Posts Tagged ‘Trafficking’
Behind the Scenes at INTERPOL
Inside INTERPOL, a special programme broadcast by CNN International, goes behind the scenes at INTERPOL. This international police agency facilitates international police cooperation and is rapidly at the forefront of many wildlife trafficking cases and cross-border operations. This 30-minute special, hosted by CNN anchor Richard Quest, features interviews with INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble…
Read MoreABC News Taps Laurel Neme for Background on Live Animal Trafficking Story
Producers for ABC News with Diane Sawyer interviewed me on Friday (May 13, 2011) for a piece they were doing that night on live animal trafficking. They reported a recent bust at Thailand’s Bangkok airport of a man from UAE who smuggled a “virtual zoo” of live animals. Discovered in this first-class passenger’s suitcase were two leopard cubs,…
Read MoreOperation Jaguar: Poaching and Human-Wildlife Conflict
From JeffCorwinConnect Citizen Blog: By Laurel NemeApril 8, 2011 Twenty years ago Brazil’s most notorious jaguar hunter, Teodoro Antonio Melo Neto, also known as “Tonho da onça” or “Jaguar Tony,” swore off poaching after logging 600 kills. The foe-turned-jaguar-ally began helping conservation agencies track the elusive cats for their monitoring and research and his dramatic…
Read MoreRise in Elephant Poaching: Blame Asian Demand or Complicity of Wildlife Officials?
Hardly a week goes by without another report of a major seizure of smuggled African elephant ivory. Just a week ago, on March 30, Thai customs officials seized two tons of elephant ivory (247 tusks) worth $3.3 million hidden in a ship’s hold that had traveled from Kenya. The director of the Kenya Wildlife Service…
Read MoreWinged Obsession: New Book Sheds Light on Little Recognized Target of Wildlife Smugglers
“Butterfly collectors with the financial means will do whatever necessary to obtain the specimens they want,” says Jessica Speart, author of the new book Winged Obsession: The Pursuit of the World’s Most Notorious Butterfly Smuggler. For some, it’s like stamp collecting. For others, it’s the equivalent of collecting a Renoir or Van Gogh. In detailing the US…
Read MoreThe WildLife: Winged Obsession, Jessica Speart
Jessica Speart, author of Winged Obsession: The Pursuit of the World’s Most Notorious Butterfly Smuggler, discusses illegal trade of rare butterflies. She tells “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme about the real-life characters in her book: Yoshi Kojima, the world’s most wanted butterfly smuggler, and the rookie US Fish and Wildlife agent, Ed Newcomer, who finally brings him down.…
Read MoreDe-horning Rhino as Anti-Poaching Measure
De-horning rhino as an anti-poaching measure has become increasingly accepted. An interesting article by Guy Rogers in South Africa’s The Herald Online explores that decision and also describes the actual process. The article focuses on the de-horning of two rhino at the Kragga Kamma Game Park in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. In it, head of the family-run…
Read MoreABC Nightline Video: Animal CSI: Lab Targets Illegal Species Traffic
Laurel has been featured on national and local media outlets, including ABC’s Nightline and NPR’s Science Friday. Video now available from ABC’s Nightline segment “Animal CSI: Lab Targets Illegal Species Traffic—Desire for Rhino Horns, Monkey Faces and More as Medicine Drives Thriving Black Market” For more about Laurel’s ABC Nightline segment, please view initial post:…
Read MoreThe WildLife: Protecting Wildlife in Cambodia, Suwanna Gauntlett
Suwanna Gauntlett, co-founder and executive director of Wildlife Alliance, talks about protecting wildlife in Cambodia. Cambodia has long been one of Asia’s five main source countries for wildlife exported for traditional Asian medicine, exotic pets, and meats. Suwanna tells “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme that when she first arrived in this southeast Asian country in the late 1990s,…
Read MoreCustoms Enforcement Initiative Seizes Massive Volume of Illicit Wildlife Products
Over 22 tonnes and 13,000 pieces of protected wildlife covering 31+ species were seized during a a trans-regional operation to combat cross-border trade in great apes and other wildlife. This recent enforcement initiative was coordinated by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and conducted under the Swedish-backed Project GAPIN (Great Apes and Integrity), which aims to…
Read MoreAmerican Museum of Natural History Talk
I’m looking forward to speaking tomorrow on wildlife forensics and the economics wildlife trafficking at the American Museum of Natural History, It’s the second year I’ve participated in its After-School “Stealing Wildlife” course — and I’m always motivated by the enthusiasm of the students and the focus on this important topic. I’ll be joined…
Read More