Tag Archives: animal

Chengalpattu, India | AFP | A small scythe, a crowbar and a bundle of canvas bags are all that Kali and Vedan carry when they venture into the fields of southern India to catch some of the world’s deadliest snakes. Their skills, passed from generation to generation of the Irula …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South African police Thursday said they had arrested a Hong Kong-bound Chinese man found with 18 rhino horns hidden in his luggage. He was detained on Wednesday at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport after an anonymous tip-off. “The 28-year-old male, who was in transit …

Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | A Zimbabwean high court has dropped charges against the professional hunter, Theo Bronkhorst, who led the expedition that killed prized lion Cecil last year, his lawyer said Friday. “The high court has said the charges were flawed and, therefore, should be set aside,” lawyer Perpetua …

Miami, United States | AFP |  A small, dark-feathered bird known as the common swift flies for 10 months on end without ever landing, the longest time spent aloft of any known bird, scientists said Thursday. The findings in the US journal Current Biology confirmed a 46-year-old hypothesis, first offered …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Munching, the giraffe looks up towards the skyscrapers looming in the distance. But this picture-postcard image of Nairobi, one where wild animals graze in the shadow of the cityscape, is at risk from a railroad. A unique urban conservation site, the Nairobi National Park is …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | The shy, scale-covered pangolin is to receive the highest level of protection against illegal trade to try to save it from extinction, after a vote Wednesday by delegates at a global conference. The reclusive, gentle mammal is prized as an edible delicacy and ingredient …

Tokyo, Japan | AFP |  A Japanese bullet train was forced to make an emergency stop on Monday after a snake was found slithering between the seats, local media reported. A passenger spotted the 30 centimetre (12 inch) serpent poking between a gap in the seats, prompting the train, travelling …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | The number of African elephants has dropped by around 111,000 in the past decade, a new report released Sunday at the Johannesburg conference on the wildlife trade said, blaming the plummeting figures on poaching. The revelation, the worst drop in 25 years, came amid …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  Global conservationists and policymakers meet in South Africa from Saturday to chart a way forward in the fight against escalating wildlife trafficking that could drive some species to extinction. The plight of Africa’s rhino and elephants, targeted for their horns and tusks, is expected …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP |  A Nigerian man whose pet dog shares the same name as Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday asked the court to dismiss criminal charges against him. In a statement sent by his lawyer, the owner of ‘Buhari’ the dog Joachim Iroko said he had a …