In the popular press
The second extinction of forgotten species

We often think of extinction as happening out there, in far away wild places, but it also takes place right inside our minds, in our everyday conversations and on social media. Beyond biological extinction, which takes place when the last animal or plant of its kind dies, species can live on in our collective memory, … [Read more…]
De veneno à antídoto: como o marketing pode ajudar na conservação da biodiversidade

Quando falamos em mudanças climáticas, o marketing costuma ser lembrado sempre como parte do problema e não da solução. As verbas milionárias gastas em publicidade para estimular a compra incessante de novos produtos têm papel fundamental na construção dos desejos da nossa sociedade do consumo. Mas e se as ferramentas do marketing fossem usadas para … [Read more…]
Not a cookie-cutter approach: how the uses and trade of giraffe parts vary across Africa

The giraffe is an icon of the African subcontinent, and yet, there are many gaps in knowledge about giraffes in the wild and how to best protect them. In the 21 countries where giraffe populations are found, their conservation status differs depending on the species, geography, and threats they face. Coupled with the threats of … [Read more…]
Blackfish: how captive killer whale documentary ended SeaWorld’s orca breeding programme

Laura Thomas-Walters, University of Stirling and Diogo Veríssimo, University of Oxford After its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2013, the documentary Blackfish reached nearly 21 million viewers within its first month of airing on CNN. The film tells the bleak story of Tilikum, a performing orca at the US marine park SeaWorld. … [Read more…]
#Seaspiracy: The debate

The documentary Seaspiracy has generated lots of debate, and as someone who has worked a bit around the impact of documentaries I had the chance to wage in the Discussion. First, I was interviewed by Wired UK on “Can Netflix’s Seaspiracy really shock people into not eating fish?” an article I give full credit for … [Read more…]
Cash of the Titans

The trade in wildlife has received a lot of coverage in the last year but we almost never think of insects when we think of the wildlife trade. I was happy to have participated in the documentary “Cast of the Titans” that sheds light on this trade, with a particular focus on the titan beetle … [Read more…]
Have you met Eric?

Eric is a Pangolin and he has started a vlog (check it out below!). This is part of the development of the Youtbe Channel of On the Edge Conservation where we will have not only Eric but also other EDGE species talk about their daily lives… For now you can also check out a vlog … [Read more…]
Five reasons people buy illegal wildlife products – and how to stop them

Laura Thomas-Walters, University of Stirling; Amy Hinsley, University of Oxford, and Diogo Veríssimo, University of Oxford A British tourist on a tropical beach poses for a photo with a cute monkey-like animal. A Vietnamese man buys some rhino-horn powder and brags to his friends about its potency. An orchid collector admires their latest purchase, a … [Read more…]