The largest every crackdown on wildlife smugglers in Africa arrested 57 people. From the BBC: More than one tonne of ivory products has been seized in Africa’s largest-ever international crackdown on wildlife crime. The operation, co-ordinated by Interpol and the Kenya Wildlife Service, led to the arrest of 57 illegal traders across five African nations. The haul also included [...]

A Vietnamese diplomat was caught by a news crew smuggling rhino horns in South Africa. From Bloomberg News: ietnam recalled a diplomat from its embassy in South Africa after a television program allegedly showed her trafficking rhino horn, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The employee was filmed by the South African Broadcasting Corporation talking to an [...]

A huge market in illegally trafficked animals exists in Thailand. From the AFP (via Google News): Thousands of tourists and locals throng the congested aisles of Bangkok’s popular Chatuchak market every weekend, hunting for everything from a new pair of shiny leather shoes to a puppy. But among the racks of caged creatures is an illegal trade in [...]

Brazil’s Environmental Minister is blaming farmers who illegally clear the Amazon and traffickers of exotic species as the root causes of animals becoming extinct in the country. From BusinessWeek: Minc blamed the growing number of endangered species on deforestation in the Amazon, which he said is sparked by soy farmers and ranchers illegally clearing land to plant [...]

From the AFP (via Google News); As deforestation and a loss of natural prey threatens Siamese crocodiles with extinction, the farms that once helped endanger the species are now helping save it, conservationists say. There are fewer than 50 Siamese crocodiles left in the wild in Thailand and about 200 in the entire Mekong river region, but [...]

The growing popularity of Powwows are creating a black market in eagle feathers. From the Globe and Mail: The investigation seems like a spy novel. An undercover officer spent a year earning the trust of a Saskatchewan pawnshop owner until she offered to sell him precious - and unusual - contraband: feathers. This month Linda Bomak, owner of [...]

eBay has decided that it will no longer allow elephant ivory to be sold on its website. From the New York Times: In response to growing pressure from international law enforcement agencies and conservation groups, eBay, the online auction giant, announced Monday that it would ban all commerce in ivory, including most heirlooms, to avoid providing a [...]

The illegal trade in endangered species is increasing in Indonesia. From the AFP (via Google News): The illegal trade in endangered primates is increasing in Indonesia’s East Java province as traders market the animals in public, a conservation expert said Wednesday. Primates such as slow lorises and Javanese langurs can be bought on the street in Malang, according [...]

The bones, skin, and claws of tigers are openly being sold in Burma. From the AFP (via Google News): Skins, claws and bones from at least 1,158 tigers and other protected big cats have been spotted in open markets in Myanmar during surveys conducted over the last 18 years, according to a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report. More [...]

South Africa will sell elephant ivory to China and Japan despite international concern. From the AP (via Google News): It said that more than 20,000 elephants a year are killed illegally in Africa and Asia for the ivory black market, with Chinese nationals implicated in illegal ivory seizures in more than 20 African nations. Five years ago, the [...]