Remember once again that the food, behavior, and habitat needs of wild animals are extremely unique. Unlike household pets, wildlife often suffer from stress, malnourishment, and even health problems when kept as pets or are hard to accustom to confinement.
To discourage poachers who target endangered rhinoceroses for their prized horns, scientists are adopting a different approach. Small, radioactive pellets have been put into the horns of live rhinos as part of a pilot study conducted in South Africa. Making the horns radioactive will reduce the demand for them on the black market.
In Kenya, the number of the world’s tallest animals is declining, and giraffes are considered as endangered species. The regular killing of giraffes for their meat and the harsh effects of climate change, according to officials, result in the loss of four to five of them daily.
Across Asia, over 64% of the land suitable as a habitat for elephants historically has been lost in the past three centuries, a new study examining ecosystems in the continent said.
Until recently, China was the world’s top macaque supplier. But in a bid to protect its own vaccine development efforts, Beijing banned their export, leaving Cambodia as the number-one source for a global research industry that was suddenly facing a severe shortfall.
Engendered mountain gorillas in the region are at risk due to hostilities between Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. Despite the strain, communities on both sides of the border have come together to improve gorilla conservation.
Five of the world’s most endangered sea turtles live off the coast of Ghana, where they are threatened by fishing nets and poachers who sell their meat and eggs. To help in the revival of turtle populations, a group of young footballers has undertaken to guard turtle nests and rescue turtles captured by fishermen
Colorado is a mountainous state in the United States known for its pleasant climate and popular ski resorts. It’s hardly the kind of spot where an alligator sanctuary would be expected
When former president Blaise Compaore fled Burkina Faso seven years ago, he left behind a zoo of lions, ostriches, hippos and hyenas, which began starving to death. A non-profit stepped in to rescue them last year and has reopened the zoo to the public
With tourists gone and their money, too, protecting endangered wildlife like black rhinos has become that much more challenging. And the poachers, like many desperate to make a living, might become more daring.