Rare Sumatran tiger found dead in Indonesia

Yahoo – AFP, September 26, 2018

The carcass of a critically endangered Sumatran tiger which died after being
caught in a pig trap near Pekanbaru on the island of Sumatra (AFP Photo/Wahyudi)

Pekanbaru (Indonesia) (AFP) - A critically endangered Sumatran tiger has died after being caught in a hunter's trap on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, an official said Wednesday.

Locals told the conservation agency that a female Sumatran tiger had been seen on Tuesday caught in a pig trap set by a hunter in Muara Lembu village of Riau province.

Officers immediately visited the location but the tiger was gone.

The next day officers scoured the area once again and found the tiger dead near a ravine, with rope from the trap wrapped around its belly.

They believed the rope caused the animal's death.

Local conservation agency head Suharyono said the death was especially regrettable because the tiger was an adult female expected to give birth to cubs.

Sumatran tigers are considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

There are fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild and environmental activists say they are increasingly coming into conflict with people as their natural habitat is rapidly deforested.

AFP facfile on the world's wild tiger population pic.twitter.com/rJEv2oY9Q5

— AFP news agency (@AFP) September 27, 2018

Moving house can be stressful: Female albino alligators - some as long as five meters and weighing more than 80 kg - are moved into a new home at the Porte Dorée tropical aquarium in Paris

Moving house can be stressful: Female albino alligators - some as long as five meters and weighing more than 80 kg - are moved into a new home at the Porte Dorée tropical aquarium in Paris pic.twitter.com/V1sYhLVZts

— AFP news agency (@AFP) September 25, 2018

EU palm oil ban sows bitter seeds for Southeast Asian farmers

Yahoo – AFP, Ridwan Nasution with M. Jegathesan in Ijok, Malaysia, 24 September 2018

Indonesian farmer Kawal Surbakti says a planned EU palm oil ban could devastate
his income

Indonesian palm oil farmer Kawal Surbakti says his livelihood is under attack, but the threat is not from insects or hungry orangutans eating his prized crop.

Half a world away, the European Parliament is moving to ban the use of palm oil in biofuels, while British grocer Iceland has announced it will stop using the commodity over concerns that it causes widespread environmental destruction.

Losing the key European market worries small farmers like Surbakti and millions of others in Indonesia and neighbouring Malaysia -- the world's top two producers -- as prices drop for an oil found in everything from biscuits and sweets to cosmetics and vehicle gas tanks.

"I've suffered serious losses," the 64-year-old Surbakti said from his two-hectare (five acre) farm on Indonesia's Sumatra island.

"Before, I could save up a little money but now I can't even do that."

Across the Malacca Strait in Malaysia, grower Mohamad Isa Mansor issued a dire prediction as he plucked reddish-orange fruits from his trees.

"If the EU succeeds in the ban, I'm dead," he said at his small plantation in the coastal town of Ijok.

"Without this crop we will be living in poverty. It is the source of income for thousands of people (here)," he added.

Chart showing top producers of palm oil, led by Indonesia

'Victims of big corporations'

Europe is one of the world's biggest palm oil consumers, along with India and China.

About half of the palm oil used last year in Europe was for biofuels that ended up in gas tanks, according to environmentalists.

Indonesia and Malaysia have threatened retaliatory sanctions on European products over the proposed palm oil ban, which calls for a complete phase-out from biofuels by 2030. The legislation is awaiting a final vote and member-state approval.

As the diplomatic row smoulders, Indonesian grower Selamet Ketaren says he and other small farmers -- the backbone of the industry -- are pawns at the mercy of land-clearing multinational firms that buy their crops.

"Smallholder farmers like us are just victims of the big corporations," said Ketaren, who has been growing palm oil since the mid-eighties.

Environmentalists accuse the multi-billion-dollar industry of destroying huge swathes of rainforest home to indigenous communities, orangutans and other threatened species.

Critics say that palm oil development also contributes to climate change through deliberate forest-clearing fires, which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and lung-clogging smog into the region's air.

Many under-pressure firms made "no deforestation" pledges, but activists say they are tough to monitor and frequently broken in the vast jungles of Sumatra and Borneo island.

Palm oil has become a major earner for Malaysia and Indonesia but at 
huge environmental cost

This week, Greenpeace said a group of Indonesian palm oil firms that supply major international brands including Unilever and Nestle have cleared an area of rainforest almost twice the size of Singapore in less than three years.

But Malaysian farmer Mansor rejects the depiction of growers as an environmental threat.

"(The EU) says we cut down the forest. But my land is on peat soil -- there was rubber growing here before," he said.

"How can the EU claim that I'm killing the earth?"

'Negative campaigns'

An EU ban would threaten the livelihoods of 650,000 smallholders and over 3.2 million Malaysians who rely on the industry, according to the Malaysian Palm Oil Council.

"The policies that the EU is proposing to introduce will harm Malaysia's rural communities and reduce incomes for Malaysian families," said Douglas Uggah Embas, deputy chief minister of Sarawak state on Borneo island, home to many smallholders.

Some three million people in Indonesia -- the world's biggest palm oil exporter -- are estimated to be working in the sector and many more depend on their income.

While it hopes to tap other markets, the Indonesian Palm Oil Association said that a slowdown in China and "negative campaigns" against palm oil could hurt the bottom line.

Malaysian grower Muhamad Ngisa Kusas fears that political decisions made in Europe will lead to poverty, crime and could push desperate people into the arms of religious extremists in the two Muslim-majority countries.

"If the EU bans comes into effect, the price of palm oil will surely plunge. Then we smallholders are doomed," said the 78-year-old.

"The EU had better think very carefully about this action."

VIDEO: The European Parliament is moving to ban the use of #palmoil in biofuels, and UK supermarket Iceland says it will stop using it over environmental concerns. Losing the EU market worries millions of small farmers in Indonesia and Malaysia, the world's top two producers. pic.twitter.com/o3RnLJsYUl

— AFP news agency (@AFP) September 24, 2018

Singapore Airlines bans lion bones in cargo

Yahoo – AFP, September 21, 2018

Singapore Airlines says it has banned lion bones as cargo on its planes
(AFP Photo/GREG BAKER)

Singapore (AFP) - Singapore Airlines said Friday it has stopped accepting lion bones for cargo after the carrier was singled out in a report for transporting the animal parts from South Africa.

Campaigners have long called for a ban on the controversial trade in big cat bones, which are sought after for medicine and jewellery in Southeast Asia.

Singapore Airlines was the sole carrier importing lion bones from South Africa to Southeast Asia last year, according to a report released in July by the non-profit EMS Foundation and animal rights group Ban Animal Trading.

At least 800 lion skeletons had been exported with the blessing of the South African government in 2017, the report said, making it the world's largest exporter of lion bones.

The airline told AFP it had stopped accepting lion bones as cargo, but did not say when the policy had come into effect.

"Singapore Airlines does not accept the carriage of lion bones as cargo following a review which took into account increasing concerns around the world," the company said in an email.

EMS Foundation director Michele Pickover said her organisation had sent the report to the airline and "appealed to them to immediately stop its involvement in this terrible trade".

"I believe that once they were informed about what this trade entails they took the correct and logical decision not to support it," she told AFP.

South Africa has been sending lion bones to Southeast Asia since at least 2008 and it was likely that Singapore Airlines had been transporting them since that year, Pickover added.

Lion bones and other body parts are highly sought after in parts of Southeast Asia -- particularly Laos, Thailand and Vietnam -- for use in jewellery and for their supposed medicinal properties.

In Vietnam, lion bone is cooked and turned into balm while claws and teeth were used as body ornaments, the report said.

While trade of body parts from wild lions is banned, international treaties allow the sale of parts taken from lions bred in captivity.

VIDEO: A zoo in Colombia's second city of #Medellin shows off a newborn spider monkey, a rare species in critical danger of extinction #spidermonkey

VIDEO: A zoo in Colombia's second city of #Medellin shows off a newborn spider monkey, a rare species in critical danger of extinction #spidermonkey pic.twitter.com/vKuKdesZJl

— AFP news agency (@AFP) September 15, 2018

Young elephant electrocuted in Thailand

Yahoo – AFP, September 15, 2018

The mahout (C) of 10-year-old elephant named 'Lucky', wildlife volunteers and
 police surround the animal's body in Samut Prakhan province, south of Bangkok,
in a photo taken by civilian volunteer charity Ruamkatanyu on September 14,
 2018 (AFP Photo/Handout)

Bangkok (AFP) - A young male elephant was electrocuted in Thailand after stumbling into a drain and crashing into a restaurant sign, police said Saturday.

Two elephant handlers were walking 10-year-old Plai Nam Choke -- or "Lucky" in English -- around a town in Samut Prakhan province south of Bangkok, offering passers-by the chance to feed him for cash.

But Lucky stumbled into an open sewer and collided with an electric signboard outside a restaurant, said police officer Nopporn Saengsawang.

"I received a call at 8:30 pm that the elephant was stuck in the drain," he said. "He likely died from electrocution."

Some rescue workers from a local charity group attempted CPR on Lucky for three hours after he fell.

The two handlers were charged with illegally moving the elephant and animal cruelty offences, Nopporn said.

Lucky hailed from the northeastern province of Surin, home to a famous annual elephant fair that features a parade by performing pachyderms.

Wild elephants can still be seen in Thailand's national forests, but their numbers have dwindled to about 2,700 from a peak of over 100,000 in 1850.

A large number have been domesticated for entertainment or tourism purposes, prompting accusations of animal cruelty.

Handlers are usually banned from walking elephants through cities due to space constraints, but many risk punishment in pursuit of living.

Research has shown that elephants caught in the wild and subjected to a lifetime of captivity suffer from long-term stress and tend to have shorter lifespans.

VIDEO: Bangladesh's first ever albino tiger cub was born in a zoo in Chittagong

VIDEO: Bangladesh's first ever albino tiger cub was born in a zoo in Chittagong pic.twitter.com/eFpYSxbv2z

— AFP news agency (@AFP) September 14, 2018

VIDEO: Three baby Bengal tigers, including one albino cub, born in May play at the Bengal Safari Park in India

VIDEO: Three baby Bengal tigers, including one albino cub, born in May play at the Bengal Safari Park in India 🐯 pic.twitter.com/ZrU2S4rxep

— AFP news agency (@AFP) September 5, 2018

Caesar, the oldest lion in Amsterdam’s zoo roars his last

DutchNews, August 24, 2018

Photo: Ronald van Weeren via Artis

Caesar, the oldest lion in Artis zoo in Amsterdam, has roared his last, the zoo authorities announced on Thursday 

The lion, who lived in the zoo for 19 of his 20 years and was leader of the pride, had been ill for some time. On Thursday his condition worsened and zoo vets decided to put him down. 

Caesar had 21 descendants among whom two lionesses that still live in Artis zoo. 

The lion lived to a good age, Artis said. Lions in the wild don’t usually live longer than 10  to 14 years. 

‘He was very well-known to visitors who were impressed by his dark mane and piercing roar,’ Artis wrote. The zoo is now looking for a new pride leader.

Cameroon pangolin traffickers caught in the act

Yahoo – AFP, August 21, 2018

Pangolin scales are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (AFP Photo/
Jekesai Njikizana)

Yaoundé (AFP) - Police in Cameroon have shut down an international poaching gang after catching six traffickers carrying more than 700 kilos of pangolin scales, a conservation group said Tuesday.

Pangolins, or scaly anteaters, are one of the world's most trafficked species and are threatened with extinction. Their scales are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine and their meat is a delicacy in many Asian and African countries.

The six poachers -- five Cameroonians and one from the Central African Republic -- were arrested on August 18 in Douala, a coastal city in southwest Cameroon, according to the Last Great Ape Organisation (LAGA).

Most of the 718 kilos (1,600 pounds) of scales they were carrying were from the Democratic Republic of Congo, it said.

The gang bought pangolins from smaller traffickers in Cameroon, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo before sending them to Nigeria, where they were prepared for export to Asia, it said.

Greek holiday hotspot to protect over-worked donkeys

Yahoo – AFP, 28 July 2018

Authorities on the idyllic Greek holiday island of Santorini have decided to offer
protection for the donkeys who carry tourists up a steep  cliff after animal rights
activists held a protest

The authorities on the idyllic Greek holiday island of Santorini have decided to offer protection for the donkeys who carry tourists up a steep cliff, after facing protests and adverse publicity.

The town hall issued a statement Saturday saying a meeting had been held with animal rights groups and animal owners to ensure "respect for the rights and well-being of donkeys".

After a video of an owner beating a donkey aired on social networks, four campaigning groups held a protest Friday which ended in scuffles.

The town hall said all parties had accepted a series of measures including keeping the animals in the shade during rest periods and ensuring plenty of water and food.

The load and hours of the donkeys would also be limited while owners who mistreat their animals would be banned.

Donkeys and mules line up to give tourists a ride on the 

island of Santorini

The statement said the rights activists "declared themselves satisfied with these measures, as long they are followed".

Santorini, perched hundreds of metres above a bay in a volcanic crater, has struggled to cope with huge numbers of tourists who have flooded in over recent years.

The town hall has imposed limits on the numbers of cruise liners and people allowed onto the island.

Authorities on the idyllic Greek holiday island of Santorini have decided to offer protection for the donkeys who carry tourists up a steep cliff after animal rights activists held a protest

Donkeys and mules line up to give tourists a ride on the island of Santorini.

Animals still a draw, despite shrinking crowds, says Chinese circus

Yahoo – AFP, Xin LIU, Joanna CHIU, July 10, 2018

A caged Siberian tiger at the Chinese Prosperous Nation Circus Troupe while
in Dongguan (AFP Photo/NICOLAS ASFOURI)

A crowd of just 10 people watched the endangered Siberian tiger roar on command on his hind legs and pounce through hoops inside the big top of the Chinese Prosperous Nation Circus Troupe.

Lions and a young bear with a wound on its snout followed, performing tricks for the few who braved the sweltering heat in southern Guangdong province to help keep the travelling circus going for another day.

The use of wild animals in circus shows has come under growing criticism around the world, with some countries banning the practice, but for the Chinese troupe, the beasts are considered a major attraction.

"Many Chinese live in big cities where it's hard to get out into the wilderness. We bring nature to them," Li Weisheng, the troup's manager, told AFP.

Circuses have a long history in China. Called "maxi", pronounced "mah-shi" meaning "stunts on a horse", they have a history going back more than 2,500 years and would often pair acrobatic performances with stunts on galloping horses.

A Harbin black bear performs at the Chinese Prosperous Nation Circus Troupe, 

which considers its animals a major attraction (AFP Photo/NICOLAS ASFOURI)

The use of large cats, monkeys and bears is a more recent practice.

China has some of the world's laxest animal rights laws, and campaigners have long called for tougher regulations on the treatment of animals in travelling circuses.

The two owners of the troupe, Li Rongrong and Li Ruisheng, were arrested in 2016 for illegally transporting rare and endangered animals and sentenced to 10 and eight years in prison, respectively, but were cleared of all charges at a second trial last year.

The troupe's animals -- two African lions, a two-year-old black bear, a pack of dogs and the tiger -- spend most of their time in tiny metal cages under a big tent.

The animals are a major draw, Li, the manager, said, standing next to the red and white striped tent in the city of Dongguan, although he admitted attendance has dropped in recent years.

The tiger and a lioness with a cut tail -- both about a year old -- share one cage, in which they restlessly pace around each other. A few times a day, they are allowed to play in the circus ring.

The members of the Chinese Prosperous Nation Circus Troupe say they will do what 

they have to do to keep their tradition alive, despite falling attendances (AFP Photo/

NICOLAS ASFOURI)

The lone bear grasped the top bars of his cage and swung his body back and forth.

In the past few years, multiple videos have emerged of apparent animal abuse in China, such as a circus tying down a Siberian tiger for audience members to sit on for photos, which sparked widespread outrage.

Chinese people are increasingly calling for better protection for captive animals.

The members of the Chinese Prosperous Nation Circus Troupe, however, say they will do what they have to to keep their tradition alive and insist they are working in the interests both of the public and the animals.

"We are helping the public learn more about nature and animals," said Li.

Minister pledges action after slaughterhouse animal abuse is revealed

DutchNews, June 20, 2018

Photo: Despositphotos.com 

Dutch farm minister Carola Schouten says she will tighten up the rules on abattoir closures and increase fines for animal cruelty following revelations about conditions in Dutch slaughterhouses. 

An item on RTL Nieuws, based on government inspectors’ reports, said that 48 fines had been handed down to 19 abattoirs which process cows, sheep and pigs over the past two years because of serious animal welfare issues. 

Inspectors had seen several instances of pigs being placed in vats of very hot water when they were anaesthetised but still alive and trying to swim. The animals were then held under the water by slaughterhouse workers until they drowned. 

In another case, calf was skinned alive. The inspector wrote: ‘despite the calf’s movements, the slaughterman went ahead with removing the skin from its head.’ 

There were also 16 cases of animals being dismembered while they were still alive because their carotid artery had not been properly cut, RTL Nieuws said.   

Millions

Every year some 15 million pigs, 2 million cows and 500,000 sheep are killed in the Netherlands’ 180 slaughterhouses. 

Fines for breaking the law range from €500 for a ‘slight infringement’ to €10,000 for a very serious or repeat offences. 

MPs from across the political spectrum have now called on the minister to get tough. In particular, they say fines should be increased and abattoirs which are multiple offenders should be closed down. 

‘This is absolute horror for the animals,’ said Esther Ouwehand of the pro-animal PvdD. ‘We are supposed to believe that everything is so well arranged here in the Netherlands. But a slaughterhouse which skins an animal alive, drowns them in a piping hot bath or chucks them in the bin should be shut down.’

Indonesian woman swallowed by giant python

Yahoo – AFP, June 16, 2018

Residents of a village in Indonesia were suspicious that a python had eaten their
neighbour so they cut it open and found the woman's body inside, according to
the local police chief (AFP Photo/ROBERT SULLIVAN)

An Indonesian woman has been found in the belly of a giant python after the swollen snake was captured near where she vanished while tending her vegetable garden, police said Saturday.

The body of 54-year-old Wa Tiba was found Friday when villagers cut open the seven-metre (23-foot) python which was found bloated in the village of Persiapan Lawela on the island of Muna, offshore of Sulawesi.

"Residents were suspicious the snake swallowed the victim, so they killed it, then carried it out of the garden," said local police chief Hamka, who like many Indonesians has only one name.

"The snake's belly was cut open and the body of the victim was found inside."

Some 100 residents, including worried relatives, launched a search for the woman after she failed to return from her garden Thursday night.

Hamka said villagers found the giant serpent lying about 30 metres from Tiba's sandals and machete, adding she was swallowed head first and her body was found intact.

The garden in which she disappeared was at the base of a rocky cliff, pockmarked by caves, and known to be home to snakes, Hamka added.

Giant pythons, which regularly top six metres, are commonly found in Indonesia and the Philippines.

While the serpents have been known to attack small animals, attempts to eat people are rare.

In March last year, a farmer was killed by a python in the village of Salubiro on Sulawesi island.

Penka the cow spared death over crossing EU border

Yahoo – AFP, June 11, 2018

This handout picture taken near the village of Kopilovtsi in Bulgaria and released by
 the Four Paws Foundation shows Penka the cow that risked death by staying
over the EU border. (AFP Photo/Hristo Vladev)

Sofia (AFP) - Bulgarian authorities announced Monday that Penka, the cow who risked death by straying over the EU border, will not be put down after all.

"Laboratory analyses of the cow that spent 15 days in Serbia and crossed the border back (into Bulgaria) are negative for all the tested diseases," Bulgaria's Food Safety Agency announced Monday.

"She will not be killed and will return to her herd by the end of the week," agency spokeswoman Ekaterina Stoilova confirmed to AFP.

Penka's plight went viral on social media and made headlines around the world after her owner Ivan Haralampiev, from the western village of Kopilovtsi, launched an appeal 10 days ago to save her.

The animal had wandered away from her herd near the western Bulgarian village of Mazarachevo on May 12 and spent more than two weeks in Serbia before local farmers identified her from her earmarks.

Penka then fell foul of strict EU rules on the import of live animals from third countries, which require extensive paperwork giving the animal a clean bill of health before it can enter the bloc.

Haralampiev lacked the necessary documents to authorise her return and was only allowed to take her back if he agreed to put her down within days.

But instead he launched an appeal on television to save her, sparking a worldwide outpouring of sympathy.

By Monday more than 30,750 people -- including former Beatle Paul McCartney -- had signed an online petition to save Penka addressed to EU institutions.

Penka's fans shared her story with the hashtag #SavePenka and even wrote a poem describing her odyssey.

Haralampiev told Bulgarian media on Monday that he was very grateful "to all the people from across the world who stood up for my poor animal".

"You have no idea how much stress this cost me but it was worth it," Haralampiev said, adding that he was looking forward to an emotional reunion.

Penka would have "luxury fodder" and "lots of caresses" to look forward to and had become "very special" for the family, he said.

Penka was even discussed during the European Commission's daily briefing on Friday with climate spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen answering extensive questions from journalists regarding the cow's situation.

Bulgarian food safety authorities say it is not an isolated case, with animals from Serbia and Macedonia often entering Bulgarian territory, and they are holding talks with the neighbouring countries to resolve the issue.

Rare white bison born at Belgrade Zoo

Yahoo – AFP, 30 May 2018

"Dusanka", an extremely rare white bison, was born at Belgrade zoo

One of the world's rarest animals -- a white bison -- has been born at Belgrade zoo, officials said.

The calf, named Dusanka, was born on Monday and trotted around her enclosure in "good health", according to the zoo's veterinarian.

"According to my information, no other (American) white bison has been born in Europe," veterinarian Jozef Ezvedj told AFP.

"Her father Jovan (a white bison) came to us in 2007, imported from America when he was still very young, practically a baby. Dusanka inherited his genes," Ezvedj said.

Dusanka's father was also a white bison

"We are making sure that she is in good health and that she enjoys a peaceful childhood."

Many Native Americans consider white bison to be a good omen and a symbol of hope.

Thousands of Native Americans joined in celebrations of the birth of a white bison female in the US state of Wisconsin in 1994.

"Perhaps we should inform them? Bison among Native Americans are very important in terms of mythological significance," Ezvedj said.

A new weapon against sexual assault: Dutch police dogs trained to sniff out sperm

DutchNews, May 15, 2018

Police dogs have many roles. Photo: Graham Dockery

Dutch police have a new weapon at their disposal in the hunt for rapists – a dog which has been trained to sniff out sperm outdoors, RTL Nieuws said on Tuesday afternoon. 

The two dogs have been involved in 80 cases and the trial was so successful that four more dogs will be trained to work in places where sexual assaults have taken place, RTL said. 

In two cases, the dog’s evidence was instrumental in solving two sex crimes – one of which involved a young girl who was knocked off her bike and raped. 

The dogs are able to identify specific sperm up to a week after the incident. This, says RTL, saves on laboratory time because technicians can identify the sperm sample’s dna straight away, rather than test all sorts of different items for potential evidence. 

The sperm dogs are part of a team of 120 sniffer dogs, all trained to focus on specific smells, such as drugs or money. 

Last year, the police abandoned plans to train up sniffer rats. They were going to be used to detect illegal fireworks, fake cigarettes and human bones but the plan was dropped because they could not be made ‘operational’.

Bangladesh puppy killer sentenced

Yahoo – AFP, May 10, 2018

Activists have in recent years successfully campaigned to stop mass cullings
of street dogs in Dhaka and other cities (AFP Photo/MUNIR UZ ZAMAN)

A Bangladeshi security guard was handed a jail sentence on Thursday for burying alive two dogs and their 14 puppies, in what activists hailed as the country's first ever animal cruelty conviction.

Mohammad Siddique, who buried the dogs in polythene sacks, "was sentenced to six months in jail and fined 200 taka ($2.50)," prosecutor Forkan Mia told AFP after the trial in Dhaka.

Animal rights campaigners, who have long lobbied for replacing the South Asian country's colonial-era laws on animal maltreatment, said they hoped the sentence would act as a deterrent.

"The fact that this case was heard by the magistrate is a major achievement," said Rakibul Haq Emil from animal rights group the PAW Foundation, who brought the case.

"I am sure it will send a warning message that it won't be easy to get away with cruel treatment to animals in Bangladesh," he said.

The bodies of the dogs were discovered in October in a Dhaka neighbourhood. But despite outrage from campaigners, police were initially reluctant to take up the case.

Cruelty towards animals is commonplace in Bangladesh but activists have in recent years successfully campaigned to stop mass cullings of street dogs in the capital and other major cities.

Australia pledges cash to help save the koala

Yahoo – AFP, May 7, 2018

Habitat loss, dog attacks, car strikes, climate change and disease have taken
their toll on one of Australia's most recognisable animals (AFP Photo/Peter PARKS)

Australia unveiled on Monday a US$34 million plan to help bring its koala population back from the brink, following a rapid decline in the furry marsupial's fortunes.

The Australian Koala Foundation estimates there may be as few as 43,000 koalas left in the wild, down from a population believed to number more than 10 million prior to European settlement of the continent in 1788.

"Koalas are a national treasure," said Gladys Berejiklian, premier of New South Wales state, in announcing her government's conservation plan.

"It would be such a shame if this nationally iconic marsupial did not have its future secured."

Habitat loss, dog attacks, car strikes, climate change and disease have taken their toll on one of Australia's most recognisable animals.

Studies show a 26 percent decline in the koala population in New South Wales over the last 15-20 years. The state lists the species as "vulnerable", while in other parts of the country they are effectively extinct.

Under the Aus$45 million plan, thousands of hectares will be set aside to preserve the marsupial's natural habitat.

Funds will be used to tackle diseases ravaging koala populations, including chlamydia -- which causes blindness, infertility and death in the species.

Cash has also been earmarked for research, roadkill hotspot upgrades and a new hospital to care for sick and injured koalas. A hotline will also be set up to report koalas in trouble.

The move follows an independent report in late 2016 that recommended a clearer strategy to deal with the population decline.

50 live crocodiles from Malaysia seized at London airport

Yahoo – AFP, May 4, 2018

Saltwater crocodiles from Malaysia found at London Heathrow Airport had not been
packed in accordance with international regulations, making the importation illegal
(AFP Photo/ARNO BURGI)

British officials have seized an illegal shipment of 50 live crocodiles at London Heathrow Airport, the UK Border Force said Friday.

The year-old juvenile saltwater crocodiles were found crammed into five boxes coming from Malaysia.

The were bound for a farm in Cambridgeshire, eastern England, where they were to be bred for their meat.

The animals had not been packed in accordance with international regulations, making the importation illegal.

Each box only had room for four crocodiles but 10 had been packed into each one.

"It is just not acceptable for reptiles to be transported in this way," said Grant Miller, head of the national Border Force Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) at Heathrow.

"The crocodiles had started to fight each other during the flight as space was limited, so little attention had been paid to their welfare.

"We will seize anything that contravenes CITES regulations, so this should serve as a warning to those thinking about transporting wildlife in such conditions."

The crocodiles were found on April 27. One has since died and the others are being cared for before being rehomed.