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UNCOVERED: Cites | History Defined

Global trade in wild birds is poorly monitored – the risks to wildlife, ecosystems and human health

Birds have, for centuries, been captured from the wild to be kept in cages – valued for their looks, songs and ability to imitate sounds. Data compiled by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the global agreement that regulates trade in threatened animals and plants, indicate that…

The Conversation

Seizure of 2,000 ants at Nairobi airport highlights the hidden scale of insect trafficking

Last year Kenya Wildlife Service warned of a growing demand for garden ants in Europe and Asia, where some people view them as exotic pets. An attempt to smuggle over 2,000 garden ants out of the country’s main international airport made the news in 2026. Echoing this, in 2025, four…

The Conversation

New limits on global trade of sharks won’t be enough to save them from overfishing – new research

More than one-third of sharks and rays are now threatened with extinction, making them among the most imperilled vertebrates on Earth. Why? Overfishing, both as targeted catches for their valuable fins, meat, gills and liver oil, and as bycatch in nets and lines set for other fish.

The Conversation

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Great apes are humans’ closest relatives, but many are endangered by illegal trading. Here’s what needs to be done

Great apes are humans’ closest relatives in the animal kingdom. As much as 98.8% of their DNA is shared, but while the number of humans living on the planet is increasing fast, other great apes are in decline. Five out of the seven species are now critically endangered.

The Conversation

Sharks and rays get a major win with new international trade limits for 70+ species

The world’s oceans are home to an exquisite variety of sharks and rays, from the largest fishes in the sea – the majestic whale shark and manta rays – to the luminescent but rarely seen deep-water lantern shark and guitarfishes.

The Conversation

AI and drones lead global fight for wildlife in Samarkand talks

Experts at the 20th CITES Conference reveal wildlife crime worth up to €22B annually, putting 40,000+ species at risk and boosting tech monitoring efforts.

Euronews

Surging exotic pet trade sparks calls for tighter crackdown

Social media influencers, who have made owning exotic pets cool, are also contributing to the problem

The Independent UK

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Eel populations are falling, and new protections were defeated. Japan and the US opposed them

Valuable eels are in decline all over the world, leading to a new push for restrictions on trade to try to help stave off extinction

The Independent UK

Samarkand hosts first CITES summit in Central Asia, gathering nations for wildlife protection

Delegates will discuss sustainable use of natural resources, ecosystem restoration, and regional cooperation initiatives.

Euronews

Rare blue parrot sparks global row over billionaire’s exotic zoo

The Spinx’s macaw has become the centre of an international dispute

The Independent UK

How Did An Indian Zoo Get The World's Most Endangered Great Ape?

Tapanuli orangutans are the world's most endangered great ape. The tapanuli is not the first highly endangered animal to arrive at Vantara.

International Business Times

Conservationists Call For More Data To Help Protect Pangolins

All eight known pangolin species remain at high risk of extinction due to over-exploitation and loss of habitat, conservationists warned Wednesday, warning knowledge gaps were hampering protection efforts.

International Business Times

Reports on Ambani’s Vantara unavailable on Deccan Herald, Telegraph, The Tribune portals

Reports about Vantara – the animal rehabilitation centre of Reliance’s Anant Ambani in Gujarat’s Jamnagar – are curiously unavailable, hours after they were published by Deccan Herald, The Telegraph India and The Tribune.

Newslaundry

Animal rights group calls for investigation into Ambani’s private zoo that Modi inaugurated

Wildlife Animal Protection Forum of South Africa seeks investigation into ‘legitimate concerns’ over animal exports to India

The Independent UK

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The Guardian - UK

WWF helping facilitate trade in polar bear fur, investigation reveals

Wildlife charity backs policy of exploitation of small number of some endangered species for economic purposes – such as trophy hunting

The Conversation

The world wildlife trade regulator is 50 – here’s what has worked and what needs to change

Have you ever bought a souvenir from a local market on holiday? Or tried to travel overseas with a guitar? If so, you may have been stopped at the airport if your item contains animal or plant parts. This is because most countries, and also the EU, implement Cites, the…

MusicRadar

"A strong statement from Fender in 2024 about accessibility and quality": Fender Player II Telecaster and Stratocaster

The new standard?

The Guardian - UK

‘It was a nightmare. It still is’: the cost of doing business, eight years after Brexit

The vote to leave the EU was sold as a way to cut red tape, but for many it ended up doing the opposite. The Observer asked six businesses about the fallout for them

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The Conversation

Could South Korea become a model for tackling illegal tiger trade?

The illegal wildlife trade is one of the greatest threats to all Asian big cats – tigers, leopards, snow leopards and Asiatic lions, as well as lesser-known species including clouded leopards and the Asiatic cheetah. For that reason, Asian big cats are some of the most strictly protected animals under…

Evening Standard

Luxury handbag designer to the stars who smuggled bags made from pythons jailed

Nancy Gonzalez has made handbags used by a string of celebrities but had smuggled goods illegally from her native Colombia into the US

Al Jazeera

‘Conflict timber’: Gambian traffickers continue rosewood trade despite ban

Al Jazeera investigation finds connection between secessionist struggle in Senegal and timber traffickers in Gambia.

The Hindu

When tigers and jackals get the same protection

Ecologists are angry at the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act, 2022, for listing an excessive number of species without a replicable process. This has consequences for conservation, people, and research. People's lives and livelihoods must be safeguarded first. Management actions must be tailored to ecology, species biology, and context. Citizens and…

The Hindu

The grey in the colourful plumage

Zenger

Botswana Pushes For Free Trade In Ivory Despite Threats To Leave CITES

Government argues legal trade would benefit economy and conservation efforts in the country.

The Conversation

Lickable toads and magic mushrooms: wildlife traded on the dark web is the kind that gets you high

The internet has made it easier for people to buy and sell a huge variety of wildlife – from orchids, cacti and fungi to thousands of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish, as well as insects, corals and other invertebrates.

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