Latest news with #InternationalUnionForConservationOfNature
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
New tiger could boost endangered species breeding
Keepers at a zoo in Devon hope a newly arrived tiger could father multiple litters to help conserve critically endangered three-year-old Sumatran tiger named Dao arrived at Paignton Zoo from Fota Wildlife Park in Ireland last zoo said there were fewer than 400 Sumartran tigers remaining in the wild and Dao's arrival marked "the beginning of an exciting conservation chapter."Lisa Britton, the head of living collections at Paignton Zoo, said the tiger's young age meant there was "potential to welcome multiple generations of cubs over the coming years". The International Union for Conservation of Nature said Sumatran tigers were critically endangered, and have held the status for more than 20 zoo said the exchange with Ireland was part of the European breeding programme for endangered said every pairing was "carefully planned to maximise genetic diversity". Over the next six to 12 months, conservation experts would identify a genetically compatible younger female tiger to join him at Paignton."With habitat destruction and poaching continuing to threaten wild populations, visitors can see conservation in action and understand their role in supporting these vital efforts," Ms Britton said.
ABC News
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Thailand's famous hippo, Moo Deng, celebrates her first birthday
Thailand's internet-famous pygmy hippo Moo Deng has celebrated her first birthday, leaving behind the animal infancy which boosted her to worldwide fame. Crowds have been invited to a four-day festival at Khao Kheow Open Zoo where Moo Deng — meaning "Bouncy Pork" in Thai — frolicked to stardom and amassed five million social media fans. The first day of the extravaganza falls on a Thai public holiday and the agenda includes a lecture on "Moo Deng's cheekiness" while a skincare beautician has paid $4,500 to sponsor her fruit-festooned cake. Her handlers are also scheduled to auction off her belongings — but it is unclear what possessions Moo Deng has accumulated in her short life at the Chonburi province zoo. There were hopes her stardom would spotlight the plight of the endangered pygmy hippo, native to West Africa, with only about 2,500 left alive according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. But social media and search engine metrics suggest Moo Deng's popularity peaked around late September last year before dramatically declining. "Moo Deng went viral very quickly when she was born," said Joshua Paul Dale, an academic who teaches courses on the phenomenon of "cuteness" at Japan's Chuo University. Moo Deng's blubbery rose-blushed face launched a thousand memes and a plethora of merchandise including piggy banks and popsicles — prompting her owners to trademark her likeness. The pint-sized pygmy hippo quadrupled ticket sales for the zoo where her small and sparse enclosure was once broadcasted by a 24/7 live stream. Moo Deng is part of a pantheon of captive animals who have enjoyed flash-in-the-pan popularity for their cuteness online, including Melbourne's Pesto the penguin. Pygmy hippos have a life span of between 30 and 50 years. While Mr Dale predicts she may lose the limelight to longevity, he says Moo Deng could enjoy enduring appeal as fans recall "how unbearably cute she was when she was very, very small and just born". AFP
Asharq Al-Awsat
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Eel-eating Japan Opposes EU Call for More Protection
Japan's agriculture minister said Friday the country would oppose any call by the European Union to add eels to an endangered species list that would limit trade in them. Eel is eaten worldwide but is particularly popular in Japan, where it is called "unagi" and traditionally served grilled after being covered in a sticky-sweet sauce. Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters that the country carefully manages stock levels of the Japanese eel in cooperation with neighboring China, Taiwan and South Korea. "There is a sufficient population, and it faces no extinction risk due to international trade," AFP quoted him as saying. Japanese media have reported that the EU could soon propose that all eel species be added to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) which limits trade of protected animals. There are 19 species and subspecies of eel, many of them now threatened due to a range of factors including pollution and overfishing. In 2014, the Japanese eel was listed as endangered, but not critically endangered, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which cited factors including habitat loss, overfishing, pollution and migration barriers. Protecting the animal is complicated by their complex life cycle, which unfolds over a vast area, and the many unknowns about how they reproduce.
Japan Times
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Farm minister Koizumi opposes EU call for more protection for eels
Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Friday the country would oppose any call by the European Union to add eels to an endangered species list that would limit trade. Eel is eaten worldwide but is particularly popular in Japan, where it is traditionally served grilled after being covered in a sticky-sweet sauce. Koizumi told reporters that the country carefully manages stock levels of the Japanese eel in cooperation with neighboring China, Taiwan and South Korea. "There is a sufficient population, and it faces no extinction risk due to international trade," he said. Japanese media have reported that the EU could soon propose that all eel species be added to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which limits trade of protected animals. There are 19 species and subspecies of eel, many of them now threatened due to a range of factors including pollution and overfishing. In 2014, the Japanese eel was listed as endangered, but not critically endangered, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which cited factors including habitat loss, overfishing, pollution and migration barriers. Protecting the animal is complicated by their complex life cycle, which unfolds over a vast area, and the many unknowns about how they reproduce.
Malay Mail
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Japan battles EU over eel trade: Will unagi become the next endangered delicacy?
TOKYO, June 27 — Japan's agriculture minister said Friday the country would oppose any call by the European Union to add eels to an endangered species list that would limit trade in them. Eel is eaten worldwide but is particularly popular in Japan, where it is called unagi and traditionally served grilled after being covered in a sticky-sweet sauce. Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters that the country carefully manages stock levels of the Japanese eel in cooperation with neighbouring China, Taiwan and South Korea. 'There is a sufficient population, and it faces no extinction risk due to international trade,' he said. Japanese media have reported that the EU could soon propose that all eel species be added to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) which limits trade of protected animals. There are 19 species and subspecies of eel, many of them now threatened due to a range of factors including pollution and overfishing. In 2014, the Japanese eel was listed as endangered, but not critically endangered, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which cited factors including habitat loss, overfishing, pollution and migration barriers. Protecting the animal is complicated by their complex life cycle, which unfolds over a vast area, and the many unknowns about how they reproduce. — AFP
