard population turned up on both of sides of the border. “We knew that leopards moved across the border,” co-lead author and biologist Anya Vitkalova, of Russia’s Land of the Leopard National Park, said in&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/cross-border-camera-trap-research-puts-wild-amur-leopard-number-at-84/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-208484</doi>				</item>
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					<title>Another Cecil? Secrecy surrounds June trophy lion hunt</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/another-cecil-secrecy-surrounds-june-trophy-lion-hunt/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/another-cecil-secrecy-surrounds-june-trophy-lion-hunt/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Jul 2018 10:14:22 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Glenn Scherer]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2018/07/13094740/FEATURED-Skye-768x447.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=208335</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, South Africa, and United States]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Biodiversity Hotspots, Carnivores, Cats, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environment, Extinction, Global Environmental Crisis, Globalization, Green, Hunting, Mammals, Mass Extinction, Over-hunting, Trade, Trophy Hunting, Wildlife, and Wildlife Trade]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Mystery surrounds the hunting and killing of a lion in South Africa by an American on June 7th. Skye, a beloved lion, hasn’t been seen since that day.]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Skye, a beloved South African lion, has gone missing. Image © WILDAFRICAPTURE.COM / Charlie Lynam. On June 7th, a trophy hunter shot a male lion in Umbabat Private Nature Reserve in South Africa, a part of the Greater Kruger National Park. Nothing surprising about this: around 500 lions, usually males, are killed every year by trophy hunters on the African continent. What’s made this different is the suspicion that the hunter baited and killed Skye a beloved lion, the dominant male of Kruger’s so-called “Western Pride,” who has not been seen since June 7th. Also, one of Skye&#8217;s cubs was recently found dead, a common occurrence when other males take over a pride. The hunter was U.S. citizen Jared Whitworth, on a trip organized by Graham Sales Safaris. This fact only came to light due to the investigative work of local journalist Don Pinnock. News reports say Whitworth allegedly paid nearly $80,000 for the hunt. The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), which approved the hunt, has contended that the lion killed wasn’t Skye, but has offered no proof it was another individual. MTPA has also confirmed that the lion was baited, a fact that may run afoul of South African legislation. If the lion was Skye, his killing would break at least one South African regulation, given that the big cat – under six years old – was too young to be hunted. The MTPA has not responded to requests for information. Hunting organizations are taking note of the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/another-cecil-secrecy-surrounds-june-trophy-lion-hunt/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-208335</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Owner of South African hunting company indicted by US prosecutors over illegal elephant hunt</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2018/06/owner-of-south-african-hunting-company-indicted-by-us-prosecutors/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2018/06/owner-of-south-african-hunting-company-indicted-by-us-prosecutors/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Jun 2018 13:24:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay.com]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mike Gaworecki]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2018/06/04130743/kenya_2804-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=207214</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[South Africa, United States, and Zimbabwe]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Elephants, Environment, Environmental Law, Hunting, Illegal Trade, Ivory, Law, Law Enforcement, Mammals, National Parks, Poaching, Trophy Hunting, Wildlife, and Wildlife Trade]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The owner of a trophy hunting business in South Africa has been indicted by prosecutors with the United States Department of Justice for violating the Endangered Species Act and the Lacey Act. Prosecutors in the US state of Colorado have alleged that Hanno van Rensburg, a South African national and owner of Authentic African Adventures, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[The owner of a trophy hunting business in South Africa has been indicted by prosecutors with the United States Department of Justice for violating the Endangered Species Act and the Lacey Act. Prosecutors in the US state of Colorado have alleged that Hanno van Rensburg, a South African national and owner of Authentic African Adventures, led an illegal hunt in Zimbabwe’s Gonarezhou National Park in 2015 and bribed Zimbabwean government officials with somewhere between $5,000 and $8,000 to look the other way. Van Rensburg is also accused of conspiring with a member of the hunting party from Colorado to illegally export elephant ivory out of Zimbabwe by falsifying documents to claim that the hunter was a South African resident and did not shoot the elephant inside a national park. The African elephant is listed as “threatened” under the US Endangered Species Act, which makes interstate or international trade of hunting trophies from African elephants illegal. The US Lacey Act, meanwhile, makes it illegal to trade wildlife killed in violation of a foreign nation’s laws. Another US law, adopted in 2015 under the Obama Administration, specifically makes it illegal to import body parts from African elephants killed for sport in Zimbabwe or Zambia. Late last year, the Trump Administration said it was lifting the ban, though that decision was put on hold after a fierce backlash. In March, however, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced that it would begin to allow the import of elephant trophies from those countries&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2018/06/owner-of-south-african-hunting-company-indicted-by-us-prosecutors/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-207214</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Conservationist known as a caretaker for Kenya’s orphaned elephants dies at 83</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2018/04/conservationist-known-as-a-caretaker-for-kenyas-orphaned-elephants-dies-at-83/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2018/04/conservationist-known-as-a-caretaker-for-kenyas-orphaned-elephants-dies-at-83/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Apr 2018 09:31:23 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay.com]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[John Cannon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2018/04/18074246/Dr-Dame-Daphne-Sheldrick-DBE-with-orphaned-elephant-Ajok-1991.-Copyright-The-David-Sheldrick-Wildlife-Trust-768x451.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=205869</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, and Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Elephants, Endangered Species, Environment, Ex-situ Conservation, Extinction, Hunting, Ivory, Mammals, NGOs, Over-hunting, Poaching, Rhinos, Saving Species From Extinction, Solutions, Trophy Hunting, Wildlife, and Wildlife Trade]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Daphne Sheldrick, a conservationist known for her work to care for and return orphaned elephants to the wild, died of breast cancer on April 12 at the age of 83. Her husband, David, was the first warden at Kenya’s largest national park, Tsavo East. After his death in 1977, she started the Nairobi-based David Sheldrick [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Daphne Sheldrick, a conservationist known for her work to care for and return orphaned elephants to the wild, died of breast cancer on April 12 at the age of 83. Her husband, David, was the first warden at Kenya’s largest national park, Tsavo East. After his death in 1977, she started the Nairobi-based David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Daphne Sheldrick pioneered methods to rear milk-dependent elephant and rhino orphans. The organization, responsible for rearing more than 200 baby elephants to date, said that other orphanages around the world have used this knowledge to save other animals separated from their mothers. Daphne Sheldrick and her daughter Angela with Eleanor, an elephant that Daphne raised. Image © The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. “Daphne’s legacy is immeasurable and her passing will reverberate far and wide, because the difference she has made for conservation in Kenya is unparalleled,” said Sheldrick’s daughter, Angela, in a statement from the organization. Angela Sheldrick has been its CEO for 17 years. From the daily chores required to nurture orphan elephants and other wildlife, to speaking out for the protection of wild elephants, Daphne Sheldrick lived a life “driven by her belief that elephants, and other wild species, have a right to live a free and protected life — just like us,” the trust said. Research published in 2016 found that African elephant numbers are sliding by 8 percent every year. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust now fields teams that have gotten rid of more than 125,000 snares and have assisted in&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2018/04/conservationist-known-as-a-caretaker-for-kenyas-orphaned-elephants-dies-at-83/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-205869</doi>				</item>
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