Despite poaching, South Africa plans for rhino horn trade

South Africa’s government is moving ahead with plans to allow a domestic trade and limited export of rhino horns, alarming many international conservationists who believe rhinos will be more vulnerable to poachers who have killed record numbers in the past decade. Draft regulations would allow a foreigner with permits to export “for personal purposes” a maximum of two rhino horns.

British man shot to death in Kenya during ranch invasion

Rancher Tristan Voorspuy was shot sometime after going to inspect some of his lodges, which had been burned by the attackers Friday, said Simon Kipkeu, commander of police in Laikipia County. Kipkeu said the victim’s body was found Sunday lying next to his injured horse and witnesses were being interviewed about the incident 190 kilometers north of Nairobi.

Detections dogs used to help eradicate weed species in national parks

Dogs are not usually permitted in national parks, however Parks Victoria has made an exception for two working spaniels called Sally and Connor. Parks Victoria, New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Services and ACT Parks have worked together to train two weed-eradication detection dogs to help find hawkweed in the Alpine areas.

Underwood Wetland hailed as ‘far-sighted’ joint project

Northland Fish & Game is joining with the Department of Conservation and Nature Heritage Fund to officially open an important wetland area near Dargaville, described as the result of a “far sighted” joint conservation effort. The Underwood Wetland, to be opened next Sunday, 19 February, by Association Minister of Conservation Nicky Wagner, gives protection to an area of native forest, wetland and river flats near Dargaville.

The Latest: 36, 35, 34 _ Serena says 30s is the new 10

Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic makes a backhand return to Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic-Baroni during their quarterfinal at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017. . Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic-Baroni makes a backhand return to Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic during their quarterfinal at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017.

Video of skeletal sun bears begging for food at Indonesian zoo sparks Internet storm

A VIDEO showing overly skinny sun bears begging for food from visitors at Indonesia’s Bandung Zoo has triggered a firestorm of protests online, with netizens demanding better treatment for the poorly kept animals. The footage, which has received thousands of angry comments, was posted online by Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group , an animal rights group which has since launched several petitions calling on the government to improve the living conditions of the sun bears.

Regional maritime piracy agreement broadened to cover other illicit maritime activity

An international agreement that has been instrumental in repressing piracy and armed robbery against ships in the western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden has seen its scope significantly broadened to cover other illicit maritime activities, including human trafficking and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. A high-level meeting of signatories to the Djibouti Code of Conduct , held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia has adopted a revised Code of Conduct, which will be known as the “Jeddah Amendment to the Djibouti Code of Conduct 2017”.

Rusty patched bumblebee declared endangered

This 2012 photo provided by The Xerces Society shows a rusty patched bumblebee in Minnesota. Federal officials said Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017, that the rusty patched bumblebee has become the first bee species in the continental U.S. to be declared endangered after suffering a dramatic population decline over the past 20 years.

APNewsBreak: Rusty patched bumblebee declared endangered

This 2012 photo provided by The Xerces Society shows a rusty patched bumblebee in Minnesota. Federal officials said Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017, that the rusty patched bumblebee has become the first bee species in the continental U.S. to be declared endangered after suffering a dramatic population decline over the past 20 years.

Rotorua’s new night-time wildlife experience

Rotorua, 4 January 2017: A new interactive night-time experience at Rotorua’s Rainbow Springs Nature Park offers visitors the opportunity to explore the park after-hours this summer, in a relaxed ‘Kiwi backyard’ setting. ‘In the Shadows: Dine + Discover’ runs every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 5 January to 25 February 2017 and includes a stylish three-course BBQ-style dinner, guided night walks, entertainment, animal encounters and the chance to see kiwi as they wake from their slumber.

US-trained dolphins to help locate Mexico’s vaquita porpoise

U.S. Navy-trained dolphins and their handlers will participate in a last-ditch effort to catch, enclose and protect the last few dozen of Mexico’s critically endangered vaquita porpoises to save them from extinction. International experts confirmed the participation of the Navy Marine Mammal Program in the effort, which is expected to start sometime this spring.

Odisha

Finance executive Sam Patnaik, 32, a resident of Rasulgarh, was elated when the Reserve Bank of India tried to provide relief to the demonetisation-hit people by increasing the ATM withdrawal limit… Police penalised around 150 party revellers in the twin cities last night for drunk driving and rash driving during New Year celebrations. Zero hour saw city party animals letting their hair down at various glitzy locations in the twin cities on New Year’s Eve.

Reaction to Cecil the lion’s 2015 death reviewed

In this age of social media, where the policy is say-anything-you-want-even-if-untrue, we have almost completely lost sight of a legal principal that is central to our nation’s founding: innocent until proven guilty. Perhaps the most remarkable example of this occurred in coverage of the killing of a 13-year-old male lion named Cecil in July 2015 in Zimbabwe.

RSPB and farmers celebrate the completion of Ouse Washes Nature Friendly Zone project

Farmers, conservationists and schoolchildren in The Fens are celebrating the culmination of a three-year project aiming to build closer links between agriculture, wildlife and communities. The Ouse Washes Nature Friendly Zone is a landscape partnership which brought together 12 Fenland farmers, whose combined land covers 4,000 hectares in an area encompassing the borders between Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.

Norman the booby bird flown home to Caribbean after unscheduled UK stay

A tropical bird found washed up on a British beach has been flown 5,000 miles home to the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean in time for Christmas after being nursed back to health. The red-footed booby bird was discovered underweight and dehydrated on a pebble beach at St Leonards-on-Sea, near Hastings in East Sussex, on September 4. The bird, nicknamed Norman, underwent intensive care at the RSPCA’s Mallydams Wood wildlife centre where he spent time under a heat lamp to ward off the cold and ate sprats to build up his strength.