The difference between most poachers and these two bastards...

This image popped up on the WildTiger twitter feed again this morning after a friend had retweeted a reference by The Guardian to their original story.  For those who don't know these are the sons of Donald Trump with a leopard they had killed in a trophy hunt.

I'm not going to write as such about this family.  I have no time for bigots and most days I feel sickened by the anti-this, anti-that, racist, misogynistic rants that clatter the news waves.  To me this divisive behaviour, everyone blaming each other, is why we still have to face images like the one here anyway, it's a symptom of our own mismanagement.  And it actually plays into the hands of groups like ISIS anyway plus other real enemies we should be uniting to combat instead of this pathetic, fearful bigotry.  Put it this way, I would never hire any of these weak people for a serious jungle or mountain wildlife expedition.

Another issue this brings up is the perception of poachers as well as the dynamics of illegal wildlife trade.  This is getting tiring, I see ill informed comment everywhere regarding this stuff.  I don't have time right now (but believe me it's going to be a hard hit when it comes) to really go into it although I have touched on it several times before.  These issues are HUMAN issues.  It's a cop out to simply start raging "China this" or "Vietnam that" or whatever.  Poverty and rampant corruption are everywhere... and the two are intertwined.

Developing (and also the even lower catergory of "least developed") countries, yes, they are places where poaching is rampant.  However the destination nations for wildlife parts (remember, China is the ONLY country ahead of the USA in this regard) very much has a first world mix.  Keyboard warriors the world over are bloody quick to fire shots at distant shores while being blind to their own backyards.

I can tell you categorically because I've spent a lot of time with ground level poachers that if they had the resources that the two bastards in the image had they would not have to even consider poaching as a livelihood.  They'd be unlikely to kill anything.  Yes, there are serious market drivers for different elements of wildlife crime, and certainly big cats to China is a massive problem.  But wildlife crime is everywhere.  It's part of an overall problem of environmental crime.  It's global and needs a holistic approach.

There's too much hypocrisy.  This is as a big a problem as bigotry.  The only answer is to unite and address the real issues instead of constantly hiding behind the blame game.  That's weak... as weak as the two bastards in the image.

Saving lives - people, livestock, leopards...

This blog is also posted at Facebook (along with other updates) if you wish to comment.

The whole issue around human - leopard conflict has become about saving lives - of people, livestock and the leopards themselves. Poverty and wildlife crime are key factors in the mix. I've been banging on for a while now about how serious this issue is and continued research is pointing to it getting worse. Mitigation strategies are being implemented but there is a lot more to be done. I'll have news soon on technology and DNA profiling helping solve problems but we're in a real battle with it here in South Asia.
The link below gives an example of the problem:

Leopards now attacking humans in their houses

Via @WildTigerNews

Better protection for the leopard? Looking truth in the eye...

Just a quick post as there's a lot going on.  A meeting with some of the team from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and Pragati's ongoing meetings with government officials confirmed that increased protection status for the leopard here in Nepal is in the mix among proposed changes to the Wildlife Act.  At the moment current penalties for the killing of leopards and the trading of body parts are only smacks with a wet blanket compared to sentences involving species such as tiger and rhino.  With the value of leopard skins seemingly on the increase on the black market the threat to these big cats only gets greater and my own research continues with regard as to how much leopards are being targeted by organized crime groups as against opportunistic hunting.

Recent statements as reported by a national daily quoting a WWF spokesman about tiger poaching here conflict with DNA sample testing proving that yes, Nepal's tigers have been killed in disturbing numbers.  It is still to be ascertained if the spokesman was misquoted in his claim that there has been no successful poaching of tigers in recent times.  Everyone at ground level knows the truth and a piece by Pragati for the Kathmandu Post a couple months ago gave accuracy.  Law enforcement members as well as the geneticists involved in the profiling are not happy about the recent claim, it demeans efforts to fight wildlife crime, it distorts truth.  The other disturbing aspect of this is just how many individuals and groups in social media jump on these stories without doing any research.  The copy and paste brigade simply make the situation worse, they spread mistruth.  The topic that large elements of social media are destroying the truth is one of great concern for investigative journalists and professional researchers.

A good bit of truth I can report is from Asis who has told me of feeback from the team that the two leopards currently in the rewilding program are doing well.  We're keeping a lid on information obviously because of security reasons and once again because things can get out of hand with ill informed comment in social media.  As I've mentioned before there will be more detailed progress reports in the future, when appropriate.

Information is still being sought on the government decision to gift two pairs of rhino to China.  As I've commented earlier the dust needs to settle on this one, the facts need to be ascertained and the situation handled with professionalism.  Pointless petitions and outrage culture driven bullshit are not the way to go.  This is a sensitive matter which needs clarity and intellectual discussion.

Looking truth in the eye is becoming more complicated because of the games people play with regard to politics, ego and personal agendas.  Genuine research and action is about seeing through those veils...

Quick update re rhino situation... balance needed...

QUICK UPDATE RE RHINO SITUATION (see previous post)... A lot of information is coming to hand and as I mentioned in a comment the dust needs to settle. I'll blog when appropriate.
PLEASE NOTE: This is not just a NEPAL problem or a CHINA problem, this is a HUMAN problem. There are atrocities everywhere in our world and the marginalized, be it people or wildlife are invariably the victims. Name calling will not be tolerated on my comment threads, a moderator or myself will delete out of hand comments. In the light of the Chilcot report and many other issues of late EVERYONE has to examine their own backyard. Hypocrites will not be tolerated.
‪#‎Balance‬

It's 2016 and disappointing news today that four wild rhino are going to captivity...

Serious ‪#‎wildlife‬ issues in every nation. Carry on killing wildlife and cutting down trees and we'll all die anyway. I'm not sure if it's apathy or ignorance anymore, maybe a deadly cocktail with those two main ingredients. I like wildlife. A lot. But this is about the understanding of how vital wildlife is, how much we need wildlife to sustain the planet. And I believe conservation strategy has to consider the ethical treatment of non-human sentient beings, that is wildlife. It's 2016 ... unnecessary captivity, over intrusive science and tourism plus of course the absolute nightmare that is trophy hunting... 2016 and these are major issues. Apathy? Ignorance? Both?  I'll add in one more, the saddest one of all... our loss of connection to nature

I posted this on Facebook today, you can comment there if you like.  It was largely in response to the very disappointing news that Nepal is gifting four wild rhino to China where they will end up in a zoo. The article is at Facebook underneath this post.

We're getting more details.  I blog again tomorrow.  Thanks to those who care.

Writing the cheque without squeezing the trigger...

This is just a quick post as a couple of hours ago I was asked if there were any circumstances I would endorse trophy hunting. The answer is an emphatic NO. Anyone who supports WildTiger in any way needs to know that, this organization will not change its stance on that. There are of course huge orgs who have a different stance, I'll let you use google on that one but I challenge that their policy makers have never looked a wild animal in the eye with regard to their status and right as a sentient being. Redistribution and repopulating are two obvious answers and alternatives to KILLING FOR CASH. Those people who say they are contributing to conservation by trophy hunting need to understand they can write the cheque without squeezing the trigger...

This blog (and other updates) is also at Facebook if you wish to comment.

A place of peace in a world of madness...

It was good to spend some time at Boudhanath today. I took the image with a wide angle lens (10mm) so it doesn't give the grand scale of the stupa but it does show some of the busy reconstruction after the earthquakes. I've had to be in the area several times in the last few months, it's been fascinating to see this important Buddhist site come back to life, a lot of that due to great effort by the community.
We were having a good meeting, enjoying the feeling of being there, when the news of today's suicide bombing in Baghdad came through. It wasn't congruent with our surroundings. I sit here writing while thinking about the madness we are bringing on ourselves, our treatment of each other and of wildlife, animals. The dishonesty, violence and manipulations leading to such divisive thinking in elections, in every day life. As a conservationist I pray for unity, it's the only answer, as a realist all I see is individuals looking out for themselves. I thank the good people in my life who know there is a better way. We have to keep fighting for that ideal... and places of peace, whether it be in the mountains, in the forest, or next to a stupa...