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Mail & Guardian
05-05-2025
- Mail & Guardian
Covid and crackdowns slash ivory and pangolin scale trade
A Sunda pangolin in the wild after successful rehabilitation. Photo: © M. Shavez/1StopBrunei Wildlife/ifaw There has been a 'remarkable and sustained disruption' in the trafficking of A new It presents an updated analysis of ivory and pangolin scale trafficking trends over the past decade, comparing the pre-pandemic period from 2015 to 2019 with the post-pandemic period from 2020 to 2024. The report is based on reported seizure data, open-source research and criminal intelligence and investigation findings from the commission. In 2019, pangolin scales and ivory were being trafficked from Africa to Asia in extraordinary quantities. During that year, two Rapid growth in the average shipment size pointed to the involvement of organised crime networks 'operating at an industrial scale'. This was because of the significant financial capital, business infrastructure and corrupt connections required to move large shipments across continents with such frequency. Then in 2020, triggered by the global shock of the Covid-19 pandemic, pangolin scale and ivory seizures plummeted — and have remained comparatively low in the years since. 'The disruption was sudden and, remarkably, it appears to be holding.' Apart from the effects of the pandemic, recent intelligence suggests that important law-enforcement efforts, fluctuations in price dynamics and changing market demands could be contributing to a substantial reduction in the illegal trade of both pangolin scales and ivory compared to the pre-Covid years, the report noted. Since the disruption of the pandemic, there has been a substantial decrease in the number of multi-tonne seizures and a subsidence of the trend for combined shipments of both pangolin scales and ivory. 'While this could point to organised crime networks getting better at evading detection, fewer large consignments could also indicate a lower risk appetite for criminal networks to bear the financial losses caused in the event of law-enforcement interception,' it said. There was also an increased proportion of multi-tonne seizures in Africa before export, which 'could point to a greater proactive law-enforcement response in African hotspots'. No significant pangolin scale seizures have been reported at any seaport globally for three years or airport for more than five years. 'The relative absence of pangolin scale seizures at the demand side of the supply chain could suggest a diminished capacity of organised crime networks to move their goods out of Africa.' While a shift appears to be emerging from Nigeria to other African countries for sending ivory shipments to Asia, persistent stockpile seizures in Nigeria suggest that it continues to be a 'Criminal networks appear to adopt a fluid approach to commodity choice, diversifying their investments to take advantage of high demand and rising market prices of either product.' The flexibility of networks to adapt to changes in the market and deal interchangeably with pangolin scales and ivory highlights the importance of targeting the criminal networks, rather than the product, to address this problem. Pangolin scale values have declined and stabilised at lower levels at both the supply and demand ends of the supply chain. Ivory values declined by about half across the supply chain in the pre-pandemic period, then were relatively stable in Africa in the post-pandemic period. 'Steady product prices, alongside the ongoing but lower levels of product seizures, could point to continued existence of market demand for both commodities,' the report said. Although the pandemic generated the initial shock, strengthened and targeted law-enforcement efforts could also have contributed to fundamental changes in the 'The current intelligence picture suggests a major reduction in the trafficking of both commodities, which appears to have stabilised at relatively low levels compared to the pre-pandemic period. 'However, intelligence gaps remain on the extent to which pangolin scale and ivory shipments are successfully entering supply chains in Asia, despite the apparent slowing down of seizures. The report found that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the trafficking of pangolin scales and ivory from Africa to Asia 'cannot be overstated'. 'It wreaked havoc on the transcontinental wildlife supply chains and upended the unsustainable trajectory of the trafficking of these commodities.' The commission said that the current intelligence picture suggests a major reduction in the trafficking of both commodities, which appears to have stabilised at relatively low levels compared to the pre-pandemic period. 'Key questions include whether shipments are no longer being detected due to the use of more sophisticated concealment methodologies or changed modus operandi, or whether networks have procured better corruption settings at the receiver ports to facilitate more secure importation of goods.' Limited data on pangolin population levels also means the possibility of a scarcity of product contributing to the drop in transnational trade 'cannot be ruled out', although the ongoing large stockpile seizures in Africa and steady pricing trends suggest this is unlikely to be the case just yet. 'While the root causes of the disruption in the trafficking landscape are likely varied and complex, investigation findings indicate that proactive law enforcement efforts targeting the primary criminal networks in African hotspots with arrests and prosecutions are having an important impact. 'Intelligence from Wildlife Justice Commission investigations has found that fear and breakdown in trust among the networks at the supply side is resulting in an increased perception of risk and a stalemate scenario between wholesale suppliers, Asian buyers, and brokers that is thwarting their ability to do business.' Law-enforcement results achieved by Chinese and Nigerian authorities have had a 'highly disruptive impact' on the criminal landscape in a relatively short period of time, underlining the effectiveness of a consistent and targeted criminal justice approach, the report said. Among the report's recommendations are a top-tier targeting strategy to map the criminal networks and identify and target the crime bosses, financiers and high-value linchpins who play a crucial role in the network's activities. Further recommendations include deepening long-term, intelligence-led investigations to penetrate complex networks, corroborate intelligence and gather robust evidence and to target the There should be joint investigations and intelligence sharing as they are essential to dismantle networks operating across multiple countries, it said.
Times
03-05-2025
- Times
The stylish new hotel that shows off Singapore's green side
Looking out across deep-green waters, I can see what looks like thick rainforest on the opposite bank. I hear the barks and quack-like sounds of frogs, the high-pitched call of a collared kingfisher and the mellifluous song of an oriental magpie-robin. This sense of unadulterated nature is illusory, though, as I'm in Singapore, the bustling city-state that has one of the highest population densities in the world. When I listen hard, beyond the birdsong there's the undeniable rumble of rush-hour traffic. I'm in the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, a green area in the north home to zoos, aviaries and adventure parks, and now, surprisingly, a luxury hotel. The Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree opened last month, offering 338 stylish rooms in this tranquil, tropical setting, designed around hundreds of mature trees, including a 12-metre rain tree with a sprawling canopy and a native Indian beech strewn with climbers. Through a lobby left open to the elements are five storeys decorated with specially commissioned wallpaper depicting the rainforest's natural layers: on lower levels the imagery is of the forest floor; higher up it reflects the canopy. The most alluring guest rooms are 24 so-called treehouses, elevated on pillars at either end of the main building. The design is said to have been inspired by seed pods but the oval shape and latticed façades reminded me of birds' nests. It was here on the balcony, whose sweeping architectural lines framed the forested banks of Upper Seletar Reservoir, that I felt most immersed in nature. That a high-end hotel group like the Singapore-owned Banyan Tree brand would open its first hotel on home turf next to a tourist attraction could sound tacky, given that Banyan Tree's usual range is boutique properties in Phuket, Dubai and the Maldives. Here in Singapore, the group has gone big with hundreds of rooms and a bias towards families, providing buffet dining, a kids' club, playground and guided zoo excursions, but no bar or coffee shop. Zoo kitsch has thankfully been avoided, the biophilic design is stylish and there's a refreshing approach to climate care, with air conditioning set so it won't adjust below 24C. Interactive panels show power consumption and offer reminders when usage exceeds recommended levels. On the rooftop is an infinity pool, next to it an edible garden of herbs and spices, while the spa has three treatment pods inspired by the shape of the keratin scales of the Sunda pangolin. Although the design has its own appeal, the reason most will stay here is for easy, walkable access to the zoo's numerous areas, including Singapore Zoo, River Wonders, Night Safari, Bird Paradise and the recently launched Rainforest Wild Asia (separate entry tickets from £25, bundles available; Splitting up the zoo like this incentivises Singaporeans to come on separate visits, but makes it tricky for tourists on a stopover because more than one park a day can be taxing. They tend to prioritise, seeing the pandas in River Wonders, for example, including three-year-old Le Le, who was born here, or the orangutans in Singapore Zoo. Many come after dark for the Night Safari, which claims to be the world's first zoo showcasing nocturnal animals in action. • Read our full guide to Singapore here Bird Paradise houses 3,500 birds shifted here from an outdated park in the west of the country, with 400 species across the aviaries, one the size of two football pitches. Singapore's zoo, which attracts more than a million people a year, often features at the top of lists of 'ethical zoos' and funds conservation projects and breeding programmes, but I felt a tinge of melancholy to see free birds perched on the outside interacting with birds trapped inside; it won't be for everyone. The hotel comes amid a flurry of new hotels in Singapore, with the biggest news being the opening in March of the resort-style Raffles Sentosa,sister to the brand's flagship heritage hotel downtown (B&B doubles from about £800; The Singapore hotel group COMO — with properties in Bhutan, Bali, Tuscany and Turks and Caicos — has also planted a flag in its home town with COMO Metropolitan Singapore, opened 19 months ago in the thrum of the city, strong on wellness, with a robot barista and sensational digital artwork (B&B doubles from £250; It is near Orchard Road, the main drag, as is the Standard, which opened at the end of last year as an urban bolt hole with terraced gardens for morning yoga. The check-in desk is a terrarium artwork by Erik Tobua, there are oversized outdoor sculptures and an excellent izakaya-style restaurant, Kaya, where the chef Nicholas Cheng focuses on fermented and pickled dishes in glorious surrounds, with fronds of hanging plants trailing from the ceiling (B&B doubles from £230; There is a sense that this city of striking skyscrapers and efficient infrastructure is also embracing itslush and verdant character. Located just sixty miles or so off the equator, Singapore was once, of course, all dense tropical rainforest, home to tigers and leopards. From the 19th century British colonialists felled giant trees for fuel and timber and established rubber plantations in a continued programme of deforestation. But now the wild is being brought back in the spaces between modernity. Highways are increasingly bordered by shrubbery and bougainvillea; many roads are leafy boulevards lined with towering trees with sprouting epiphytes clinging to their trunks, and wedges of urban land have been transformed into bursts of hibiscus and heliconia. • 15 of the best hotels in Singapore Singapore Botanic Gardens is a Unesco world heritage site with 197 acres of tropical landscaping and the world's largest display of orchids. Around dawn, locals congregate to practise the meditative martial art of qigong and a gentle form of swordsmanship with long sticks. It's one of the few places in tech-forward Singapore that still triggers my memories of childhood trips here(entry free; The modern homage to horticulture is Gardens by the Bay, with glassy conservatories showcasing different biomes (entry to the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest, £18; and futuristic tree-shaped structures collecting solar energy to power a nightly light show on Marina Bay. Wilder nature is less prevalent across the tiny country, although there are still some areas, such as Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in the north, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, and MacRitchie Nature Trail & Reservoir Park, all within an hour from the city centre by bus or MRT, the highly efficient underground system. An easy walk around any of these is often rewarded with sightings of long-tailed macaque monkeys, smooth-coated otters and clouded monitor lizards. There's a strong drive in Singapore to integrate nature into the cityscape, to position the country not only as one of the world's most ambitious commercial ports but also one that hasn't forgotten its natural assets, its tropical environs and its place on the planet. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue Michelle Jana Chan was a guest of Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree, which has B&B doubles from £260 ( Fly to Singapore By Chris Fitch Australia's biggest city is all about sun, sea and some of the country's — if not the world's — best beaches. Down at Sydney Harbour there's twice the fish diversity of the entire UK and at Cabbage Tree Bay, a protected reserve, you can snorkel among abundant marine life. Find the Living Seawalls attached to the local ocean pool ( these are dotted around the harbour, providing habitats for tiny ocean critters. Head upstream to the Parramatta River and official swimming spots that opened a decade ago after a major clean-up. If you spot seals lounging on the steps behind Sydney Opera House, send a photo to Wild Sydney Harbour to help their citizen science ( At Bondi beach, swim among stingrays and humpback whales, as documented by Drone Shark App (@dronesharkapp). Gaudí's masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia, contains columns sculpted like trees and doorframes with leaf motifs (£22; but for real nature in Catalonia's buzzing capital, walk 15 minutes east to Parc de les Glories. Once a raised highway, it has been converted into a public park with a lawn, playground, biodiversity corner and newly opened tree gardens. Montjuic, to the south of the city centre, is a raised coastal headland with a diverse landscape of wild forest and pristine ornamental gardens, with walking trails and beautiful views of the city. Stroll down to the coast for Barcelona's famous beaches, artificially created specifically for the 1992 Olympic Games. More than 500 marine species live in these waters, especially around the Forum bathing area. The Meiji Jingu forest, just south of the trendy Shinjuku district, was planted a century ago to honour the passing of the reformist Emperor Meiji, with 100,000 trees transported from across Japan. It is now a huge self-sustaining forest, with a vast canopy of mature native trees, best accessed from Harajuku Station. Many of Tokyo's native trees have been preserved inside centuries-old ancient shrines, such as Nezu, also home to a popular multicoloured azalea garden. Shinjuku Gyoen, a short walk northeast, contains a diverse range of vegetation densely packed together, from the ecological 'forest of life' to a traditional Japanese ornamental garden. This park becomes full of crowds every time the springtime hanami cherry blossom viewing season rolls around. In the south of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi National Park is the world's foremost urban wildlife reserve, with giraffes, zebras, hippos, lions and rhinos (£60; Drive around independently, jump on a tour, or team up with Friends of Nairobi National Park ( and volunteer on a bimonthly biodiversity drive. The park also has a raised safari walk and animal orphanage to visit on foot. Kenya's charismatic animals can also be seen at the nearby Giraffe Centre (£2; and Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage (£15; To the north, Karura Forest Reserve is a historic site where the Nobel peace prizewinner Wangari Maathai led her campaign for the protection and reforestation of land, and for the rights of the Kenyan people ( Chris Fitch's Wild Cities: Discovering New Ways of Living in the Modern Urban Jungle is out now (William Collins £22)
National Geographic
30-04-2025
- Science
- National Geographic
King cobra
Scientific Name: Ophiophagus hannah Average Life Span In The Wild: 20 years Size relative to a 6-ft man: The king cobra—one of the most venomous snakes on the planet—can literally "stand up" and look a full-grown person in the eye. When confronted, they can lift up to a third of its body off the ground and still move forward to attack. Fortunately, king cobras are shy and will avoid humans whenever possible. It will also flare out its iconic hood and emit a hiss that sounds almost like a growling dog. King cobras can reach 18 feet in length, making them the longest of all venomous snakes. Although zoologist Theodore Cantor first described the king cobra as one species in 1836, the snakes have recently undergone a rebranding. Differences in genetics and physical characteristics point to the snakes belonging to four separate species: the Northern king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), the Sunda king cobra (Ophiophagus bungarus), the Western Ghats king cobra (Ophiophagus kaalinga), and the Luzon king cobra (Ophiophagus salvatana). Venom King cobra venom is not the most potent among venomous snakes, but the amount of neurotoxin they can deliver in a single bite—up to two-tenths of a fluid ounce—is enough to kill 20 people, or even an elephant. Their venom affects the respiratory centers in the brain, causing respiratory arrest and cardiac failure. Habitat and behavior King cobras live mainly in the rain forests and plains of India, southern China, and Southeast Asia, and their coloring can vary greatly from region to region. They are comfortable in a variety of habitats, including forests, bamboo thickets, mangrove swamps, high-altitude grasslands, and in rivers. According to the new taxonomic designations, the Northern king cobra (O. hannah) can be found in eastern Pakistan, northern and eastern India, the Andaman Islands, southern China, south to central Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The Sunda king cobra (O. bungarus) inhabits Malaysia, Indonesia, and parts of the southern Philippines. The Western Ghats king cobra (O. kaalinga) lives in its namesake mountain range in southwestern India. Finally, the Luzon king cobra (O. salvatana) can only be found on the island of Luzon in northern Philippines. True to their genus name which means snake-eater in Greek, the serpents feed mainly on other snakes, venomous and nonvenomous. Some have even been documented eating other king cobras. They will also eat lizards, eggs, and small mammals. King cobras are known to fight other males to win the attention of females during breeding season. They are the only snakes in the world that build nests for their eggs, which they guard ferociously until the hatchlings emerge. Snake charmers King cobras may be best known as the snake of choice for the snake charmers of South Asia. Although cobras can hear, they are actually deaf to ambient noises, sensing ground vibrations instead. Snake charming is 'often a sad con game in which an exhausted cobra is put on the defensive, yet conditioned (with pain) not to strike the flutist,' Smithsonian's National Zoo says. Threats to survival The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists king cobras as vulnerable to extinction, but hasn't assessed the risk of the new individual species. These snakes face a variety of threats stemming from human activities. Heavy deforestation in Southeast Asia has destroyed the habitats of many king cobras, while they are also harvested in large numbers for skin, food, and medicinal purposes. They are also collected for the international pet trade. King cobras are also persecuted by humans who fear their menacing reputation. Conservation In Vietnam, the Northern king cobra is a protected species. Protected areas within this snake's geographic range likely provide some safeguards, and organizations like the King Cobra Conservancy work to better understand the behaviors of the species in order to educate the public and protect the snake's habitat. The Indian government implants microchips in captive king cobras to allow officials to identify any snakes that have newly been taken captive—which has been outlawed—in order to reduce the illegal wildlife trade.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Incredible images solve mystery around tiger not seen in years: 'Essential pieces of the puzzle'
An elusive tiger that hasn't been spotted in three years reemerged on a trail cam with a surprise: two tiger cubs. The tiger, a female known as F22, was first seen in the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary in Thailand in 2022, according to The Olympian. But after that, she seemed to disappear, causing officials to lose some hope. In December 2024, officials discovered tracks — one large set accompanied by two smaller sets — near the border of Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary and neighboring Thungyai Naresuan East Wildlife Sanctuary, prompting them to set up additional trail cameras to spot the tigers that made them. After taking pictures over several months, images from February showed F22 and two cubs, believed to be between four and six months old, all in good health, according to experts. The trail cams also spotted a variety of other animals in the area, including a leopard, a pack of wild dogs, herds of sambar deer, gaur (a large bovine), muntjacs (a small deer species) and wild boars. This kind of monitoring is crucial, as it helps track and record populations, as well as occasionally make amazing discoveries, like a recent sighting of the Sunda pangolin on Thailand's Ko Pha-ngan island. Tigers have been critically endangered for years, with an all-time low population of about 3,200 spread across the 13 countries that make up their natural range, according to the World Wildlife Fund. But conservation efforts have proven effective. A report from Thailand's Western Forest Complex, which includes the Thungyai Naresuan East mentioned above, showed tiger numbers had tripled between 2007 and 2023, according to CNN. The outlet also noted that other species, like deer and wild cattle, tigers' main prey, were also on the rise. As WCS Thailand director Pornkamol Jornburom said, it signals the results of "more effective management." "When we conserve tigers, it actually leads to conserving many other species: not only the prey, but also the habitat," Jornburom told CNN. Saving endangered species is critical to the survival of every living thing and person on the planet. "From the mighty whale to the humble dung beetle, wild animals are all essential pieces of the puzzle," the WWF explained. The organization also highlighted that many species play a role in our food supply, from the pollinators to animals underground that prevent soil erosion, to predators and prey that spread seeds and manage disease. Do you think America is in a housing crisis? Definitely Not sure No way Only in some cities Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Yahoo
Scientists make stunning discovery after setting up trail cameras on island known for all-night parties: 'Critical habitats'
Known for its pristine beaches and monthly full-moon parties, Ko Pha Ngan is one of the crown jewels of Thailand's crucial tourism industry. Hidden just out of the sight of the festivities are several important but elusive species that a recent study uncovered. Seeking to update "antiquated" records, researchers set up trail cameras to survey the island's wildlife. The results were astonishing. As the Island Packet reports, 28 mammals were documented over the course of the two-year study, and 19 of those were new records. Some creatures are much more outgoing than others; the long-tailed macaque is well-known for its cheeky personality and sticky fingers. The cameras also picked up more introverted primates like the endangered Sunda slow loris. The slow loris is a nocturnal primate that survives in the wild by moving quietly at night. In Indonesia, they're called malu-malu ("shy"). Primates like macaques and slow lorises play an important role in the ecosystem as seed dispersers. Their dietary habits prevent forest overgrowth, and their seed-loaded feces act as natural fertilizers. The trail cameras also found signs of the Sambar deer, which the Australian Deer Association describes as "extremely wary and shy." Their excessive caution is the key to their survival, and they are one of the most difficult game animals to hunt. One of the most exciting discoveries was the Sunda pangolin. This scaly critter protects the ecosystem by feasting on termites and mitigating the damage they do. The Nature Conservancy describes them as "guardians of the forest." Unfortunately, they are one of the world's most trafficked mammals and are critically endangered as a result (per the World Wildlife Fund). The study shed new light on Ko Pha Ngan's wildlife and underscores the importance of understanding and managing the environment. Biodiversity is the cornerstone of a healthy ecosystem. As the study's authors concluded, the results underline the importance of "...preserving national park forest areas and limiting further (human) encroachment into these critical habitats." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
