Issue Type: Wildlife

Wildlife

Ricky Gervais, Stephen Fry, and Dr Jane Goodall, among stars urging G20 to act for whales

Humane Society International / Global

Sperm whale

LONDON — Celebrities and animal conservation and welfare NGOs from across the globe are calling for an ‘international whaling intervention’ to be staged at the G20 summit in Osaka as summit hosts Japan prepare to launch a renewed commercial whaling programme.[1] The programme will see Japan openly killing sei, Bryde’s and minke whales for consumption with no pretence of science. [2]

Letters have been sent to all G20 leaders calling on them to publicly object at the summit to Japan’s commercial whaling intentions, and to deliver a joint declaration calling for the end to all commercial whaling globally. See the full letter here.

Celebrities Stephen Fry, Ricky Gervais, Dr Jane Goodall, Liz Bonnin, Steve Backshall, Virginia McKenna and Nicky Campbell, alongside more than 100 conservation charities and champions[3] within almost all the countries in the G20,[4] are backing pleas for international anti-whaling pressure to be placed on Japan.

BAFTA-winning English naturalist, writer and TV presenter, Steve Backshall, said: ‘It has taken the combined efforts of every nation on earth to bring whale conservation to the fore. At the G20 summit, our leaders need to talk to our friends in Japan, and let them know that – on this issue – they are deeply at odds with the rest of the world.’

Kitty Block, president of Humane Society International, said: ‘This week while one part of the Japanese government is proudly facilitating international cooperation by hosting the G20 meeting, another is quietly extricating itself from the obligation for global collaboration on the protection and management of the world’s whales.

‘Japan leaving the IWC and defying international law to pursue its commercial whaling ambitions is renegade, retrograde and myopic, it is undermining its international reputation for an industry whose days are so clearly numbered, to produce a product for which demand has plummeted. The IWC is maintaining its ban on commercial whaling for very good reasons and world leaders meeting in Japan this week should not turn a blind eye to the cruel assault planned on whales of the North Pacific.’

Dominic Dyer of Born Free Foundation, said: ‘The fight to protect whales gave birth to the modern environment movement 50 years ago. Yet during a year where Extinction Rebellion, Greta Thurnberg and school children worldwide are challenging our leaders to tackle environmental decline, Japan is sending its whaling ships back to sea, within days of the hosting the G20 Summit.

‘There is no justification for whaling on scientific or economic grounds. World leaders should call on Japan to halt its commercial whaling plans and return to supporting global efforts to protect whales and their ocean habitats. If we fail to protect whales, the future for mankind and our planet will be very bleak indeed.’

There is no commercial or other pressing need for Japan to relaunch its whaling activity, with whale meat consumption in Japan down almost 99% from 1962 to 2017, when less than 4,000 tonnes were eaten.[5] But there is a huge need to prevent a further decline in whale numbers. The IWC international ban on commercial whaling, agreed in 1982, has helped great whale populations increase, saving several from extinction. Yet many whale populations remain low or endangered – and all whales face the huge threats of fishing-related deaths, ship collisions, climate change, and chemical, litter and noise pollution.[6]

With whales playing a key role in our marine ecosystems (including locking up carbon and providing nourishment for phytoplankton essential to ocean food chains) it is vital that Governments around the world help to protect them to keep our seas healthy.[7] G20 leaders have the ideal opportunity at the Osaka summit to echo public opinion on the need for Japan to end this cruel and unnecessary practice. Peaceful anti-whaling protest events will also be taking place in London, Edinburgh and other cities around the world on Saturday to draw attention to this issue.

 

 

Media contact:

Wendy Higgins, Humane Society International, Tel +44 (0)7989 972 423 whiggins@hsi.org

Emma Adler, Wildlife and Countryside Link, Tel + 44 (0) 20 7820 8600

 

Notes to editors:

 

  1. Japan is leaving the International Whaling Commission (IWC), effective 30th June 2019, and will be conducting commercial whaling in its own waters. It will take three species in its new hunts – sei, Bryde’s and minke whales.
  2. Japan claims that its previous whaling programmes were scientific research and allowed under the convention that established the IWC, the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. In a landmark case at the International Court of Justice in 2014, Japan’s scientific whaling was put on trial and the court found that it was not in conformity with the convention. Therefore, Japan’s new whaling programme in the North Pacific can be seen as a continuation of its previous activities and not the start of new commercial hunts.
  3. Organisations supporting these calls in the UK include: Animal Defenders, Born Free Foundation, Campaign Whale, Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), Humane Society International, IFAW, Marine Conservation Society, MARINELife, ORCA, RSPCA, Whale and Dolphin Conservation
  4. For a full list of the more than 100 organisations supporting the letter to G20 leaders, see the letter here
  5. The members of the G20 are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the EU, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, UK, and USA.
  6. See p7-9 of IFAW’s 2017 Economics of Japanese Whaling Report
  7. Whale populations which have shown good signs of recovery since the moratorium has been in place include some of those of the humpback whale and the Southern Right whale. Whale species which have populations still severely at risk include the North Atlantic Right Whale and the North Pacific Right Whale. See the IWC Intersessional report 2016-2018 for more.
  8. More information about the positive and important roles that whales play in marine ecosystems can be found here.

 

A Humane World: Kitty Block's Blog

Humane Society International / Europe

Good news in our work means animals thrive and we therefore celebrate it. That’s how it was for me this morning when I woke up to the report that there will be no whaling in Iceland this summer. Something my colleagues at Humane Society International and I have fought since Iceland resumed whaling in 2003.

That’s right. For the first time in 16 years, no whales—not endangered fin whales, not minkes, no whales at all—will die at the point of a whaler’s harpoon in Icelandic waters. That just makes my day.

Hvalur hf., the single Icelandic company that hunts great whales, decided not to carry out any whaling. In 2018, another firm, IP Útgerð, that takes minke whales, also halted whaling.

We’ll have to stay vigilant, however, because public policy in Iceland has not been of much help to us, despite the presence of elected officials who deplore the whaling industry and know what a smirch it is on Iceland’s reputation.

In February, Fisheries minister Kristján Þór Júlíusson authorized a continuation of fin and minke whale hunts until 2023, and Iceland’s Marine Research Institute has set a maximum yearly catch quota between 2018 and 2025 of 209 fin whales and 217 minke whales.

Iceland decided to resume whaling in 2003 in opposition to the International Whaling Commission’s (IWC) 1986 commercial whaling ban. In 2018, Icelandic whalers harpooned 145 fin whales and six minke whales.

In our book, even one whale killed for high-end sushi is one too many, and the respite gives us some time and space to rev up our public outreach and our work not merely to limit whaling’s political and commercial influence in Iceland, but to drive it into the history books where it truly belongs.

Humane Society International / United States

WASHINGTON—On World Giraffe Day, a coalition of conservation and animal-protection organizations will pressure the Trump administration to move forward with Endangered Species Act protection for giraffes.

In a letter to be delivered Friday, the groups document giraffes’ ongoing silent extinction. Submitted by the Center for Biological Diversity, Humane Society International, the Humane Society of the United States, International Fund for Animal Welfare and Natural Resources Defense Council, it urges the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to quickly propose protections for this rapidly declining species — a proposal that should have been made in 2018.

The letter follows a 2017 petition by the same groups to list the species under the Act. After the Fish and Wildlife Service failed to respond to the petition, several of the groups filed a lawsuit in December, prompting a response from Fish and Wildlife in April that giraffes may qualify for protection. Now the agency is undertaking a status review of the species and will propose protection if it deems that protection warranted.

“Under Endangered Species Act timelines, protection for giraffes is overdue, but slow federal action is contributing to their silent extinction,” said Adam Peyman, programs and operations manager for wildlife for Humane Society International. “We won’t give up on everyone’s favorite long-necked mammal. By next World Giraffe Day, we hope giraffes will have the protections they so desperately deserve.”

With now just under 97,000 animals, the African giraffe population has plunged nearly 40 percent in the past 30 years. The species is gravely imperiled by habitat loss and fragmentation, civil unrest and overhunting, as well as the international trade in bone carvings, skins and trophies.

“It’s shocking that there are now fewer giraffes in Africa than elephants,” said Tanya Sanerib, international legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “This World Giraffe Day we’re urging the public to stand with us in calling for Endangered Species Act protection for giraffes. These majestic animals deserve to remain wild and not be turned into trophies and trinkets for U.S. consumers.”

Giraffes were assessed as “vulnerable” to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in 2016. That assessment was confirmed in 2018, along with a critically endangered assessment of two giraffe subspecies and an endangered assessment for another.

“It is clear that manmade causes are the driving force behind the alarming decline in the global population of giraffes. Ensuring swift action under the Endangered Species Act is an immediate and easily implementable first step to offering the key protections this species needs,” said Beth Allgood, U.S. director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

The public can support Endangered Species Act protection for giraffes by submitting comments.

“As giraffe numbers dwindle, we have to ask ourselves if the world needs them more galloping in the savannah or lying on someone’s floor as a rug. Giraffes are a beloved symbol of biodiversity, not trinkets or keepsakes. The clock is ticking as more and more of these animals are being killed while the administration delays its decision. If the animals are not protected under the Endangered Species Act, the Trump administration will be remembered for sitting idly by while one of the most recognizable species on the planet fades away,” said Elly Pepper, deputy director for international wildlife conservation at NRDC.

The IUCN currently recognizes one species of giraffes and nine subspecies: West African, Kordofan, Nubian, reticulated, Masai, Thornicroft’s, Rothchild’s, Angolan and South African. Legal protection is sought for the whole species. Further, parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) will consider a proposal to list giraffes under Appendix II of the Convention when they meet in August. If passed the proposal, which was submitted by the giraffe range states of Chad, Senegal, Niger, Mali and Kenya, would ensure the international trade in giraffe parts is tracked.

 

Contacts:

Tanya Sanerib, Center for Biological Diversity, (206) 379-7363, tsanerib@biologicaldiversity.org

Rodi Rosensweig, Humane Society International/The Humane Society of the United States, (203) 270-8929, rrosensweig@humanesociety.org

Rodger Correa, International Fund for Animal Welfare, (202) 834 6637, rcorrea@ifaw.org

Daniela Arellano, Natural Resources Defense Council, (310) 434-2304, darellano@nrdc.org

Humane Society International / Africa

Johannesburg – Humane Society International/Africa has reacted angrily to the news that Johannesburg zoo has purchased two new elephants to introduce to lone elephant Lammie, instead of heeding the advice of some of the world’s most respected elephant experts by releasing Lammie to the relative freedom of an awaiting rewilding sanctuary.

Video emerged yesterday of the elephants, a 21-year-old male named Ramadiba and a 19-year-old female named Mopane, who were purchased from a captive facility in the Eastern Cape. This addition of the elephants has gone ahead in defiance of a global plea to #FreeLammie, led by animal protection groups Humane Society International/Africa, the EMS Foundation, Elephant Reintegration Trust (ERT) and Ban Animal Trading (BAT) since last year. The groups called for Lammie to be allowed to live out her remaining years in the freedom of an extensive protected sanctuary with another herd of previously captive elephants, after her mate of 37 years died last year.

HSI/Africa’s Wildlife Director Audrey Delsink, said: “We are furious that instead of doing the right and honourable thing for Lammie by giving her freedom in a vast sanctuary with a new elephant herd, Johannesburg Zoo has forged ahead and brought two new elephants for Lammie to share what remains of her life in captivity. Such was their haste to acquire these elephants, they have done so without completing any of the expansion or renovation work they promised and ignored both public opinion and the pleas of some of the world’s most eminent elephant experts and conservationists. The Gauteng Legislature has also utterly failed to respect the wishes of the 301,652 petitioners who called for Lammie to be released. Johannesburg zoo claims it acted legally but the question is has it acted morally, and from Lammie’s point of view the answer is no. This decision denies Lammie, and the two new elephants, the chance of a decent, fulfilling life. This sorry episode has exposed the zoo authorities as lagging far behind global trends to close elephant zoo exhibits, something that 150 progressive, modern zoos have already done in recognition of the inescapable fact that such captivity cannot meet elephants’ complex physiological, psychological and social requirements. Johannesburg Zoo may well have acted on the right side of the law, but they have found themselves on the wrong side of history.”

The animal protection groups had stressed concern for Lammie’s mental well-being. Lammie showed signs of significant grief and trauma and it was advised that she spend her remaining years free from confinement, in an environment where she can thrive emotionally and physically with a group of elephants who would become her new family. Despite HSI/Africa, EMS, ERT and BAT’s efforts, as well as a global petition garnering 301,652 signatures, public protests outside the zoo, a formal letter signed by 13 of the world’s most eminent elephant experts and conservationists, international media coverage and hundreds of hand-written letters requesting Lammie’s freedom, the zoo refused to let Lammie go and made the unilateral decision to acquire more elephants instead.

EMS Director, Michele Pickover said, “We are gobsmacked that the City of Johannesburg continues to be so callous and uncaring on this matter. The Democratic Alliance is swimming not only against global and local public opinion but alarmingly it is ignoring all the science and everything that we know about who elephants are and their highly complex social structure, which mimics our own. Not only is this a major PR disaster for the DA, but they are also squandering ratepayers’ money on buying in these two elephants from Inkwenkwezi and keeping elephants at the zoo. South Africa needs desperately to build a more caring and respectful society, but instead it seems the politicians are hell-bent on doing the opposite.”

In January this year, when the Johannesburg Zoo announced its search for a second elephant, experts warned that bringing another elephant into captivity will simply perpetuate the cycle of exploitation, and that there will be no guarantee that the elephants will get along. The warning fell on deaf ears. In another announcement, the Johannesburg Zoo committed to the enrichment and expansion of Lammie’s enclosure. Previous observations, conducted by an independent elephant researcher had revealed that Lammie experiences minimal environmental enrichment, has little shade and insufficient water in which to bathe. To this day, no renovations have been implemented and Ramadiba and Mopane were added to the same small and inadequate enclosure that Lammie has endured for 39 years. Furthermore, the new elephants, though of captive origin, were in a free contact system and were able to roam the confines of their previous home. Now, they will be imprisoned in a half hectare enclosure and have to face new challenges such as the moat.

“This is a sad day for elephants, yet another two elephants are unnecessarily been subjected to a life of imprisonment due to the lack of ethical management choices made by Joburg Zoo.” said Brett Mitchell, Director of Elephant Reintegration Trust.

Humane Society International/Africa is urging South Africans to show their disapproval by refusing to visit Johannesburg Zoo and to support elephant conservation projects that only portray elephants in the wild by protecting their habitats and protecting them from the threats of poaching and exploitation.

 

 

Contacts:

HSI/Africa: Media and Communications Outreach Manager Leozette Roode, mobile +2771 360 1004, lroode@hsi.org

HSI/UK: Director of International Media Wendy Higgins, mobile +44 (0) 7989 972 423, whiggins@hsi.org

Humane Society International / Latin America

San Jose, Costa Rica – In celebration of Environment Day on June 5, the President of the Republic of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado, announced the launch of Costa Rica Silvestre (Wild Costa Rica), a digital platform designed to promote healthy coexistence between humans and wildlife, and to better protect Costa Rica’s biodiversity through greater public awareness and participation.  The project was developed jointly by Humane Society International/Latin America (HSI/LA), the Ministry of Environment and Energy and other state institutions along with nongovernmental entities, all of whom were represented at the official event announcing Costa Rica Silvestre.

The platform contains a section called Wild Neighbors that is dedicated to strengthening positive interactions between people and wildlife in urban environments.

The site includes advice for direct interactions with wildlife including, but not limited to:

  • Raccoons.
  • Opossums.
  • Birds.
  • Snakes.
  • Crocodiles.

Videos that demonstrate the appropriate way to deal with wildlife in urban areas, including appropriate waste management, and no feeding of wild animals.

Finally, the platform includes educational material to raise awareness among children, youth and adults about campaigns and initiatives, legislation, technical and scientific publications and partnership opportunities to support and promote the conservation of wildlife in Costa Rica.

Grettel Delgadillo, deputy director and manager of the Wildlife Program at Humane Society International/Latin America, said, “This project is of the utmost importance because it positions wildlife as a priority in the decision-making process biodiversity and human-wildlife conflict, with a primary goal of ensuring healthy and humane coexistence.”

Costa Rica has an abundant wildlife population, in rural, protected and urban areas. Wild animals live in any environment where food, water and shelter are available, and in the case of urban areas, these resources are obtained directly or indirectly from human beings. When people and wildlife share the same territory, they interact with each other, and these interactions can sometimes raise challenges. Costa Rica Silvestre provides tools and practical advice for citizens to address interactions with wildlife in a responsible and humane way.

The Costa Rica Silvestre project can be accessed via this website.

 

Humane Society International and its partner organisations together constitute one of the world’s largest animal protection organisations. For more than 25 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide – on the Web at hsi.org.

 

HSUS and HSI celebrate as Prada Group drops fur to “meet the demand for ethical products”

Humane Society International / Global

Milan–Italian luxury fashion house Prada Group – and all its brands, including Prada, Miu Miu, Church’s, and Car Shoe – has announced it will no longer use animal fur in its designs or products starting with its Spring/Summer 2020 women’s collection. Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States, along with Fur Free Alliance, a coalition of over 50 animal protection originations from 25 countries, have been working with Prada behind the scenes after running a public campaign urging the brand to drop fur last September.

“The Prada Group is committed to innovation and social responsibility, and our fur-free policy – reached following a positive dialogue with the Fur Free Alliance, in particular with LAV and the Humane Society of the United States – is an extension of that engagement,” said Miuccia Prada. “Focusing on innovative materials will allow the company to explore new boundaries of creative design while meeting the demand for ethical products.”

Prada previously sold fur from mink, fox and rabbit. All three species suffer terribly on fur farms where they are confined for short lives in barren, wire-mesh cages where their existence is so deprived, monotonous and stressful that they often exhibit signs of self-mutilation and repetitive stereotypical behaviour.

Kitty Block, president and CEO of HSUS and HSI, said, “Prada’s fur-free announcement will send a clear message to the fashion industry and governments around the world that the biggest names in fashion are ditching fur cruelty and opting for innovative and animal-friendly alternatives. We are dedicated to ending this cruel trade once and for all.”

Prada, Miu Miu, Church’s and Car Shoe join many other leading fashion brands and retailers in going fur-free—since the beginning of 2017 alone Burberry, Versace, Gucci, Chanel, Coach, Donna Karan, Michael Kors/Jimmy Choo, Diane von Furstenberg, Columbia Sportswear, Farfetch, Yoox Net-a-Porter, Burlington, VF Corporation (Timberland/The North Face) and Furla, have all stopped using fur in their collections.

This momentum has led to several US cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, banning fur sales, and currently New York City, New York and California are considering similar legislation. As well, India banned fur imports in 2017 and many countries – including the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Austria, Norway and the Czech Republic – have banned, or are in the process of phasing out, fur production. In the UK, Humane Society International is working to ban fur sales there with its #FurFreeBritain campaign.

 

Media Contacts:

Humane Society International: Wendy Higgins: 07989 972423; Whiggins@hsi.org

The Humane Society of the United States: Emily Ehrhorn: 301-258-1423; eerhorn@humanesociety.org

Lions, tigers, zebras, camels, kangaroos, bears and many other animals to be cared for, transported and placed by HSI affiliates

Humane Society International / Canada

One of more than a hundred animals HSI is providing care for at a roadside zoo (Zoo St. Edouard) in Quebec during a Montreal SPCA Criminal Code seizure on Tuesday, May 21, 2019. The zoo operator was arrested and charged with criminal cruelty and neglect. Photo by HSI.

ST-ÉDOUARD-DE-MASKINONGÉ, CANADA – Humane Society International/Canada, Friends of HSI, and HSI global — with the generous support of the Eric S. Margolis Family Foundation — are working alongside the Montreal SPCA in the seizure of animals from a roadside zoo in St-Édouard-de-Maskinongé, Quebec. The owner of the unaccredited facility, Zoo de St-Edouard, has been arrested and charged with neglect and cruelty to animals under the Canadian Criminal Code. If convicted, the accused could face a five-year prison sentence and a lifetime ban on having custody or control of any animal.

Experts from HSI’s Canadian and global affiliates will provide specialized care for more than 200 wild and exotic comprising dozens of different species as of the date of the seizure, as well as transport of all wild animals to a network of partner sanctuaries throughout North America. A number of the animals are listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Rebecca Aldworth, executive director of HSI/Canada, stated, “We are pleased to play a critical role in getting these deserving animals to safety, with the incredible support of the Eric S. Margolis Family Foundation. It was disturbing to see this facility. Many of the animals were confined in dark, barren, dilapidated enclosures. Others were living with entirely inadequate shelter with minimal protection from the elements. Some of the animals did not even appear to have access to water or proper food and appeared to be suffering from a variety of medical conditions. Some of the animals were showing signs of significant psychological distress including compulsive, constant pacing. Notably, dead and ill animals have been removed or seized from this property in recent months. This case underscores the importance of strong animal welfare provisions in Canada’s Criminal Code, particularly as they apply to situations of gross neglect.”

Eric Margolis, founder of the Eric S. Margolis Family Foundation, said, “Our foundation supports organizations that provide care for abused, neglected and abandoned animals, both wild and domesticated. We will always support the work of organizations like HSI/Canada and Friends of HSI, who defend those who cannot defend themselves.”

HSI/Canada has campaigned for over a decade to achieve meaningful improvements to the animal welfare provisions in Canada’s Criminal Code. One of the primary deficiencies in the Criminal Code is the need for enforcement authorities to prove willfulness on the part of neglectful owners before they are able to lay criminal charges and seize animals. This results in protracted suffering and can prevent appropriate application of the Criminal Code in situations of neglect.

This crucial work was made possible through the generous support of the Eric S. Margolis Family Foundation, which has worked in partnership with Friends of HSI and HSI/Canada for years to rescue thousands of animals from situations of cruelty and neglect.

FACTS

  • HSI has decades of experience in mass animal rescue, care and placement, including with wild and exotic animals.
  • The care, transport and placement of wild and exotic animals is highly specialized and HSI/Canada, Friends of HSI and our global affiliates will carry this work out over several weeks.
  • The roadside zoo in question has a long history of warnings and charges from the provincial government.
  • The Montreal SPCA performed its first inspection of the facility in August 2018. In addition to noting several offenses regarding the physical state of the animals and their living conditions, SPCA officers seized two alpacas in particularly poor condition as well as the bodies of four animals found deceased on site, including two tigers. This intervention led to the criminal charges.
  • The owner was charged with two counts of criminal animal neglect and cruelty, covering the timeframe 2016-2018. According to the Montreal SPCA, this is the first time in Quebec that animal welfare charges have been laid by way of indictment, a type of prosecution reserved for the most serious offenses and which opens the door to more serious penalties.

For photos and video: click here, then select “create account” at the top of the page; fill out your information, and an administrator will approve you right away. If you encounter any difficulties, do not hesitate to reach out to the media contact below.

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Media Contact: Christopher Paré – office: 514 395-2914 x 206 / cell: 438 402-0643, email: cpare@hsi.org

Humane Society International/Canada is a leading force for animal protection, with active programs in companion animals, wildlife and habitat protection, marine mammal preservation, farm animal welfare and animals in research. HSI/Canada is proud to be a part of Humane Society International which, together with its partners, constitutes one of the world’s largest animal protection organizations. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide – on the Web at hsicanada.ca

Friends of HSI is a registered charitable organization working to protect animals through public education and awareness, rescue, sheltering, provision of veterinary services and other direct care programs. We are proud to be part of the Humane Society International family of global affiliates, which together comprise one of the largest and most effective animal protection groups in the world. On the Web at friendsofhsi.ca

The Eric S. Margolis Family Foundation was born out of a love of animals, humanity and nature. The foundation has been established to support and nurture these vital elements, with a threefold mandate: 1) to support organizations worldwide, who provide a natural sanctuary for abused, neglected and abandoned animals, both wild and domesticated, 2) to support the advocacy work of organizations worldwide, who rally for more stringent animal cruelty laws and subsequent penalties, and 3) to support organizations worldwide, whose main focus is to help animals, both wild and domesticated, who may be in immediate distress. Eric and Dana Margolis share a passion for animals and their wellbeing. This passion forms the basis of the Eric S. Margolis Family Foundation.

108 baby elephants sold by Zimbabwe to zoos overseas since 2012

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

Baby elephantsOscar Nkala

LONDON—The Zimbabwe Elephant Foundation will be joined on Friday 24th May by international NGOs, as well as actor and conservationist Dan Richardson, in a silent protest outside the Chinese Embassy against the exploitative export of wild-caught baby elephants from Zimbabwe to foreign destinations, mainly zoos in China. Humane Society International, Animal Defenders International, Action for Elephants UK and the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting will stand in solidarity with protest organiser and ZEF founder and director Mrs Nomusa Dube to shine a spotlight on the abusive practice that sees elephants as young as two years old being stolen from their mothers for lucrative export to foreign zoos.

According to trade data of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, Zimbabwe has exported 108 young elephants to zoos in China and the UAE since 2012. Humane Society International has vocally opposed this trade for a number of years. Heart-breaking footage released by HSI and others has shown 14 elephant calves being kicked and beaten during the capture process in 2017 and 35 young elephants in 2019 pacing their pens in Hwange National Park, showing signs of stress and demonstrating wide-eyed, ear-splayed defensive postures as they await export to foreign lands. In 2016, Zimbabwe exported 35 baby elephants to Chinese zoos. One of the elephants died during transit or after arrival. Photos of the few surviving baby elephants, standing alone in dark, barren cells, were shocking.

These captures have sparked outrage from other African countries. In February this year, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Tourism & Wildlife, The Honourable Najib Balala remarked, “Trade in live elephants should only be for the purpose of enhancing the conservation of the species in its natural habitats (in-situ) as the only appropriate and acceptable destination.” The African Elephant Coalition, an alliance of 32 African countries, has also called for an end to the export of wild elephants to zoos and other captive facilities. And in March 2019 the People and Earth Solidarity Law Network, together with seven Zimbabwean NGOs, submitted a petition to the Zimbabwean Parliament calling for a ban on the export of young elephants and improvements to the welfare of wildlife in Zimbabwe.

Protest organiser, Nomusa Dube of the Zimbabwe Elephant Foundation said: “What China needs to understand is that not everything in Africa is for sale.”

Mrs Dube wrote an open letter to Zimbabwe’s President Mnangagwa, which reads: “Seeing the wildlife as something which can be uplifted and sold like a ripe fruit off a tree into a terrifying chasm. In the chasm lies an insatiable demand for all wildlife and her products. So huge is this demand that we could sell or kill every single living thing in Zimbabwe, it would be like one drop of water going into an ocean…Zimbabwe’s Elephants are the jewels in her crown, do not sell them.”

Claire Bass, Executive Director of Humane Society International/UK, who will speak at the event after the silent protest, said: “The capture of baby elephants from the wild for sale into a lifetime of suffering in captivity is heart breaking and shameful. Video footage shows that these young elephants are already displaying stress behaviour after being ripped away from their mothers and bonded family group, and are likely terrified. In the wild, calves remain closely bonded to their natal family groups; females never leave their families whilst males only leave their herd at 12 – 15 years of age. Such callous disregard for the physical and emotional wellbeing of these highly intelligent and socially complex animals is utterly inexcusable and casts a sordid light over both Zimbabwe and China. South Africa has banned the capture of elephants from the wild for captivity, and we urge Zimbabwe to follow suit by stopping these vile exports immediately.”

The protest takes place on Friday 24th May 1.30-3.30pm at the Chinese Embassy, 49-51 Portland Place, London. Media wishing to speak with Noma Dube or Claire Bass prior to the protest can do so by contacting Wendy Higgins at whiggins@hsi.org

ENDS

Media contacts:

HSI/UK: Director of International Media Wendy Higgins, mobile +44 (0) 7989 972 423, whiggins@hsi.org

HSI/Africa: Media and Communications Outreach Manager Leozette Roode, mobile +2771 360 1004, lroode@hsi.org

Notes:

  • In collaboration with the AEC, Humane Society International co-authored a report highlighting the challenges that the live trade in elephants poses to the CITES regulations.
  • In January 2018, Humane Society International/Africa and 33 partners, submitted a letter to Zimbabwe’s new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, pleading for a halt to the horrific abuse and practice of capturing elephants from the wild for captivity.

Letter from Mayor de Blasio reflects increasing concern about illegal elephant ivory entering the U.S. from the 2020 Summer Games

Humane Society International / United States

WASHINGTON—As athletes and organizers prepare for the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is asking Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike to support efforts to end the ivory trade in Japan, the largest ivory market in the world. Mayor de Blasio is among a growing group of world leaders and elected officials urging Japan to ban all ivory sales to combat the illegal ivory trade in advance of the 2020 Summer Games.

In a letter sent to Governor Koike on May 8, Mayor de Blasio wrote: “Sustainability is a key theme of next year’s games as reflected in the guiding principle: ‘Be better together – for the planet and the people.’….With millions of people traveling to Tokyo, many from countries with strict ivory regulations, tourists and participants may unknowingly engage in the illegal ivory trade by bringing home souvenirs that violate their local laws, causing undue distress and tarnishing their Olympic experience.”

New York City and Tokyo have shared close economic and cultural ties over the last few decades. New York state is one of nine U.S. states that prohibit the sale of ivory products, and the Big Apple has hosted two high-profile destructions of seized ivory — in Times Square in 2015 and in Central Park in 2017. In contrast, after China banned ivory in 2018, Japan became the world’s largest legal ivory market.

Iris Ho, senior specialist of wildlife programs and policy for Humane Society International, said, “The 2020 Summer Games present a critical opportunity for Japan to show itself as a responsible and reputable leader on the world stage. Without an ivory trade ban in place, the Tokyo Games are a transnational ivory trafficking disaster waiting to happen, offering millions of tourists easy access to illegal ivory souvenirs. We can ‘be better together – for the planet and the people’ when we choose elephants over the ivory trade.”

Brian Shapiro, New York senior state director for the Humane Society of the United States applauds this effort to seek great protection for elephants from the illegal ivory trade.

Masayuki Sakamoto, executive director of Japan Tiger and Elephant Fund, said, “In Japan, 80% of ivory is used for the mass production of hanko, or personal signature seals. Ivory is not a traditional material for hanko. There is no doubt that Tokyo residents will give a ringing endorsement to ban ivory sales in order to protect live elephants.”

Amy Zets Croke, senior policy analyst at the Environmental Investigation Agency, said, “Japan’s ivory trade stimulates demand and undercuts domestic ivory bans in the United States, China and elsewhere. To demonstrate real commitment to protecting Africa’s elephants, Japan must close its domestic ivory market before hosting millions of athletes and spectators from around the world during the 2020 Tokyo Games.”

In addition to the letter by Mayor de Blasio, on May 7, 37 members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to Ambassador Shinsuke J. Sugiyama asking the government of Japan to join the growing effort to close domestic ivory markets worldwide in order to conserve dwindling elephant populations. The letter was co-led by Reps. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., and Peter King, R-N.Y., and co-signers include chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y.

Facts:

  • Japan has more than 16,000 registered ivory retailers, manufacturers and wholesalers.
  • From 2011 to 2016 more than two tons of ivory from Japan was confiscated by Chinese authorities.
  • Japan’s ivory market facilitates transnational ivory trafficking and undermines the enforcement efforts of neighboring China.
  • The African Elephant Coalition, representing 32 African nations including elephant range states, is appealing to Japan to close its domestic ivory market.
  • Many countries and jurisdictions have announced or implemented measures prohibiting or restricting domestic ivory trade, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Luxemburg, Belgium, China, Hong Kong SAR and Taiwan.

For photos of elephants and the ivory trade click HERE.

 

Media Contacts:

Chinese police in Dalian praised for operation that saved 62 spotted seal pups found starving on remote farm

Humane Society International / China

LONDON – Thirty-seven spotted seal pups have been released back to wild in China three months after Dalian police found the stolen animals starving and dying in a shed at a remote coastal farm in the village of Hutou, Wafangdian. The pups were snatched from the wild by traffickers for the aquarium industry and for display in commercial venues like shops and restaurants.  Humane Society International, whose Chinese partner group VShine sent a representative at the release, praised Dalian’s law enforcement for saving the baby seals and arresting eight suspects.

In all, 71 seal pups were found alive but highly distressed; another 29 had sadly already died and a further 20 dead seals were later found buried under nearby concrete. At less than two weeks old when found, the surviving pups were so young they hadn’t even been weaned from their mothers’ milk and required emergency veterinary care at a local institute of marine and aquatic sciences. Despite the best efforts of the specialist carers and veterinarians, some of the very weakest pups subsequently died at the marine hospital, but the surviving pups have now been released, including 24 last month.

Despite being a protected species in China, spotted seals are still hunted. Once killed for Chinese traditional medicine (male seal genitalia was used to improve virility), the pups are now stolen from their mothers to supply aquariums and commercial venues across China.

Dr Peter Li at Humane Society International said: “We are thrilled that our Chinese partner group, VShine, was able to send animal welfare observers to the release of these seal pups back to the wild. When the pups were found by police, they were starving and traumatised, but after receiving veterinary care and rehabilitation, they are now in good health and have a good chance of thriving back at sea. For these seal pups to have been cruelly ripped away from their mothers, and crammed into a dark shed to await their fate, is really contemptible. In a country with a shocking record for wildlife exploitation and woefully little regard paid to animal protection by many police departments, Dalian police are to be congratulated for their swift action without which many more of these seal pups would surely have perished. Their eagerness to take wildlife crime seriously, including rescuing the animals, arresting those found responsible and offering cash rewards to help apprehend more perpetrators, should act as an example to police across China in how to tackle animal cruelty cases. Sadly, China’s growing obsession for keeping marine species like seals and turtles in captivity is fuelling wildlife crime such as this, which causes immense animal suffering and loss of life.”

Spotted seals live in the North Pacific Ocean and can be found along the north-eastern cost of China. Although the hunting or trading of spotted seals without permission is banned by China’s Wildlife Protection Law, it remains a huge problem.

Download video of the pups’ rescue and release here: https://newsroom.humanesociety.org/fetcher/index.php?searchMerlin=1&searchBrightcove=1&submitted=1&mw=d&q=SealRescue0519

 

Media contacts:

Wendy Higgins, Director of International Media: whiggins@hsi.org  +44 (0)7989 972 423

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