wildlife tradelatest news & developments
The bontebok has recovered from just 17 surviving animals in the 1930s to between 9 800 and 11 000 today. (Flickr)

Bontebok delisted at Cites: South Africa wins bid to lift international trade restrictions

But critics say hybridisation risks and habitat loss mean wild bontebok remain vulnerable

  • Sheree Bega
4 min read
Africa’s forest-dwelling hornbills — vital seed-dispersers in the forests of West and Central Africa — have won long-overdue international protection after countries approved a proposal to regulate their global trade. Photo: Frans van Heerden

Africa’s forest hornbills gain global protection as Cites lists species for first time

A coalition of African nations has secured new Cites controls on the international trade of hornbills amid concerns over habitat loss and surging demand for body parts

  • Sheree Bega
4 min read
The South African Predators Association (Sapa) is fighting tooth and nail to reopen the controversial lion bone industry in the country. (Image via The Hawks)

South African Predators Association fights to reopen controversial lion bone industry

No quota has been set for the international trade in lion skeletons since 2019

  • Sheree Bega
9 min read
Overexploitation to supply the exotic pet trade has driven the extinction in the wild of some species, such as Spix’s macaw.

The parrot trade boom: Risks and consequences for endangered species

New research probes whether captive breeding is hurting or helping parrots

  • Sheree Bega
7 min read