Latin America
Bats Magazine: Boosting Bats by Restoring Mexico’s Agaves
Boosting Bats by Restoring Mexico’s Agaves By Kristen Pope and Laurel Neme The endangered Mexican long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis) hovered beside the 20-foot-tall stalk of an agave and probed the deep flowers with its long snout. Lapping at the nectar, flakes of pollen blanketed its muzzle, ready to drop into the next flower. With light-colored…
Read MoreNational Geographic: Rescued Circus Lions Airlifted to Safety in Africa
First posted on 2016-06-27 Wildlife Watch Rescued Circus Lions Airlifted to Safety in Africa Lions rescued from circuses in Peru and Colombia are set to arrive back home in Africa. By Laurel Neme PUBLISHED April 28, 2016 This lion and 23 others removed from circuses in Peru are being airlifted to South Africa, where a…
Read MoreNational Geographic: Abused Circus Tiger Gets Fairy-Tale Ending
His name is Hoover, and this big cat is about to enjoy a new life in Florida. By Laurel Neme PUBLISHED April 21, 2016 Photograph by Animal Defenders International Alongside crates of asparagus, Hoover the tiger will be airlifted Friday from Peru to Florida, where he’ll settle into a new home in Tampa after…
Read MoreNational Geographic: New Protections For World’s Largest Population of Giant Manta Rays
Peru and 12 other nations now seek to protect these creatures, whose meat and gill plates are coveted in China. By Laurel Neme PUBLISHED Fri Jan 08, 2016 Giant manta rays captured the world’s attention last April when a fisherman in northern Peru unintentionally caught a behemoth weighing 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms). The accidental snagging of this large ray…
Read MoreHuffington Post: In Latin America, Illegal Wildlife Trade Explodes
Posted: 11/09/2015 With its spectacularly diverse ecosystems, rare and endemic species, remote terrain, often loophole-riddled laws and sketchy enforcement, Latin America is a haven for a booming illegal wildlife trade. South and Central America’s diversity is a magnet for wildlife traffickers…
Read MoreHuffington Post: Unraveling Latin America’s Illegal Wildlife Trade
Posted: 11/23/2015 The trafficking of elephants in Africa has gained tremendous media attention. Not so the illegal trade in birds, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and fish of Central and South America — a problem of epidemic proportion. Wildlife trafficking transit chains in Latin America are complex, secret, and as varied as the many common and threatened…
Read MoreMongabay.com: Journey to oblivion: unraveling Latin America’s illegal wildlife trade
16th November 2015 / Laurel Neme 75 to 90 percent of trafficked animals die during transport, but profits are so lucrative that criminals continue emptying Latin America’s forests and oceans. The trafficking of elephants in Africa has gained tremendous media attention. Not so the illegal trade in birds, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and fish of Central and South…
Read MoreMongabay.com: Latin American illegal wildlife trade exploding in scope and scale
Mongabay Series: Latin American Wildlife Trade 4th November 2015 / Laurel A. Neme Millions of tropical birds, sharks, sea cucumbers, totoaba, queen conch, sea turtles, caimans and a vast number of other animals are falling victim to wildlife trafficking. Latin America is astoundingly biologically diverse, while its enforcement of wildlife trading laws is extremely weak, creating the perfect…
Read MoreNational Geographic: Circus Lions Rescued in Peru, Headed for New Home in Colorado
Twenty-one circus lions and ten monkeys await transfer to a Colorado sanctuary early next year. Photograph by Animal Defenders International Laurel Neme for National Geographic Published November 26, 2014 By early next year Jan Creamer, co-founder and president of Animal Defenders International (ADI), intends to see 30 lions rescued from circuses in Peru and Colombia running…
Read MoreNational Geographic: Brazilian Investigators Cracking the Case of Missing One-of-a-Kind Snake
Search continues for a rare boa constrictor stolen from Brazil to breed for the reptile trade. Laurel Neme for National Geographic Published May 7, 2014 With its abundant rare species and remote locales, Brazil has long been known as an epicenter for wildlife trafficking. But that’s changing, thanks to a group of dedicated investigators…
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