Posts by Press Release

Conservationists welcome shark & ray listings at CITES CoP

Conservationists are delighted that CITES Parties have officially listed devil rays, thresher sharks, and the silky shark under CITES Appendix II. The listing proposals were supported by more than the two-thirds majority required for adoption in Committee on Monday, and finalised today in Plenary. ‘This is a big win for all these species of sharks … Continued

Meet Wallace. He's here because we can't stop flushing a certain luxury down the loo

The UK’s leading marine charity and the water company that supplies Cornwall are joining forces to highlight the huge problems created by flushing wet wipes down the loo—with the help of a giant monster made out of wipes! The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is bringing Wallace the Wet Wipe Monster to Gyllyngvase Beach, Falmouth on … Continued

Dogs in Zambia will soon be sniffing out wildlife poachers

Game Rangers International are a charity working hard protect Zambia’s threatened wildlife. Love Nature is currently making two shows with GRI, focusing on its Elephant Orphanage Project, which is involved in rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing orphaned elephants back into the wild. For more information, please visit our Make a Difference page. LATEST UPDATE FROM GRI Illegal wildlife trafficking is … Continued

Success at Russian breeding grounds lightens grief over chick deaths

Thirty spoon-billed sandpiper chicks have been hatched by conservationists in Russia over the weekend. The good news follows the tragic death last week of the world’s first captive-bred spoon-billed sandpipers. The Russian chicks have been hatched from eggs taken from the wild by experts from WWT and Birds Russia, as part of a strategy known … Continued

Sad news for spoon-billed sandpipers

This was one half of a pair of critically endangered spoon-billed sandpiper chicks—the first ever bred in captivity—but sadly neither survived for more than 60 hours. Each weighed only a few grammes and was barely bigger than a bumble bee. Seven eggs were laid in total at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire, of which … Continued

Lowland Tapir to be reintroduced into Atlantic Forest

Driven to extinction in Rio de Janeiro in 1980 due to hunting and habitat destruction, the Lowland Tapir (Tapirus terrestris) is being reintroduced into the Atlantic Forest by Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu (REGUA). Without human influence, the Lowland Tapir’s range would have extended through the Atlantic Forest in south-east Brazil. With support from World Land … Continued

Birds pushed to the edge by floods

A flock of cranes that ended up at the centre of a once-in-200-year flood has given researchers a rare insight into how wildlife copes with extreme weather. The cranes’ progress was being tracked by researchers from the University of Exeter, the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) and RSPB when severe flooding hit the Somerset Levels … Continued

One of the world’s rarest birds has laid eggs in captivity for the first time

Seven eggs have been laid so far by two spoon-billed sandpipers at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust in Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, UK. The flock was established in 2011 as a back-up in case conservationists run out of time to save the wild population from extinction. In the wild, only around 200 breeding pairs are left on … Continued

Zambia makes its first arrest for keeping illegal primates

For the very first time since the GRI—Zambia Primate Project (ZPP) was established in 2002, and after confiscating over 500 primates held illegally in Zambia since that time, ZPP has witnessed the arrest and prosecution of a man keeping a primate illegally. It may well be the first successful prosecution in Zambia for illegal primate … Continued

Here's a novel use for that machine which usually cleans chewing gum off streets

WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre in Lancashire is using the Cardley-Wave machine to eradicate aquatic non-native weeds from its wetlands, while protecting native wildlife. The machine sprays a targeted jet of hot water—a bit like a carpet cleaner—which can also be used to kill individual weeds. Unlike chemical-based weed killers, there is no danger of … Continued

Kenya set to burn massive ivory stockpile heavier than 17 bull elephants

The Government of Kenya is preparing to destroy a 106 tonne stockpile of ivory next week in a high-profile international event, which conservation charities hope will prove a significant stepping stone towards ending all ivory trade and the poaching epidemic that feeds it. The Kenyan Government’s ivory burn will follow the Giants Club’s two-day wildlife summit … Continued

Orphaned elephants begin journey towards life in the wild

Orphaned Elephants Zambezi and Musolole have taken their first steps towards a life back in the wild. Last month they were relocated from the Lilayi Elephant Nursery outside Lusaka to the Kafue Release Facility in Kafue National Park. The translocation began very early in the morning at the nursery with both elephants being sedated for … Continued

New study reveals intriguing information about inquisitive UK fish

The discovery of distinctive face markings on one of the UK’s most charismatic and inquisitive fish has enabled an underwater photographer to reveal intriguing new information about its behaviour. Paul Naylor has been studying tompot blennies for many years, undertaking more than 100 dives at particular spots in Devon. He recently discovered, thanks to his … Continued