Some stories are just too alluring not to be true. On of these self perpetuating narratives suggests Harry Potter, the boy wizard that keeps a snowy owl as a pet, was leading to an increase in demand for pet owls in the UK. Even J.K. Rowling, the creator of Harry Potter, released multiple statements asking … [Read more…]
The upcoming CITES COP has led to a lot of discussion around proposals to legalize the trade in rhino horn. I was interviewed by “El Español”, a large digital Spanish newspaper for an article entitled El futuro del rinoceronte, un asunto de cuernos . I was asked questions about the trade in synthetic rhino horn … [Read more…]
During the past few months many media outlets have reported that the movie blockbuster Zootopia is dirving the demand for pet Fennec Foxes in China. I had a look at the exiting evidence (with the key support of coauthor Anita Wan) and come to some surprising conclusions in a blogpost for National Geographic! Read it … [Read more…]
Last July I wrote and article on the potential problems around the production and sale of synthetic rhino as a solution for the rhino poaching crisis. Now this article has been translated into Spanish and republished in the magazine of the Iberian Zoo Keepers Association (AICAS). I am grateful for their interest in my work … [Read more…]
Last week I presented at Towards a sustainable and legal wildlife trade: An international 2-day symposium, and event organized by the Durrell Institue of Conservation and Ecology and the International Trade Centre. My talk, entitled How effective are conservation interventions at managing demand for wildlife products? is now available online (from minute 25 onwards)
It is often said that if something is repeated often enough, it becomes accepted as true. This has certainly been the case for the link between terrorism and the poaching of elephants for the ivory trade. A wide range of public figures have repeated the claim that ivory plays a major role in bankrolling terrorist … [Read more…]
Today my piece on the importance of demand reduction was published in the conversation.com! Read it below! Poaching rhinos for their horns is one of the most publicized conservation issues worldwide. From global trade bans and surveillance drones, to the involvement of celebrities such as British royal Prince Charles and NBA star Yao Ming, it … [Read more…]
In a recent Editorial I co-authored for the Asian Journal of Conservation Biology we touch on the issue of wildlife trade in Asia and discuss how the consumer must be the central part of our strategies to manage this trade that threatens many species worldwide . Read it here.