Latest Animal poaching and smuggling News
Indonesia seizes more than a ton of endangered pangolin scales said to be meant for Chinese clients
MEDAN, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities said Tuesday they have foiled a plot to smuggle more than a ton of endangered pangolin scales worth over a million dollars. The 1.2 tons of scales worth $1.3 million were found Nov. 11 in Asahan district of North Sumatra province and...
A desert oasis outside of Dubai draws a new caravan: A family of rodents from Argentina
AL QUDRA LAKES, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A desert oasis hidden away in the dunes in the far reaches of skyscraper-studded Dubai has drawn a surprising new set of weary world travelers: a pack of Argentinian rodents. A number of Patagonian mara, a rabbit-like mammal with long...
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....
