Animal Defenders International

 

Animal Defenders International

Conservation & Wildlife

Ivory poaching driving tuskless evolution

19 February 2022

The genetic diversity of elephants impacted by human activity could prove disastrous. In Mozambique, an area where elephants were intensively poached for their tusks, more female elephants are being born...

Connecticut state legislation

10 March 2021

State bills to help secure legal protection for animals are moving in Connecticut. However, legislative change doesn’t happen without the support of constituent voices. ADI endorses the following bills,...

New York state legislation

11 February 2021

State bills to help secure legal protection for animals are moving in the State of New York. However, legislative change doesn’t happen without the support of constituent voices. ADI endorses the following...

Trophy hunting: myths and facts

22 October 2019

The killing of Cecil the lion by dentist Walter Palmer in 2015 brutally laid bare the reality of trophy hunting. Well known Cecil, wearing a radio collar as part of a scientific study, was lured from...

Wildlife on the line at CITES

6 August 2019

Update: The CITES Conference of Parties in Geneva has come to an end, but what was achieved for animals under threat? Gains included: attempts to lessen protections for southern white rhino and allow...

Protections for wolves under threat in the US!

5 December 2018

After facing near extinction in the mid 20th century, grey wolf populations recovered in the Western Great Lakes and Pacific Northwest US states thanks to protections under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)....

Comments to UWFWS - opposing the "Habitat Conservation Plan" (HCP)

1 December 2018

URGENT ACTION TO HELP FLORIDA PANTHERS! The inaptly named Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) would see 45,000 acres, just north of the Everglades, developed and mined, and the introduction of an urban area...

Help stop plans to reverse US hunting ban

19 July 2018

The US National Park Service (NPS) and US Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) are finalizing plans to reverse a 5-year ban on barbaric hunting practices on federal lands in Alaska, including: Killing...

South African lion bone exports set to DOUBLE.

17 July 2018

DEVASTATING NEWS. The South African Government has confirmed, after details were leaked, that the 2018 quota for lion bones from captive animals has almost DOUBLED to 1500 skeletons, effective 7...

UK ivory ban

3 April 2018

Consumer demand has been fuelling both the legal and illegal trade in ivory, contributing to the global decline in elephants, with 20,000-30,000 elephants killed every year. There are now one-third fewer...

Speak out against international trophy hunting!

7 March 2018

On March 1, 2018, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced it would now consider US trophy hunting imports on a case-by-case basis. In its statement, USFWS cited a 2017 DC Circuit ruling that...

Have your say on the ivory trade in the UK!

8 December 2017

The UK Government is currently seeking views from the public on its plans to ban the sale of ivory within, as well as to and from, the UK. ADI will be submitting a full response to the government consultation,...

US reconsidering lion and elephant trophy imports.

7 December 2017

In November 2017, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced an end to its ban on elephant trophy imports from Zimbabwe, previously imposed after USFWS determined its elephant management failed...

Have your say on the ivory trade in Europe!

17 November 2017

Update: The long-awaited report from the EU ivory consultation has finally been published. Conducted late last year, almost 90,000 people responded. An overwhelming majority (85.3%) strongly...

Oppose plans for US council promoting trophy hunting!

16 November 2017

Update: 39 US legislators, including TEAPSPA sponsor Rep. Raúl Grijalva, have joined ADI and other groups to oppose the International Wildlife Conservation Council. Read their letter here. Oppose...

Help save Florida panthers!

24 August 2017

Only 160-180 Florida panthers now remain, living in less than 5% of their historic range. The species face increasing and evolving threats including habitat loss/degradation due to climate change and human...

Stop export of Namibian elephants to UAE zoo

7 July 2017

Eden Wildlife game park in Namibia, a self-proclaimed "hunter´s paradise", has been granted a permit by the government to export five young wild-caught elephants to Safari Park Dubai in the United Arab...

Hong Kong moves to end ivory trade.

26 June 2017

Update (31st January 2018): Hong Kong has voted to ban the ivory trade! Proposals state ivory sales are to be phased out by 2021 and those who disobey the law could face a HK$10m (£920,000) fine and...

EU brings in stricter measures to tackle illegal ivory trade

23 May 2017

A growing demand for ivory in Asia has led to an escalation of the illegal trade, with reportedly 20,000-30,000 African elephants now killed by poachers every year, resulting in widespread decline in the...

Oppose plans to lift leopard hunting ban in South Africa!

8 March 2017

Just weeks after plans to export as many as 800 lion skeletons during 2017 were announced, the Department of Environmental...

Oppose South Africa rhino horn trade proposals!

3 March 2017

Update: Devastating news. An appeal by the South African government to overturn a court ruling allowing domestic trade in rhino horn has been rejected. The ban had been in place since 2009,...

US legislation updates

24 February 2017

Momentum is building in the United States at the local, state, and federal level, as Americans express increasing concern about animal protections. Still, legislative change doesn't happen without constituent...

Say no to the lion bone trade in South Africa!

27 January 2017

Update: Sadly the export quota of 800 lion skeletons was approved by the South African government in June 2017. In July 2018 it was announced, after details were leaked, that the quota had almost...

Ivory ban in China this year

10 January 2017

In what could be one of the biggest ever breakthroughs to protest elephants in the wild, 2017 will be the year that China brings to an end its domestic ivory trade, with a ban on processing and trading...

Call on Defra to ban the ivory trade!

8 November 2016

African elephants have survived for between 5 million to 23 million years - now they may not survive the next two decades, as poaching, habitat loss, poverty, and human conflict decimate their numbers. In...

ADI takes a stand for wild animals at CITES CoP17

7 October 2016

UPDATE: The CITES CoP17 meeting has now finished. Click here for the results » Every two years, the 183 countries...

ADI launch campaign to defend the Andean bear

4 October 2016

Animal Defenders International (ADI) has launched an urgent campaign calling on the South American authorities to enforce the national and international laws protecting the endangered Spectacled...

Good and bad news from CITES CoP17

3 October 2016

Every two-three years, the 183 countries who are signatories to the CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) treaty, meet to decide which species need...

Battle for African lions comes to a head this Sunday

1 October 2016

CITES CoP17 Parties are battling over African lions this weekend. Working groups are considering a proposal from nine African nations (Niger, Chad, Côte d´Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria...

ADI joins the March Against Extinction!

25 September 2016

On Saturday 24 September 2016, ADI joined the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos #MarchAgainstExtinction in Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles and Bogota. The timing of the global event, held in over...

Joanna Lumley slams CITES´ rhino horn proposal

20 September 2016

National treasure Joanna Lumley has teamed up with Animal Defenders International (ADI) for this month´s CITES conference (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) in Johannesburg,...

Ricky Gervais urges public to support ADI bid to save African lions

16 September 2016

Hollywood superstar Ricky Gervais has launched an urgent appeal for members of the public to get behind Animal Defenders International (ADI) and stand up for African lions, at this month´s...

Save wildlife - CITES CoP17 action call

14 September 2016

From 24th September 2016 - 5th October 2016, ADI´s President Jan Creamer, Vice-President Tim Phillips, and General Counsel Christina Scaringe, were at the CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP17) in Johannesburg....

Save the wood bison - CITES CoP17 action call

14 September 2016

UPDATE: Delegates at CITES CoP17 voted to revoke protections of wood bison. See full results from CITES CoP17 here » Historically...

Save the panthers and cougars - CITES CoP17 action call

14 September 2016

UPDATE: CITES CoP17 voted to down-list the species to Appendix II status. See full results from CITES CoP17 here » At...

Save the zebras - CITES CoP17 action call

14 September 2016

UPDATE: Disappointing news from CITES CoP17, as delegates voted to down-list the Cape mountain zebra. See results from CITES...

Help Save Wildlife

26 August 2016

Please urge your government representatives to take action to protect wild animals. You can use our template letter below and send it to:

  • In the US, send your letter to your US...

    Save the rhinos - CITES CoP17 action call

    26 August 2016

    UPDATE: CITES CoP17 voted against the proposal to allow the trade of horn from southern white rhinos. Read updates from CITES...

    Save the Barbary macaques - CITES CoP17 action call

    26 August 2016

    UPDATE: Committee at CITES CoP17 voted unanimously in favour of the proposal to up-list the species to Appendix I status, and the decision was finalised at plenary. See...

    Save the lions - CITES CoP17 action call

    26 August 2016

    UPDATE: CITES CoP17 dealt a devastating blow to African lions, denying them Appendix I status. See results from CITES CoP17...

    Save the elephants - CITES CoP17 action call

    26 August 2016

    UPDATE: Delegates at CITES CoP17 voted against the proposal to up-list elephants to Appendix I status. See full results from...

    Urge Yahoo! Japan to end all elephant ivory sales

    15 April 2016

    Through its online shopping and auction sites Yahoo! Japan is the world´s largest internet ivory seller. On March 24, 2016, ADI teamed up with over 30 environmental and conservation organizations to call...

    Captive Breeding

    15 March 2016

    The Standing Committee for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) recently convened in preparation for Conference of the Parties (COP) later this year. The COP is where all...

    Joint letter of opposition to Swaziland elephant export

    10 March 2016

    Find out more about the export view pdf of October 2015 letter We, the undersigned scientists, conservationists, elephant care, animal welfare and policy experts, are strongly opposed to...

    US zoos secretly fly 18 elephants from Africa before court case can be heard

    10 March 2016

    Eighteen elephants will never see Africa again, having been snatched from the wild and sold to US zoos in Dallas, Kansas (Sedwick), and Nebraska (Henry Doorly). An emergency injunction was granted to Friends...

    Wildlife Trophy Imports into EU Countries

    8 March 2016

    Joint letter to Environment Ministers of European Union Member States View PDF of the letter Find out more about our campaigns to protect wildlife Dear Minister, Wildlife Trophy Imports into...

    Make the outrage count!

    3 August 2015

    US pressure to protect animals from hunters Five years after Cecil´s brutal slaying by Walter Palmer, there has been little legislative response, and African lions and other iconic species continue...

    Your help needed to protect lions from the hunters

    31 July 2015

    The murder of Cecil the lion brought to the world´s attention the sickening slaughter of our wildlife for "entertainment". Cecil is reported to have suffered an agonizing death at the hands of a US trophy...

    Today their victim has a name: Cecil.

    29 July 2015

    Do we want a world where torture and killing of beautiful animals is sold for entertainment? The cruel murder of Cecil, the majestic lion from Zimbabwe has hit the world´s media and exposed the psychotic...

    Unchanged poaching levels reveal desperate need for more action

    8 April 2015

    The latest figures by the CITES programme for Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) have revealed that poaching rates remain largely unchanged with African elephant populations continuing...

    Zimbabwe wild elephant capture and export

    16 March 2015

    For several years, Animal Defenders International has been increasingly concerned about the trapping and export of wild elephants in Zimbabwe calling for an immediate end to this terrible practice. In...

    ADI supports US bill to curb illegal ivory trafficking

    1 October 2014

    Animal Defenders International is delighted to support efforts by Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) to curb illegal ivory trafficking. The Targeted Use of Sanctions for Killing Elephants in their Range...

    Wildlife crime measures starting to show results, CITES meeting reports

    23 July 2014

    At the 65th meeting of the CITES Standing Committee, held in Geneva from July 7th-11th, 2014, attendees from around the world discussed the challenges faced and progress made in tackling the illegal wildlife...

    Wild elephants exploited for tourist trade in Thailand

    11 July 2014

    Elephants are being illegally snatched from their lives in the wild and brutally trained in Myanmar (Burma), in readiness for them to be exploited by the tourism industry in neighbouring Thailand. The...

    ADI supports The Big Cat Public Safety Act

    28 January 2014

    A bill to protect big...

    One quarter of sharks and rays threatened with extinction

    24 January 2014

    In the first global study of its kind, covering over 1,000 species, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has announced this week that a quarter of the world´s sharks and rays are threatened with extinction,...

    Hong Kong to destroy ivory stockpile

    24 January 2014

    In a ground-breaking gesture, the Hong Kong government announced on January23rd, 2014, that it is to destroy its 28-ton stockpile of ivory - the largest ever to be burned. The Chairman of the country´s...

    1004 rhinos killed in South Africa last year

    22 January 2014

    A shocking statistic was announced by the South African government last week - that 1004 rhinos had been illegally killed in 2013 in South Africa - the worst year on record. The horns for which these...

    MEPs vote to tackle wildlife crime

    17 January 2014

    Following a debate in the European Parliament, on January 15th 2014 MEPs adopted a resolution to combat trophy hunting and the organised criminal killing of rhinos, elephants and other wildlife for profit....

    Complete ban on shark finning in New Zealand from 2016

    9 January 2014

    The government of New Zealand - which ranks among the top 20 exporters of shark fins and has 113 species of shark in its waters - has announced that a complete ban on shark finning will be in place from...

    New EU plans to crack down on illegal wildlife killing

    13 December 2013

    The IUCN African Elephant Summit, held on 2-4 December 2013, saw 30 governments agreeing to take urgent action to stop poaching and ivory trafficking. Wildlife trafficking, involving organised criminal...

    ADI and supporters march for the elephants!

    7 October 2013

    To highlight the cruelty and devastation resulting from the illegal trade in ivory, ADI took part in the International March for Elephants on Friday 4th October, in London, Los Angeles and San Francisco....

    California Shark Fin Ban Upheld

    4 September 2013

    On August 27, 2013, a US federal appeals court refused to block California´s ban on the sale of shark fins. The California state law, which was passed in 2011 and took effect in July 2013, bans the possession...

    Tonya Kay gives sea turtles a helping hand

    30 July 2013

    Actress Tonya Kay is a friend of ADI and the animals. Tonya recently volunteered for a sea turtle protection program in Costa Rica which gives the next generation a helping hand to safeguard their survival. As...

    European Union removes loophole in shark finning ban

    17 July 2013

    Shark finning is responsible for the deaths of nearly 100 million sharks each year worldwide. Finning is a particularly brutal practice. Fishing vessels pull their catch on board, and slice off the shark´s...

    Measures to curb ivory trade and protection for manta rays, sharks & Siamese crocodile

    16 March 2013


    African countries given a year to clamp down on ivory tradeCountries failing to tackle the illegal ivory trade, which include Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia,...

    Protection for manta rays and sharks looks promising

    13 March 2013

    Proposals to protect manta rays, the oceanic whitetip shark and three species of hammerhead shark have been passed at the CITES meeting and now await final adoption on Thursday. If successful, these species...

    Turtles receive widespread protection at CITES

    11 March 2013

    Greater protection for a total of 45 turtle species was secured at the CITES meeting on March 8th. China and the US joined forces for the first time to protect 30 species of freshwater box turtles and...

    Polar bears still under threat whilst the West African manatee is protected

    7 March 2013

    West African manatee to receive greater protectionA proposal to list the West African manatee as an Appendix I protected species, sponsored by Benin, Senegal and Sierra Leone, was passed at the CITES meeting...

    Proposals to improve transparency of CITES votes fail

    7 March 2013

    Proposals to make the secret ballot process more open and accountable failed at the 2013 CITES meeting on March 5th when the Parties (national representatives) voted to maintain the current threshold to...

    Welfare compromised at sea turtle farms

    25 February 2013

    Despite continued controversy over the farming of turtles, this commercial practice still continues at places such as the Cayman Turtle Farm (CTF) on the Grand Cayman Island, which breeds green turtles. The...

    CITES

    23 February 2013

    CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, is a legally binding treaty (international law), an agreement between governments regulating the international...

    Bushmeat - the biggest threat to great apes

    11 February 2013

    The bushmeat trade is now considered to pose the biggest threat to great apes in the wild. In forests throughout Central and West Africa, Amazonia, as well as Asia, enormous numbers of species are...

    Lions at risk from extinction unless action is taken

    11 February 2013

    Lions are extinct in 26 countries and possibly extinct in 7 others, with numbers across the world estimated as low as 23,000 individuals compared to around 200,000 in Africa in the 1980s. It is thought...

    Say no to shark finning

    11 February 2013

    Urge CITES to protect hammerheads and other sharksShark finning is responsible for the deaths of nearly 100 million sharks each year, pushing species to the brink. The shark´s fin is used in shark fin...

    Palm Oil: a major threat to wildlife

    11 February 2013

    The cultivation of palm oil is considered a major threat to wildlife but, despite this, little research has been done to establish how biodiversity is affected by palm oil plantations. The orangutan...

    Help stop rhino slaughter

    7 February 2013

    UPDATE: The European Commission has responded to our joint letter which called on them to ensure that rhino conservation was high on the agenda during Free Trade Agreement talks with Vietnam. Read their...

    Encourage CITES to Return to a Full Ban on Ivory Trade

    29 January 2013

    CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, is a legally binding treaty (international law), an agreement between governments regulating international trade...

    Elephants in Zimbabwe Still Under Threat

    22 January 2013

    Although five wild-caught baby elephants have been saved from export to China, and captivity - though sadly not to be returned to their herds - the fate of other elephants remains unclear, with an increasing...

    Zimbabwe baby elephants saved

    22 January 2013

    Fantastic News: Five baby elephants removed from their mothers and destined for China have been returned to the wild! The Zimbabwe National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ZNSPCA)...

    Save the African Lions

    18 January 2013

    January 28 is the deadline for public comments that the U.S. Government has set for support of increased protection for African lions under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife...

    ADI oppose the capture of Namibian wildlife for export to Cuban zoo

    19 July 2012

    ADI, together with a coalition of animal protection groups, have contacted the Namibian government to protest against the proposed capture and export of 148 wild animals, including threatened and internationally-protected...

    CITES meeting a major disappointment for marine species

    7 April 2010

    The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to CITES in Doha, hailed as a major opportunity for the future protection of endangered animals, has been a major disappointment for the protection...

    ADI & NAVS Chief Executive Jan Creamer has baby chimp named after her

    23 January 2007

    We are delighted to report that a new baby chimp born at the renowned Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage has been named after ADI and NAVS Chief Executive Jan Creamer. Sylvia Jones of Chimfunshi says it was...

    Action in Kinshasa to save the great apes

    6 January 2006

    The consumption of wildlife is now the greatest threat to the great apes and some monkey species. In September, U.N. and Government representatives of all of the range states of Africa´s great apes, and...

    Berlin Declaration: call to end primate experiments

    5 January 2006

    In August, at the 5th World Congress on Alternatives & Animals Use in the Life Sciences in Berlin, the Berlin Declaration was signed and presented by Dr Jane Goodall, calling for a global commitment to...

    Historic Declaration to be signed in Kinshasa to save great apes

    15 November 2005

    Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, 9 September 2005. At an historic conference held in Kinshasa, the Great Ape Survival Project (GRASP), a unique United Nations partnership of governments, conservation...

    ADI Reports from Kinshasa on united call to save great apes as UNEP / UNESCO conference opens

    15 November 2005

    ADI Reports from Kinshasa on united call to save great apes as UNEP/ UNESCO conference opens Animal Defenders International (ADI) reports from the UNEP/UNESCO GRASP Conference in Kinshasa, where governments...

    2 million sign on to the Berlin Declaration for International Primate Day, 1 September 2005

    15 November 2005

    The first International Primate Day is being inaugurated today, 1 September 2005, by Animal Defenders International (ADI), to urge governments everywhere to save primates from extinction and protect their...

    Hunters get black rhinos and leopards in their sights

    There were some wins for animal protectionists at the CITES meeting in Bangkok, but more ground was lost to the increasingly powerful hunting pressure groups.Trophy hunting has become big business - large...

    Endangered animals lose out as trophy hunters make gains at Conference for endangered species

    October 2004: As the Conference of Parties (CoP) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) draws to a close in Bangkok tomorrow, Animal Defenders International (ADI) fears...

    Animal Defenders International at CITES 2002

    In November 2002 at the Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) the fate of endangered and threatened animals was decided. The conference took place...

    Elephants Threatened

    November 2002: CITES Parties Vote to Allow One-off Sale of Ivory Stockpiles Held by Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. During November 2002, a team from ADI was active at the Conference of Parties...

    People and elephants continue to die for ivory

    As ADI predicted at CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) last year, people as well as elephants are dying on the front lines in the ivory wars. In May, rangers with the Kenyan...

    No to the Ivory Trade

    Summer 2002:In Chile in November, the fate of thousands of elephants will be decided. At the Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites COP12) held in Santiago,...

    A Quick Guide to CITES

    CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is a 1973 agreement prohibiting or restricting the international trade in species of animals and plants threatened...

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