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"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world;
indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." 
Margaret Mead, American anthropologist, 1901-1978
 


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  1. Act for wildlife in Cambodia with FFI's urgent appeal in the Cardamom Mountains

    Posted on

    I’ve had an email from Fauna and Flora International (FFI) about an impending crisis that is about to get catastrophically worse.

    The beautiful Cardamom Mountains in Cambodia are being covered in snares. 

    FFI say that the snares are shredding through clouded leopards, ripping elephant trunks in half and snapping the limbs of their calves.  Pangolins, sun bears, moon bears and indeed any mammal than a mouse are being badly impacted, as any animal larger than a mouse can be trapped in these cruel snares.

    To make matters worse, FFI’s project funding in the area has fallen through.  FFI patrol teams are still able to operate in some areas and maintain an effective resistance.  A very generous donor has enabled them to remove countless snares – and so save many, many animals.  FFI had hoped to extend the areas that they were covering.


    Unfortunately, the donor is unable to continue their support – and FFI must fill a £92,345 hole. 

    If FFI cannot fund the project, the warden leaders won’t be able to pay their patrol teams’ wages – and any who have the means won’t be able to have equipment and the backing to mount and maintain an effective resistance. 

    Funds will be spent on boots, machetes, camping gear, hammocks, rucksacks and everything wardens need to wear as they go out on one patrol after another.   The wardens need GPS kits, patrol mapping – and they need to be paid. 

    FFI say time is short. 

    What’s so important about the Cardamom Mountains?  Well, they have dense rainforest, mangroves and wetlands – and they have more than 60 globally threatened animal species and 17 globally threatened trees.  The Cardamom Mountains matter.  These include:

    • Asian elephants
    • Sun bears
    • The clouded leopard,
    • Dholes, a type of wild dog
    • The Sunda pangolin

    This elephant has been injured by a snare - the boot is protecting his leg
    Young elephant wears a protective boot
    to help recovery, after being caught in a snare.
    Credit: Charnwood Photo

    These snares are CRUEL – as the metal clasp tightens, causing the animal terrible pain.  The more they struggle, the tighter the snare gets, cutting more and more deeply into flesh and bone.  It is a terribly cruel and painful way to die.   

    At the same time, the animals have lost their habitat, because of illegal logging, land encroachment and unsustainable agricultural ways of doing things.  Over 10% of the forest has gone in 15 years  So the animals find themselves in smaller spaces, into what is known as a “wall of death”, because it is easy for them to get trapped by a snare.

    Enter the wardens. They are from the local communities and they cover over 100km every month, spotting and removing snares, watching for any signs of illegal poaching or logging, and undertaking biomonitoring and data-gathering activities.   These activities are important because they give a better understanding of the wildlife in the area, and enable the right decisions to be made about how to help them.

    The clouded leopard is well adapted to prowling through the forest

    The clouded leopard is well adapted to prowling through the forest
    Credit:  Bill – Adobe Stock

    Wardens also help by supplying the human-wildlife conflict teams with flashlights and noise-makers.  These can help deter elephants from the boundaries of farms and villages, so preventing damage to crops and property. These things make a huge impact – there have been no retaliation elephant killings since the wardens started such work.

    The warden team is essential to protect the animals of the Cardamom Mountains. 

    Please help today by making a donation.

     

  2. OIPA Cameroon needs help to fund research into pangolins in Cameroon

    Posted on

    OIPA Cameroon is looking for organisations to fund research into pangolins in Cameroon.

    Pangolins are highly endangered and threatened by human and human-related activities there.  They are poached and traded on an international scale, and their scales, skins and meat are used for food, traditional medicine and as fashion accessories.

    Find out more about this research proposal
    Find out more about this research proposal
    image © OIPA Cameroon

    Cameroon has three of the four species of African pangolin, but very little information is available on how to help conservation efforts there. 

    So an OIPA delegation in the country have prepared a research proposal.  They want to provide new data on the distribution, abundance and threats that this endangered pangolins face in Campo Ma’am National Park.   The park is situated in the south western corner of Cameroon.

    If the research can find this data out, then it can put forward a conservation management plan for review and potential implementation by the Government and National Park authority. 

    All three species are listed in Appendix 1 of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species, whilst the IUCN Red List them as vulnerable or threatened.

    Although a Ministerial order was signed back in 2017 with full protection for the three species of pangolin, there is still evidence of illegal trade and trafficking in Cameroon. 

    So despite all these measures, Cameroon pangolins are threatened and research needs to be done to ascertain the best way forward to protect them.

    If your organisation can help fund the research or you need more information, please email  [email protected]

     

     

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

    Posted on

    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."

    Click to tell Facebook to shut down its disturbing pangolin trade


    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

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

    Posted on

    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. Please see this video from Gravitas - how nature is reclaiming its spaces due to the Coronavirus

    Posted on

    Sometimes you see something on the internet or on television that really hits you hard and makes a point extremely well.

    I saw this video, this afternoon, and I wanted to share it with you.  Please share it with everyone you can.

    The ultimate message is that we SHARE this planet.  It demonstrates how dominant the human race has become - and how selfish.   I am not going to tell you anymore about it - please just watch it for yourself.   Here it is:



    Thank you, Gravitas.

    Please vow to make a difference today. 
    Find out how to reduce your impact on the earth's resources here.