Preserving Our Planet

One of the elephants found in Myanmar with its skin removed. Sick new poaching trend As if elephants didn’t have enough to deal with due to the ivory trade, now they are being persecuted for their skin. The UK’s Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, recently announced plans to ban the sale of all ivory products. But this doesn’t affect the current poaching methods or save the 20 elephants recently killed. Why? Because in a sick new trend that has been circulating for the last 3 years or so, elephants are now being hunted in Asia only for their thick hides. The 20 were killed by poisonous darts – some of them mothers and calves. The skin was half-peeled off whilst their bodies were still warm, and their remains left in the forest to rot. Traditional beliefs across Asia have exacerbated this trend of using elephant skin to make bracelets, further decimating their declining numbers. This horrifying poaching epidemic stems from this lucrative business opportunity with claims

A slate-grey male Montagu's harrier shows off the black wing markings . UK’s rarest raptor If you’ve never heard of a Montagu’s harrier , it’s hardly surprising: with only four breeding pairs in the UK, they are officially the rarest raptor and the rarest breeding bird with a precarious status. Found in the east and south of the country, they are summer visitors, migrating south to Africa for winter. Harriers are renowned for their exquisite aerial acrobatics, passing food in flight and performing ingenious displays during courtship. The Montagu’s agility and elegance when hunting makes them a majestic harrier and particularly spectacular to watch. To learn more about them, experts have been tagging individuals to track their migration, habits and breeding grounds.  Each pair needs special protection and their nests are kept secret, so egg poachers cannot detect them, and they can be left undisturbed.  The tagging process has also meant secretive meetings with o

 The little-known pangolin: the most hunted species alive. The pangolin has seen its numbers decimated, earning them the unsavoury accolade as the most endangered species on earth due to the exponential growth of poaching and trafficking in countries where tighter control is needed to prevent their extinction.   Exactly what is a pangolin? Pangolins, dubbed the ‘scaly anteater’, are burrowing mammals with a small head and a broad tail. These humble creatures walk with an awkward gait, making them easy prey for lions, leopards and tigers. To make up for this vulnerability, their overlapping scales form a natural protection against predators but sadly offer no defence against poachers and hunters. When threatened, they roll up into a ball, covering their faces and underbellies. Remarkably, once rolled, not even a lion can penetrate their armoured bodies. For further protection, they emit a noxious acid from glands near to their anus to ward off predators but

The treatment an elephant faces in the tourist industry. A recent study by Oxford University revealed some of the secret methods used in animal attractions so people can make money out of the practises involved in selling trips to tourists. From seemingly innocent rides to petting and selfies, the lifelong suffering involved is heart-breaking. Here’s the truth that travel agents profiting from selling these trips don’t want you to know.   1.     Elephant rides Whilst ambling along atop a strong elephant might not seem cruel to most, it is the treatment behind these innocent rides that people are unaware of. Yes, elephants appear docile and friendly, so it is plausible that they will allow people to ride them. However, the reason you’re able to sit astride them is rather sinister. To allow interactions with humans to take place, young elephants are forcibly removed from their mothers and compelled to endure a horrendous training process referred to as ‘the crush’. T

Elephants rides are a lucrative business in Asia with little regard for the welfare of the animals. Social media is currently inundated with fury over wildlife tourist attractions – the latest being the elephants sat on elephants, or in other words, the tourists sat on baby elephants which are completely ill-equipped to saddle their weight.   These goons grin foolishly - with no regard for the welfare of the elephants - as they stand in the surf. When is close too close? The surest way to assess if the situation is ethical on the animal is to think long and hard about how far out of their natural environment the animal is for your entertainment. Then look at how they are being treated by those selling you time with them.   Consider the following as being abusive: ·        the animal is in a pen ·        the animal is on a lead ·        the animal is tied to another object ·        the animal is languishing in water ·        the animal is   b