» Listings for 2020

1. Rhinos de-horning operation to save this endangered species

   Posted on 2:00pm Sunday 17th May 2020

   On 16 May, the UK’s Daily Telegraph brought news of an amazing secret operation to dehorn hundreds of African rhinos. They are all threatened by increased poaching during the pandemic. Over the next two weeks, up to 400 black and white rhinos will have their horns removed to protect them from poachers.  About 70 have been dehorned so far  The rhinos are dehorned with electric saws.  They are sedated.  The horns grow back in about 3 years.    The exact location in Africa is secret at the moment.  There is an enormous risk to the team of vets and rangers and the last thing anyone wants is for poachers to find out their whereabouts, for the safety of all concerned, people and animals. The Aspinall Foundation and rescue organisation Rhino 911 are involved.    Rhino horn can trade for tens of thousands of pounds a kilo.  It is used in medicine and as a status symbol. This really is a last resort;  because tourists have stopped visiting as the coronavirus brought lockdown into being, poachers have stepped up to do more poaching.   De-horning is a last resort but the situation is critical for rhinos Once removed, the horns are photographed and taken by armed guard to a secure vault where they are categorised. Never should we look back and say "I should have helpd them when I had the chance."  Unknown (from Rhino 911's website) Visit Rhino 911’s website here.  You can donate to Rhino 911 to help.  Donations help in three ways: Treating rhinos and transporting them if they  have injuries or need surgery;  De-horning rhinos, which has been shown to be one of the most effective ways to deter poachers from harming and killing rhinos;  Rescuing rhinos;  many are treated for injuries and airlifted to one of many rhino orphanages that Rhino 911 works with.  Plus, of course donations are given to the orphanages so that they can buy the special formula milk every growing rhino needs! There’s a video you can watch at but carries a warning that some parts of it may be disturbing to some viewers. Visit Rhino 911’s facebook page Keep safe, everyone involved. Images copyright to Rhino 911

    

2. Click to tell Facebook to shut down its disturbing pangolin trade

   Posted on 3:00pm Thursday 7th May 2020

   Pangolins need all our help.  I’ve had an email from SumOfUs.org about a petition for pangolin lovers.  They have some really good campaigns on SumOfUs and are achieving some great results Pangolins  they need our voice, and our signature to tell Facebook "to increase  the enforcement of wildlife trafficking policy and make sure that no threatened or endangered species’ parts are sold on your platform." Pangolins are the most trafficked animal on the planet.  Up to 2.7 million of them are killed by poachers every year.  Poachers want to sell their parts to traditional medicine shops. A new report says that Facebook it worse, because they are letting traffickers sell pangolin parts on their platform!  Report investigators searched translations of pangolin in different languages, and there was listing after listing, even though Facebook has already signed an international coalition to stop this sort of thing! They just need to enforce their own rules. Click to tell Facebook to shut down its disturbing pangolin trade

3. Help Animals Asia rescue three bears on a bile farm - #ThreeBearsRescue

   Posted on 2:00pm Monday 20th Apr 2020

   Animals Asia have had an urgent call about three bears in terrible trouble on a bile farm. They were alerted 2 weeks ago – and they dropped everything, to get ready to rescue as fast as possible.  But travel restrictions put in place because of the coronavirus meant it was not possible (or safe) to go ahead.  Travel restrictions have been lifted now.  The team is ready to go and rescue the three bears.  But Animals Asia need help to do it.  These bears will have bellies to fill, there'll be essential medicines to buy and months of high costs, thanks to the coronavirus.  The bears were found trapped in tiny metal cages, side by side.  There’s limited information about them but Animals Asia say they can be almost certain that they will have serious health issues and will need special, on-going care and treatment for the rest of their lives – which could be 15 years or more. They are asking people to become monthly donors, to help set up these bears on the road to recovery and beyond. Will you help the three bears? Find out more here. Visit Animals Asia’s website here.

    

4. "Pangolins - the World's Most Wanted Animal" - back tonight on BBC2 at 9pm

   Posted on 5:00am Friday 17th Apr 2020

   The programme "Pangolins - the World's Most Wanted Animal" is back on BBC2 tonight, Friday 17 April, 2020 at 9pm. Don't miss it!  Although it's a repeat, the programme is very timely, given that these rather amazing animals are at the centre of the coronavirus storm.  Visit the Environmental Investigation Agency's website Pangolins are the world's  most trafficked animal - their scales are wanted in Chinese medicine.  Their flesh is eaten as a delicacy.  Sir David Attenborough narrates the storm of the pangolin and gives hope on how we can save them. There's a list of pangolin charities here

    

5. Help put more rangers into Sumatra to protect tigers

   Posted on 3:00pm Thursday 16th Apr 2020

   Are you a tiger lover?  Do you want to help tigers in Sumatra? Fauna and Flora International are looking for donations to put more rangers into the field in Sumatra to protect tigers. 100 years ago, Javan and Balinese tigers prowled the jungles of Indonesia.  Over generation after generation of tiger, mother after mother taught cub after cub how to fit the islands they were born on.  They became unique – each a subspecies in its own right.     But people slaughtered them.  They were tracked, found, killed and skinned to enhance the prestige of the big-game hunter or fill the coffers of a wildlife trader.  Both are now extinct.  They’ve gone.  And on the next island along – the same thing is happening again. There are fewer than 400 Sumtran tigers left.  That number is going down.  They are critically endangered. Help Fauna and Flora International protect tigers with a £3 donation. ©Fauna and Flora International Despite the persistent efforts of conservation teams, there aren’t enough areas that are protected to stop poachers getting through and setting deadly snares. The tigers have no idea about all of this.  They don’t have a clue.   They cannot avert the slaughter they see don’t coming.  We need to make a stand and learn from the mistakes we’ve made before.  We cannot lose these tigers from Sumatra.  Fauna and Flora International are putting rangers in place.  They are training and equipping them to remove the snares and keep poachers away.  Then the beautiful Sumatra tigers can be safe in the wild again. In short, donations will put more rangers into the field. Please help Sumatran tigers today with a £3 donation!  Let’s put more rangers into the field and protect tigers.