Latest Animal poaching and smuggling News
Man who killed eagles on a Native American reservation gets nearly 4 years in prison
MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — A Washington state man accused of leading a wildlife trafficking ring on a Native American reservation that killed thousands of eagles and hawks to sell on the black market was sentenced Thursday to nearly four years in prison. The trafficking ring operated...
Poachers are exploiting the high demand for eagle feathers that are sacred among Native Americans
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — America's golden eagles face a rising threat from a black market for their feathers used in Native American powwows and other ceremonies, according to wildlife officials, researchers and tribal members. The government’s response has been two-pronged: A...
Kenya moves 50 elephants to a larger park, says it's a sign poaching is low
MWEA, Kenya (AP) — As a helicopter hovers close to an elephant, trying to be as steady as possible, an experienced veterinarian cautiously takes aim. A tranquilizer dart whooshes in the air, and within minutes the giant mammal surrenders to a deep slumber as teams of wildlife...
Man charged with helping Idaho inmate escape during a hospital ambush sentenced to life in prison
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho man who prosecutors said ambushed and shot correctional officers at a Boise hospital in a plot to help a fellow white supremacist gang member escape from prison was sentenced to life behind bars on Friday. Nicholas Umphenour, 29, pleaded guilty earlier...
Montana man gets 6 months in prison for cloning giant sheep and breeding it
GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) — An 81-year-old Montana man was sentenced Monday to six months in federal prison for illegally using tissue and testicles from large sheep hunted in Central Asia and the U.S. to create hybrid sheep for captive trophy hunting in Texas and Minnesota. U.S....
The number of rhinos is slightly up but poaching has increased too
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The rhino population across the world has increased slightly but so have the killings, mostly in South Africa, as poaching fed by huge demand for rhino horns remains a top threat, conservationists said in a new report. The number of white rhinos increased...
Wildlife trafficking ring killed at least 118 eagles, prosecutors say
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A man helped kill at least 118 eagles to sell their feathers and body parts on the black market as part of a long-running wildlife trafficking ring in the western U.S. that authorities allege killed thousands of birds, court filings show. Travis John Branson...
Dozens of exotic animals seized at Turkish border
ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish customs officials in the northwestern city of Edirne discovered dozens of exotic animals being smuggled into Turkey from Greece. State-run Anadolu Agency reported that the mid-sized sedan with Greek license plates was carrying three kangaroos, three alpacas...
