Local Groups in North Carolina Fear for the Safety of Red Wolves

A red wolf in its enclosure at North Carolina's Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge

It has been recently reported that local groups in the state of North Carolina are headed to court, striving to repeal a newly-passed rule that allows hunting of coyotes during nighttime. The groups fear that the hunting is having a harmful effect on the struggling population of red wolves in the state. Part of the concern is that the wolves' appearance is very similar to coyotes. In addition, recent genetic research suggests that the red wolf may even be a hybrid between a wolf and a coyote. According to Michael Stoskopf, a clinical sciences professor, it is difficult even for an experienced wolf biologist to identify a red wolf even with a good look. The hunting, which combines the use of spotlights and animal calls, enables hunters to easily bait animals into the firing range. The light confuses the animals, providing the hunters with an easy shot. The decision to overturn the rule of nighttime hunting came when the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced two news releases regarding two red wolves that had been shot and killed in the past few months. One wolf was killed just a month after the ruling was passed in Tyrrell County, and another was killed a month later in Beaufort County. Stoskopf stated that coyote hunting in North Carolina is a "very politically-charged issue." He further added that despite the successes of efforts in recovering the red wolves in the past ten years, there is always a major concern of increased deficits of breeding age animals. Sherry Samuels, treasurer for the Red Wolf Coalition, stated that it would be "great for this night hunting to go away in the five-county area."

A red wolf on the run

I very much feel the same way as these groups regarding the plight of red wolves in North Carolina. These unique animals bear a striking resemblance to coyotes, which can easily confuse hunters. However, these wolves are an intermediate in size between the coyote and the wolf. Their name derives from the reddish-brown fur on their heads, and their coat color which is a mixture of brown, buff, cinnamon, and tawny. Coyotes also share similar coat colors, and this is what results in the case of mistaken identity. The red wolf population in North America is currently about 100, with majority of animals living in a protected area in the eastern part of North Carolina. If the hunting of coyotes in the state continues, then there will be more reported deaths of red wolves. Therefore, it is absolutely crucial that coyote hunting in the area where these wolves roam be disallowed so that recovery efforts continue to bolster up the red wolf population.

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Interpol Trains West African Wildlife Officers to Target Poachers

African elephants

It has been recently announced that Interpol has given out facts about a successful completion of a six-day training session for wildlife officers across Africa. This session involved twenty officers from ten West African countries being educated in how to "conduct strategic wildlife law enforcement inspections." The main motive for this training was to outfit the officers so they could return to their home countries "with the knowledge and skills required to plan for a coordinated transnational operation in the upcoming months." The session was held at Interpol's regional headquarters in the city of Abidjan in Ivory Coast. The training was financed by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and was initiated in partnership with Environment Canada and the French Gendarmerie Nationale. The officers who participated in this course came from Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, and Senegal. One officer was from the Lusaka Agreement Task Force. The course was conducted under Project WISDOM, an Interpol operation designed to protect elephants and rhinos from poaching and the illegal wildlife trade. Interpol hopes that those officers who have finished the course will have been able to make very important alliances with each other to enable them to cooperate on a regional level on a continuous basis.

A group of white rhinos

I also very much hope that these officers, who had participated in this training session will work side by side in an effort to diminish any poaching activities. This is especially true for the rhino population in South Africa, which has recently been further reduced down to 588 animals. This current figure clearly indicates that the bloodbath is still expanding in the country and the surrounding region. In addition, elephants across Africa are continuously suffering in the hands of poachers and other operators of the illegal wildlife trade. I also feel that wildlife officers from other African countries should undergo a similar training, so that more alliances would be made in order to capture and prosecute poachers in the continent. Furthermore, forest officers should also form partnerships with other authorities like the military and local police forces when battling this ongoing crisis. The poaching of elephants, rhinos, and other African wildlife is a never-ending. As long as it continues, Africa's tourist industry would be greatly affected and this in turn would result in a chain reaction affecting the local economies that had benefited because of tourism. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to fight in order to preserve and protect Africa's biodiversity.

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Rhino Poacher Admits to Militants' Involvement in Assam

A dead rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park

The Kaziranga National Park in northeast India had been hit by monsoon floods in June this year, forcing wild animals to escape the rising waters and into the bloodthirsty hands of poachers. Since then, more than 700 animals have perished and more carcasses are turning up as water levels recede. But now, there is another greater threat that is targeting Kaziranga's wildlife, especially rhinos: Armed militant separatist forces in the area. The news about militants' involvement came when an arrested rhino poacher named Lindok Rongpi admitted before a magistrate that he killed six rhinos under the orders of Songja Timung, a supposed defense secretary of the Kuki National Liberation Front, a militant group based in Assam's Karbi Anglong district. His arrest led the police to the town of Dimapur in Nagaland, the center of illegal wildlife trade, only to discover that a Chinese buyer named Ho-Chin had fled.

A market scene in Dimapur, a center of illegal wildlife trade.

The threat of militancy to Assam's wildlife is nothing new. In the 1980s, Laokhowa Sanctuary, a wildlife sanctuary near Kaziranga, was completely eradicated of its rhino population intentionally by the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). Manas National Park lost its status as a World Heritage Site after the Bodo militancy annihilated its wildlife. With a host of armed militants in Karbi Anglong and with proof of their involvement in recent poaching cases, it is likely that Kaziranga could be in similar danger. By poaching Assam's rhinos, the militants make money which they use to buy firearms. A post-mortem of the animals disclosed the use of automatic guns which provided further evidence about the militants' involvement, considering professional poachers .303 rifles instead of spraying bullets. These threats are associated by the way rhinos are being poached. In several cases, wildlife officials found that rhinos were dehorned even while alive. This is done when a poacher would cut off the rhino's horn while it recovered after being shot by a gun. In one case, an ear was hacked off leaving the rhino to bleed to death. In the last two weeks, police have so far seized one AK-56, two .303 rifles, and one SBML (single barrel muzzle loading) gun along with recovery of bullets from automatic weapons.

Rhino mortality data

It is utterly shocking to find that separatist militant groups have and still are a major threat to India's wildlife. In addition, these ruthless cutthroats have ties to the illegal wildlife trade in which they make their money off poaching so that they can purchase firearms to carry out their carnage against innocent civilians. This situation in northeast India can easily be compared to Africa, where the poaching of elephants is funding militias and rebel groups with their wars. This article paints a clear picture of why poaching in India should be taken seriously because not only would it result in loss of animal lives, but also civilian lives. However, even with the enhancement of security measures in key rhino poaching hotspots like South Africa, the threat of poaching and the price of rhino horns has also increased. A report by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) stated that Kaziranga National Park is vulnerable to poaching due to its nearness to India's border with China. This is why I believe that Kaziranga and every other national park and wildlife sanctuary in India must be heavily guarded not just by wildlife authorities, but also the military. Poaching in India and other parts of the world like Africa are often militant-affiliated, which makes the battle more complicated and requires the use of military power against such threats.

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DNA Proves that Ethiopia's Lions are Genetically Distinct

An Ethiopian lion

It has been recently found that a pride of captive lions descended from the ones owned by Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia are genetically distinct from other lions in Africa. The Ethiopian lion is characterized by a unique dark mane and is slightly smaller and more compact than other lions. Now, a DNA analysis has disclosed that it is also a distinct species. According to Dr. Michael York of the University of York, fifteen of the twenty lions in the Addis Ababa Zoo have shown to be a separate genetic group based on the DNA tests. He further added that the male individuals are the direct descendents of a group of seven lions and two lionesses captured from the wild for Emperor Selassie's zoo in 1948. In addition, these are the last remaining lions in the world to acquire such a distinctive dark mane. The two lions that shared a similar dark mane were the Barbary lion of North Africa and the Cape lion of South Africa, which are now extinct. Susann Bruche, the lead author of this study published in the European Journal of Wildlife Research, stated that it is crucial to preserve the genetic diversity of the Ethiopian lions in order to help the species as a whole.

I'm very much astounded by this discovery that Ethiopia's lions are genetically distinct from other lions in Africa. However, at the same time, I also feel it is extremely vital to conserve this species since its two dark-maned counterparts are already extinct. I think the Ethiopian lion is unique in a sense that it already possesses the dark mane upon reaching adulthood. Other lions also have dark manes, but their manes are usually lighter in color and turn dark as they age older. This could be the major difference between Ethiopian lions and other lions in Africa. With the disappearance of Barbary and Cape lions in the wilds of Africa during the 19th and 20th centuries, the Ethiopian lion is the only dark-maned lion left in the world. I very much hope that intensive efforts will be undertaken to ensure the survival of this newly distinct species, and prevent it from becoming extinct like its North and South African relatives.

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Ganges River Dolphin Numbers Go Up in Uttar Pradesh

Ganges River dolphin

It has been recently announced by the latest Ganges River dolphin census that numbers of this magnificent dolphin have increased in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The numbers have risen from 600 animals in 2005, to 671. This was the first single biggest three-day census of river dolphins conducted by the state forest department, World Wildlife Fund-India, and eighteen other NGOs. The report was released on Sunday by chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, who applauded the efforts being taken to conserve the dolphins through a campaign titled "My Ganga, My Dolphin." These efforts which led to the rise in dolphin population in some stretches of the Ganges River will be followed at other places too where there are dolphins. The census has given the first baseline data on the dolphins, and stretches like Upper Ganges have recorded good numbers. It counted the number of dolphins present across the 2,800 stretch of the Ganges and its tributaries of Betwa, Gerua, Ghagra, Ken, Son, and Yamuna. In 2005, 600 dolphins were recorded in Uttar Pradesh.

I'm very happy to see that river dolphin numbers in Uttar Pradesh have increased. At the same time, I'm also proud to see the efforts being undertaken to conserve the animals' population. This has led to rise in dolphin numbers in the Upper Ganges. However, it has been said in the article that the efforts will also be put into action in other parts of the Ganges River in order to determine the state of the dolphin population in those areas. One example of conducting these efforts has been recently reported in the city of Patna, where the state government has decided to set up a dolphin watching point. In my opinion, I think this would be very useful for World Wildlife Fund-India and other NGOs active in India's river dolphin conservation to carry out their measurements.

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Assam Sends Elite Force to Protect Kaziranga National Park's Rhinos

A dead rhino in Kaziranga National park

It has been recently reported that the government of Assam has decided to send a hundred-member team of the elite Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) to protect rhinos in Kaziranga National Park. According to Assam forest minister Rockybul Hussain, a fifty-member team of the AFPF had already been sent to the national park on Tuesday. He further added that another fifty-member troop will be deployed into Kaziranga within this week. Minister Hussain also affirmed that a total of 39 rhinos have died in Assam due to monsoon floods and poaching. Eleven rhinos had died as a result of poaching, which included six inside the national park and five in the adjoining Karbi Anglong district where they had migrated because of floods. Another 28 animals died from drowning in the floods. The deaths of Assam's rhinos came into focus recently when after seven rhinos were killed by suspected poachers last week in and around Kaziranga.

I'm very impressed and proud to see what the government of Assam is doing, in order to keep its rhinos and other wildlife safe. But what fascinated me about this article is the story behind the efforts the state government of Assam took to save its rhinos. In the past three years, Assam had witnessed a series of rhino killings which prompted the government to entail a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) investigation into all the cases of poaching. The government also announced that the army and central paramilitary forces will be dispatched in the neighboring areas of Kaziranga National Park to block any poaching attempts. In addition to that, better forest management and protection also contributed to the well-being of rhinos. Their population has increased to 2,290 animals in Kaziranga alone and 2,505 in Assam. However, these success stories also brought accusations from parties like the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who tried to bring the issue of bad forest management into the light which Minister Hussain refuted. He also condemned allegations brought by these two parties that the state government is helping illegal migrants to settle inside the national park's buffer zone to increase the Congress votebank. In his own words, Minister Hussain stated that in 1996, under the leadership of then chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, the AGP gave out an order to settle 96 landless families in those areas. In my opinion, Assam is a leading example of how conservation and wildlife protection should be implemented in India and other countries prone to crimes like poaching and the illegal wildlife trade. The involvement of military and paramilitary forces would help tremendously in the battle against these ongoing threats to wildlife around the world.

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Africa's Religious Leaders Team Up to Help Stop the Illegal Wildlife Trade

Religious leaders gather for an interfaith prayer at the site of ivory burn in Nairobi National Park.

It has been recently reported that the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) have announced their first-ever partnership with religious leaders from across Africa to join forces against the illegal wildlife trade. In an exceptional move, fifty religious representatives from different religions and countries have allied to authorize a ban on the wildlife trade which is destroying the continent's elephant and rhino populations. The WWF and ARC have worked with leaders from Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and traditional African faiths to align around the wildlife crisis in Africa and conducted several meetings. These included a safari in Kenya's Nairobi National Park during which the leaders discussed the purpose of religion in Africa to put a stop to the ongoing threat. The leaders gave an emotional tribute to all the wildlife killed because of the trade, and also prayed for the amenity of the local communities and for hundreds of rangers that have sacrificed their lives protecting Africa's wildlife.

An elephant herd in Tsavo East National Park.

I'm very much impressed to see that religious leaders in Africa have joined in the battle to combat the illegal wildlife trade. In my opinion, this would persuade and motivate local communities to step forward in this effort to put an end to this continuous bloodbath. According to Dekila Chungyalpa, program director of WWF's Sacred Earth, religious leaders are the "backbone of local communities, providing lessons and guidance that shape how people live their lives." However, she also pointed out that poaching of endangered wildlife is a "highly organized crime backed by international syndicates who also back other crimes such as gun and drug trafficking." She further added that victims also include rangers and local communities, as well as animals. This statement relates to why Africa's militias and rebel groups rely on the wildlife trade to fund their wars. It is also why it is extremely crucial to combat the illegal wildlife trade around the world. Not only does this illicit and lucrative trade claim lives of animals, but also innocent people. In addition to that, there is also news that the South African government is calling its people to help in the battle against the nation's rhino poaching. The only way to help put a stop to poaching and the illegal wildlife trade is to involve communities to join the battle, as well as government officials, NGO officials, and other authorities.

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