Rescue Mission

Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus), Vulnerable

A bear poacher has been arrested in Orissa, India, and a baby Sloth Bear confiscated. The poacher, Jumman Khan, was under surveillance for three weeks, before the presence of the bear cub was confirmed. He was arrested in a bout of 'high drama.' The period from November to February is when the majority of these bears are poached, as this is when cubs are born. Protective mothers are often killed in order to retrieve the cubs. The cub is being held and cared for by Wildlife SOS, an organization committed to the prevention of hunting, poaching, and trading of endangered species.

Donate to Wildlife SOS's Bear Rescue program.

Caught!

Fly River Turtle (Carettochelys insculpta), Vulnerable

Fly River Turtles, having a unique nose, are also referred to as Pig Nosed Turtles. And this is pretty self-explanatory. They are the only freshwater turtles to have flippers resembling those of marine turtles.

Back in March of 2004, a San Francisco pet shop owner smuggled 14 live baby Fly River Turtles into the United States, hiding them in his clothes. He was caught, and the turtles confiscated and given to zoos and aquariums in California. Last Thursday, he pleaded guilty to the charges, and in February, will be sentenced.

These animals, found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, are protected in these countries as well as by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). They are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, with the declines in their population being noted over the past decade. Probably the largest contributor to their decline? Over-harvesting by humans.

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright

Tiger (Panthera tigris)

The WWF and twenty-nine tiger conservation groups have joined forces to send a message to the Chinese government, as China considers lifting its ban on tiger trade under pressure from wealthy breeders set to profit from sales of tiger bone wine, meat, and skins. The conservation organizations are creating a huge photomosaic of a tiger, which will be composed of individual and group pictures of tiger supporters, to be unveiled at the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) meeting in
The Hague, Netherlands.

Help end the tiger trade. Go here to add your photo to the mosaic and show your support