Tag

Wildlife Trade

All articles tagged with #wildlife trade

local1 month ago•4 min saved

Orlando Sloth World faces probe after 31 sloths die in warehouse

Florida wildlife officials released a report showing 31 sloths imported for the planned Sloth World attraction in Orlando died in a warehouse between December 2024 and February 2025, including 21 Guyana-sourced two-toed sloths believed killed by cold stun after heaters failed; 10 Peru-sourced sloths included two dead on arrival and others dying from poor health and emaciation. An August 2025 inspection found cages did not meet welfare standards; no fines were issued, but a verbal warning was given for a captive-wildlife discrepancy. The episode prompted calls to halt Sloth World's opening and broaden scrutiny of wildlife imports, while Sloth World denies misconduct and advocates push conservation-focused concerns.

via The Guardian|

#animal-welfare #florida #local

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Wildlife trade linked to human-pathogen sharing across mammals

A Science study quantifies the pathogen spillover risk from the global wildlife trade: among 2,079 traded mammal species, about 41% share one or more pathogens with humans, compared with 6.4% of non-traded mammals. Live-trade increases transmission risk, illegal trade plays only a modest role, and species in trade tend to accumulate more pathogens over time (about one extra pathogen per decade of presence). The authors hope the findings inform trade regulations to help curb future pandemics.

via Nature|

#mammals #pandemics #pathogen-transmission

world5 months ago•3 min saved

Airport Uncovers Foul-Smelling Shipment Linked to Rhino Horn Smuggling

Authorities at Changi Airport in Singapore seized a record 35.7 kg of smuggled white rhino horns hidden in furniture fittings, highlighting ongoing efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade and protect endangered species like rhinos.

via Yahoo|

#conservation #rhino-horns #singapore

science3 years ago•6 min saved

Raccoon Dogs Identified as Likely Origin of COVID-19 Pandemic.

Genetic data from a market in Wuhan, China, has been found linking the coronavirus with raccoon dogs for sale there, adding evidence to the case that the pandemic could have been ignited by an infected animal that was being dealt through the illegal wildlife trade. The jumbling together of genetic material from the virus and the animal does not prove that a raccoon dog itself was infected, but the analysis did establish that raccoon dogs deposited genetic signatures in the same place where genetic material from the virus was left, consistent with a scenario in which the virus had spilled into humans from a wild animal.

via The New York Times|

#coronavirus #genetic-data #raccoon-dogs