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http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2016/09/22/cameras-reveal-the-secret-lives-of-a-mountain-lion-family-filmmaker-qa-with-sharon-negri/
Cameras Reveal the Secret Lives of a Mountain Lion Family: Filmmaker Q&A with Sharon Negri

From Persecution to Coexistence: An Image Makeover for America's Lion

Article by Rucha Chitnis

This summer, America woke up to the unequivocally endearing footage of five mountain lion kittens born in the Santa Susana Mountains, just north of Los Angeles. They made national headlines. “They nailed their Hollywood-area debut with adorable hisses, deep blue eyes and darling little claws,” wrote Karin Brulliard in the Washington Post.

This rousing reception is atypical for mountain lions in the United States, who have been in dire need of a new publicist. “When mountain lions make the news, it's typically for train-wreck coverage,” observed Dr. Rick Hopkins, a conservation biologist in California. “Most people have strong feelings about large predators,” he said. Sharon Negri, director of WildFutures, who has devoted the past 30 years to the protection of these big cats, concurs. “This fearsome portrayal of America's apex predator as solitary, vicious killers has also beset the animal with unfounded misconceptions,” she says.

Negri is acutely aware of the power of narrative and how it has led to the demonization and persecution of mountain lions throughout their range. This year, she produced a short video, “The Secret Life of Mountain Lions,” to give the public an intimate view of these secretive animals to debunk myths and shift perceptions. The video features rare footage caught by motion-triggered cameras in mountain lion dens and feeding sites, among other locations, by Panthera's Teton Cougar Project. The star of the video is a mountain lion female, F 61, who has given birth to three kittens. But the odds are stacked against survival. Narrated by bear biologist and wildlife filmmaker Chris Morgan, the video reveals the social and family bonds of mountain lions and how these are crucial for their long-term survival. Negri believes in the power of film to educate the American public and build understanding and empathy for animals for their long-term conservation.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated that at least 66,665 cougars were killed between 1907 and 1978. Seen as dangerous predators to be eliminated from the landscape, they were hunted, trapped, and shot in many regions to extinction. While 14 states in the U.S. have legalized hunting of mountain lions, California led the charge to give full protection to the cats, while allocating $30 million a year for critical wildlife habitat through a landmark 1990 initiative. Negri played a pivotal role in mobilizing volunteers and the public to pass this initiative. We asked Negri more about this work and her video.

What led you to produce “The Secret Life of Mountain Lions”?

I produced this video to counter the negative narrative about mountain lions as solitary, vicious killers and show the public a more accurate nature of these amazing animals.

To give you a bit of context, the mountain lion has over 30 recognized names. The scientific name, Puma concolor, means “cat of a single color.” But it could have easily been called the cat of many names. They have the largest geographic distribution of any terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere.

Their range spans 28 countries—from … North America to the tip of South America. This wide range has enabled this large cat to interact with many different people and cultures. Many people led to many opinions and attitudes and many misunderstandings about the very nature of this secretive cat. Early colonists viewed this large predator as threat to livestock, game, and personal safety, and prior to the 1960s they were considered vermin and thousands were trapped, poisoned, and shot for bounties. Today those perceptions still persist.

After working to change policy and management for lions, I was inspired by Jane Goodall's remarks a few years ago where someone asked her about the value of videos. She said that animal videos can shift public perceptions and attitudes, but first you must connect to the hearts of people. When I saw Panthera's extraordinary remote-camera footage in the wild of a mountain lion mother and her relationship with her kittens, I knew we had the potential to enable people to really connect with the beauty of these animals, change their perceptions, and ultimately inspire them to take action to advance their conservation.

What led you to advocate for mountain lion conservation efforts in California?

I always had a love of nature, animals, and wild places from a very early age. During the ‘60s, when my father was a legislator, I first began my interest to right those things I knew to be wrong. When I was in Africa in 1983, I was struck and saddened by the senseless slaughter of elephants and was considering how I might work to stop [it]. When I returned to the states, I learned that a bill was moving through the California legislature to open a hunting season on mountain lions for the first time since the bounty era in the ‘60s despite the fact they were guessing the population of lions and failed to look at the impact a hunting season would have on their population.

Had the legislation passed, it would have allowed hunters to chase these animals with a pack of hounds up a tree and shoot them at point blank for merely a trophy on their wall. The clear lack of science and the ethical issue of hunting a large carnivore for sport led me to work to improve how these animals are managed and protected.

What was the public perception about mountain lions in California during that time?

I met with thousands of citizens over the course of three years and learned that most knew they may never see a mountain lion in the wild, but they wanted to know they were there living wild and free on the landscape. Public opinion polls at the time told us that the majority of the public believed shooting these animals for fun was repugnant and believed these animals to be an important part of our natural heritage deserving protection. In 1990, the public overwhelmingly passed a ballot initiative that permanently banned sport hunting of mountain lions in California and allocated $30 million a year for 30 years for critical wildlife habitat. During the campaign, hundreds of newspaper editorials and local governments from around the state came out in favor of protecting the big cats.

Is there a tipping point in the public support of mountain lions as evidenced in the favor of P22, the Los Angeles cougar who is co-habiting an urban area?

Yes, there has been a huge wave of public support building for these American icons. The response has been truly amazing. My guess is that part of the growing interest and support for P22 is that this animal's struggle to survive may not be all that different than our own. P22 is isolated on an island surrounded by a mass of human population. He is struggling to survive in the same way so many of us are—we want freedom to roam and be safe from poisons and persecution. Thanks to the media, people from all over the world read about and saw pictures of P22—both when he was healthy and after he was poisoned. The pictures of his emaciated body were heart-wrenching. It is truly a tribute to this animal's resilience and perseverance to live that he not only recovered from being poisoned but managed to cross eight lanes of highway to find a mate. The public fascination with and response to P22 has given me hope that perhaps we can coexist with our urban wildlife neighbors.

What do you think the national impact of the video has been?

The impact has been overwhelmingly positive. Historically, this animal has been one of the most misunderstood and misperceived of the large predators. Thanks to the researchers and their hidden cameras, we are now able to debunk the myths and preconceived notions about these animals by reaching thousands of people with videos and social media.

Jane Goodall was right when she said that videos can change the attitudes and perceptions of people about animals. In an online survey for “The Secret Life of Mountain Lions,” 98 percent of respondents said that the video was effective in revealing the importance of family bonds of big cats for their long-term survival, and 85 percent of survey respondents said they learned something new about mountain lions. Survey respondents were most surprised to learn that mountain lion mothers adopted orphaned kittens, had strong family bonds, and that kittens were able to share meals peacefully with their parents. Jane Goodall said that once we understand, we can truly care, and then are we more likely to take action. We know that thousands of viewers have turned to the website to learn more and take action. The ability to reach millions of people online and raise awareness about new discoveries about these amazing animals' behavior and plight, and to have them take action on their behalf—I think this is the real impact of the video.

What is needed for the long-term conservation of mountain lions throughout their range?

Scientists agree that loss of habitat and excessive hunting are the major threats to mountain lion populations. While the mountain lion is considered one of the most adaptable of the large carnivores, it is also vulnerable to extinction. Extinction rates for large carnivores are one of the highest in the world. In the U.S., mountain lions were eliminated from the entire eastern half of North America only 200 years after colonization, leaving only a remnant population in Florida. Add the impact of hunting, and these animals are getting slammed. Recent compiled data show that in the past decade, sport hunters killed 29,000 mountain lions in the U.S. alone.

It will take government agencies, scientists, conservation groups, hunters, fishers, and everyday citizens coming together to address these threats and ensure we have large connected lands for these and other animals to thrive. The bottom line is we can't wait until a mountain lion population is on the brink of extinction before we take action. Given the complexity and intensity of issues facing wildlife, from climate change to loss of habitat, we will need to work together if these animals are going to be part of our natural heritage long into the future. I am hopeful this is already beginning to happen, but much more is needed.

National Geographic's Short Film Showcase

The Short Film Showcase spotlights exceptional short videos created by filmmakers from around the web and selected by National Geographic editors. We look for work that affirms National Geographic's belief in the power of science, exploration, and storytelling to change the world. The filmmakers created the content presented, and the opinions expressed are their own, not those of National Geographic Partners.

Know of a great short film that should be part of our Showcase? Email SFS@ngs.org to submit a video for consideration. See more from National Geographic's Short Film Showcase at documentary.com

#shortfilmshowcase @natgeo

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Oil Finance 101: What Every Climate Activist Needs to Know
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) dropped a bombshell on ExxonMobil yesterday. News reports revealed yesterday that the SEC is investigating the oil company's balance sheets and how efforts to solve climate change might impact the company's bottom line.

ExxonMobil and its allies have been furiously trying to wave away the mounting stack of official investigations into what Exxon knew and said about climate change, so this latest investigation must have come as a severe disappointment to them.

"Right now Exxon is betting everything it has on the failure of the world to solve the climate crisis; the SEC has a chance to expose how weak Exxon's hand really is." -Annie Leonard, Executive Director of Greenpeace USA

The Wall Street Journal reported that the SEC investigation is a "far-reaching" look not just into how ExxonMobil currently values its assets, but also "what would happen to Exxon under a scenario envisioned by last year's Paris climate talks -- if greenhouse gas emissions were reduced 80% by 2050."

What the SEC is describing is a "stress test" for fossil fuel companies to measure their profitability in a world where we successfully limit global warming.

If the report is true, it could be a big deal for the climate, and climate activists everywhere.

The first thing to understand about oil companies is that their value in the marketplace is largely determined by the value of their proven reserves, i.e. the oil and gas that companies have already discovered but haven't pumped out of the ground.

Since these companies are constantly selling oil and gas, they also have to be constantly finding new reserves in order to maintain that storehouse. A company that each year finds (or acquires) as much oil and gas as they sell is considered by Wall Street to be in strong financial health. A company that is not able to replace its reserves will decline and eventually go out of business.

The hard truth that fossil fuel investors must grapple with is that we already have way too many reserves.

In order to limit global warming to 2 degrees C we will have to leave the majority of existing fossil fuel reserves in the ground -- to say nothing of new discoveries.

Even burning the reserves we have is enough to push us over the limit.

What's more, for us to have even a 50-50 chance of keeping warming under 2 degrees, demand for oil will have to peak in the next few years and then decline rapidly. In contrast, ExxonMobil's annual Energy Outlook reports confidently predict that demand for oil will grow continuously over the next several decades. The gulf between these two visions of our future is stark:

Chart comparing the IEA's 450 scenario (red line) with ExxonMobil's estimate (blue line) for world oil demand from 2014 to 2040 (in units of millions of barrels of oil per day). The IEA 450 scenario gives a 50% chance of limiting global warming to 2 degrees C. Data: IEA World Energy Outlook 2015 (Figure 3.1), ExxonMobil Energy Outlook 2016 (p. 72). Protesters courtesy of the climate justice movement.

The difference between the red path and the blue path is the difference between a safe climate and one careening out of control -- but it also represents a massive amount of profits that oil companies would have to give up. All of this shows that the current business model of oil and gas companies is simply incompatible with a stable climate and a healthy planet.

Exxon and other oil companies may be betting the farm on climate disaster, but they are also stacking the deck, paying the dealers, and (when all else fails) bluffing.

Oil companies know perfectly well that their profits will be significantly curtailed by serious action to address climate change -- and they have known this for decades. Multiple investigations by Inside Climate News, the Los Angeles Times and the Center for International Environmental Law have all uncovered evidence that scientists working for Exxon, and other oil companies, knew the risks of climate change decades ago.

Despite this knowledge, the oil companies mounted a sophisticated campaign of climate denial that has successfully delayed action on climate change for years, while carbon accumulated in the atmosphere and Exxon's profits soared.

These revelations have in turn sparked investigations into whether Exxon managers committed fraud in its statements to the public or its investors. Both the New York and Massachusetts Attorneys General have opened investigations into what Exxon knew and when they knew it.The SEC investigation should give new momentum to those inquiries, while expanding their scope from what #ExxonKnew to what Exxon knows.

The SEC's stress test is not likely to go well for Exxon or other oil companies.

If the Paris climate goals are met then it is likely that many of the assets Exxon includes on its balance sheet will become "stranded."

A stranded asset is one that cannot be produced due to falling oil demand, or a high carbon price, or other climate policies that limit the amount of fossil fuels we can combust. Because the oil industry works on very long investment timescales and high upfront costs, any decisions we make today about where to invest our money will have a profound influence on what our energy mix looks like in future decades.

In a climate safe world, Exxon looks like a lousy investment. And we need to make sure Exxon can't keep holding back our renewable energy future over oil and gas that can't be burnt. We can do that by demanding comprehensive investigations at the highest levels of government.

Tell the Department of Justice to join the SEC and investigate Exxon!

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jake-schmidt/momentum-builds-for-montr_b_12138508.html?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green
Momentum Builds for Montreal Protocol to be Big Climate Win
What if I told you the world could take one action this year that would shave off a half a degree Celsius of warming from our overheating planet? Would world leaders seize that opportunity and do everything in their power to leave their citizens a chance of a safer world with less devastating impacts from climate change? Leaders have a chance when they meet in Kigali, Rwanda next month to secure a phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the Montreal Protocol. Countries around the world have helped to create much stronger momentum for such an agreement with their new announcements at an event in New York today.

Here is what countries just announced.

105 countries send a clear signal that they want a strong agreement to significantly cut future HFC growth this year. Capable of avoiding warming of up to 0.5°C by 2100, an agreement on HFCs is critical to upholding the Paris Agreement's ambition of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C. Countries are already converging on a phasedown schedule for developed countries, likely to start in 2019. The timing for the phasedown schedule of developing countries is under serious debate, with widely divergent proposals. The Africa Group, Pacific Island countries, leading Latin American and Caribbean countries, the U.S., European Union, Japan, and other developed countries have the most ambitious proposal, with a freeze on HFC use for developing countries to begin in 2021. India, seeking to continue HFC growth for another 15 years, is proposing a freeze in 2031. The 10-year gap between leading and lagging proposals makes a major environmental difference: waiting for the developing countries to freeze in 2031, would allow at least 33 billion extra CO2-eq tons of HFC use--equal to world's CO2 output for an entire year.

With this statement, 105 countries have sent a powerful signal that they want an agreement this year under the Montreal Protocol that: "includes an early first reduction step for non-Article 5 parties [developed countries], an early freeze date for Article 5 parties [developing countries], and an ambitious phasedown schedule for all parties". The countries in support of this statement are a diverse group: the major developed countries (such as the U.S., European Union, and Japan), leading developing countries (such as Argentina, Mexico, South Korea, Colombia, Chile, and Uruguay), and some of the most vulnerable countries in the world (such as all of the Africa Group and all of the Pacific Island nations). Will any country want to stand against this diverse group of countries including some of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change?

Developed countries put forward significant money to aid countries in making the urgent transition. The developed countries have signaled that are prepared to adopt a Montreal Protocol agreement where they mobilize significant finance to assist developing countries in making the transition towards coolants that have less of an impact on the climate system. This is the proven recipe of the Montreal Protocol, where developed countries have successfully contributed billions of dollars to the Multilateral Fund (MLF) of the Montreal Protocol.

To help start that transition early, major governments and private foundations have promised $80 million in new "prompt start" funding to assist developing countries. Leading developed countries have pledged $27 million for investments next year to the MLF "if an ambitious HFC amendment is adopted at the October 2016 Meeting of the Parties with a sufficiently early freeze date for Article 5 parties [developing countries] to warrant fast-start support for implementation". On top of that 19 philanthropists announced their intent to provide $53 million to developing countries to support improvements in energy efficiency, including those that can occur when companies phase-down HFCs. This new funding will help developing countries make early transitions and take advantage of the energy efficiency savings by an early transition. Studies have shown that the energy efficiency benefits enabled by a smart HFC phase-down could provide significant climate benefits. For example, for a large country like India, a switch to lower-global warming potential (GWP) room ACs with energy efficiency improvements could offer a 15% energy savings over a business-as-usual.

It is critical that developed countries mobilize additional finance to help developing countries with the transition that will occur with aggressive phase-down schedules that will hopefully be agreed next month. Developing countries should insist on this as a part of the final Montreal Protocol agreement.

Major companies and subnational governments show their support for an aggressive Montreal Protocol agreement. More than 500 major global companies and associations outlined that they want an aggressive phase-down of HFCs this year. This includes such name brand companies as Aveda, Ben & Jerry's, The Chemours Company, Daikin, Dell, Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), Gap, General Mills, Godrej Group, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Honeywell, Ingersoll Rand, Johnson Controls, Microsoft, Nike, Red Bull, Unilever, and many more. These companies are showing that they are fully behind efforts to secure the biggest climate win this year and put the world on a safer trajectory to achieve the climate targets agreed to in the Paris Agreement. The announcement includes over 100 state, provincial, and city leaders from around the world. As the statement says: "we declare our intent to work to reduce the use and emissions of high-global-warming-potential HFCs and transition over time to more sustainable alternatives in a manner that maintains or increases energy efficiency".

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Following on the heels of the successful Paris Agreement, a strong HFC phasedown amendment under the Montreal Protocol could show which leaders want to be on the right side of history. The announcements by over 100 companies, major funders, and key companies helps to build momentum to achieve a Montreal Protocol agreement this year that will leave a safer future for our children and grandchildren.

Let's hope all countries rise to the top and secure an agreement worthy of praise.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sir-andy-haines/how-can-the-sdgs-help-us-_b_12118778.html?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green
How Can The SDGs Help Us Survive The Anthropocene Epoch?
Climate change, biodiversity loss, depletion of freshwater and many other unprecedented environmental changes are occurring on a global scale. These changes are driven by increasing demands for energy, food and raw materials to support unsustainable and inequitable patterns of consumption by growing human populations.

In recognition of these pervasive trends, last month a working group of scientists recommended that a new geological epoch called the Anthropocene should be officially recognised. Whilst some may question the exact definition and rationale, there can be no doubt that dramatic changes in the global environment have taken place, particularly since the middle of the last century, as a result of the dominance of human activities.

These changes have the potential to halt and undermine the marked progress in human health and development achieved in recent decades, with the onset of more dangerous extreme weather events and a reduced ability to work in tropical and sub-tropical regions due to increasing thermal stress. The Rockefeller Foundation/Lancet Commission on Planetary Health report also highlighted a range of other risks including increasing undernutrition as a result of declines in crop yields and fisheries, especially at low latitudes, and of emerging infectious diseases . Inevitably, many of these impacts will fall disproportionately on people who have contributed least to causing them, notably the poor.

There is much that can be done to help humanity address these burgeoning environmental threats. In particular, progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the 193 UN member states a year ago, is essential to safeguard health in the Anthropocene epoch. Whilst achieving Universal Access to effective health care is essential (SDG 3), progress towards many of the other SDGs can directly or indirectly improve the prospects for health, including SDG 2 on improved nutrition and sustainable agriculture and SDG 7 on access to modern energy sources.

The future of humanity will be shaped by urban development and thus the achievement of SDG 11 on sustainable cities is crucial for health. Population growth is concentrated in cities, more than one-half of the world's population is now urban and by 2050 the proportion is projected to reach two thirds. Cities generate around 85% of global GDP and 71-76% of energy related GHG emissions. Nearly all cities with more than 100 000 inhabitants in low- and middle income countries, and just over half of those in high income countries, do not meet WHO air quality guidelines. Pollution levels are increasing overall despite improvements in some regions.

Though the percentage of city dwellers living in slums declined over the last decade, more than 880 million people worldwide were still living in slums in 2014. Nearly half of the world's urban dwellers live in a growing number of relatively small cities with less than 500,000 inhabitants. It is in these smaller cities where the greatest rates of population growth are now seen and where there is consequently huge potential to improve environmental sustainability and address the drivers of ill health. In more established cities the challenge will be to achieve and sustain high levels of health and development at much lower levels of environmental impact than today.

Some clues about how to shape the cities of the future can be gleaned by comparing cities with a similar population and level of development but different environmental footprints. For example,the city of Atlanta has about 10 fold greater transport greenhouse gas emissions per head than Barcelona as a result of its much larger urban area of - 4280 Km 2 compared to 161 km 2 for Barcelona - and much lower connectivity to urban mass transit systems. The external costs of urban sprawl are about $400 billion annually in the USA alone due to the increased cost of providing public services, higher capital investment needed for infrastructure and the costs of increased traffic congestion, crashes and air pollution.

There is growing evidence that the built environment and urban transport can be powerful influences on health. More compact cities tend to have lower levels of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

Case studies of bus rapid transit systems in Bogotá, Mexico City, Johannesburg and Istanbul suggest the potential to improve quality of life by reducing travel time, air pollution, GHG emissions, and traffic -related injuries. Low carbon transport (e.g. electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles) can also reduce air pollution. Increased active travel (walking and cycling) can help to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes related to physical inactivity which, on a global scale, is responsible for over three million deaths annually.

Research shows the benefits of physical activity generally outweigh the increased risk of road injury and air pollution exposure. Green spaces in cities can reduce the urban heat island effect and probably improve mental health, as well as fostering urban biodiversity.

The Earth's population is growing rapidly. Our towns and cities must be fit for purpose. New epoch or not, we must halt and where possible reverse the dramatic changes in the Earth's natural systems whilst adapting as far as possible to the changes we have caused.

Achieving the SDGs will help to reduce the risks to health in the near term and for generations to come.

This post is part of a series produced by The Huffington Post to mark the occasion of the one-year anniversary of the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, or, officially, "Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development"). The SDGs represent an historic agreement -- a wide-ranging roadmap to sustainability covering 17 goals and 169 targets -- but stakeholders must also be held accountable for their commitments. To see all the posts in the series, visit here.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

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http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2016/09/22/fighting-wildlife-crime-there-is-hope-video/
Fighting Wildlife Crime: “There is Hope” (Video)

Wildlife does not belong to an individual,” says Julius Kamwendwit Cheptei in this video interview. Assistant Director of the Southern Conservation Area, Kenya Wildlife Service Parks and Preserves, Cheptei is a veteran of the struggle to protect his country's wildlife from poachers, ivory traders, and other criminals. For Cheptei, wild animals belong to everyone, so everyone should be involved in fighting wildlife crime.

Wildlife belongs to the entire world,” he says in the video.” It is important for all people to come together for a common good, the ensure that the animals survive, he adds. “Wildlife is a resource that we cannot afford to lose. Our forefathers left us these resources, to preserve and protect. and we have a responsibility that we also must preserve [and] protect it for future generations.”

Collective Action Is Hope for Success

Cheptei does not attribute successes in prevailing against wildlife criminals to any individual. “Success is collective…and there's a lot of hope because everybody all over the world is rallying behind the same. Without hope, we will not be doing what we are doing. There is hope because we come together to preserve it. There is hope because we are fighting for a common good. So there is hope for the survival of these animals. Hope is there for me, for you, for my children, and your children, too. There is hope.”

Fighting Wildlife Crime on the Front Lines

This video interview with Julius Kamwendwit Cheptei is part of a series of interviews with the unsung heroes fighting wildlife crime on the front lines. Journalist and National Geographic Fellow Bryan Christy uses investigative journalism to expose illegal wildlife trafficking around the globe. He introduces the interview series in the video below:

Julius Cheptei recently participated in a global seminar and training summit in Washington, D.C., focusing on collaboration between wildlife law enforcement agencies across the world. Read more about this below. Follow the link for a more comprehensive briefing.

"NG2-227-1854-X2-590x394" — Photograph by David Claypool

Uniting Against Organized Wildlife Crime

Law enforcement agencies, NGOs, and business leaders gathered from across the world in Washington recently to share information and expertise and organize a concerted strategy to combat the global scourge of wildlife trafficking.

The unprecedented collaboration was heralded at the National Geographic Society's headquarters on Tuesday, at an event held against the backdrop of recent news of a catastrophic plunge in the last wild populations of African elephants and other species. The meeting also set the stage for CITES CoP17, a conference in Johannesburg at the end of this month that will bring more than a hundred governments together to review the planet's biggest wildlife challenges and opportunities.

Read the whole post »

More About National Geographic's Contributions to Fighting Wildlife Crime

National Geographic Society

Saving Big Cats: Around the world, trophy hunting, habitat loss, and conflict with humans are putting big cats at great risk. See what we're doing to help.
A Voice for Elephants: Elephants may be large, heavy and thick-skinned, but they are being threatened with extinction in the wild by poaching for their ivory, and by human impact on their habitats. “A Voice for Elephants” is a resource for information about this critical species, a forum for discussion, and a rally point for those who want to stand with them.

National Geographic Media

The National Geographic Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is dedicated to shining light on commercial-scale exploitation of wildlife and other valued resources, identifying weaknesses in national and international efforts to protect wildlife, and empowering institutions and individuals working for a better world. Stories cover a range of human activity, from crime to heroism. You can find all of the SIU's stories at Wildlife Watch.

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Fighting Wildlife Crime: Unsung Heroes (Video)

Wildlife trafficking today is unlike anything the world has ever seen before,” says Bryan Christy in this video. The award-winning investigative journalist and National Geographic Fellow adds: “Rare animals are being exploited by criminal syndicates who have access to advanced technology, advanced weapon systems. There's a huge imbalance in terms of the resources Law Enforcement have and the resources criminal networks have. Imagine going into the bush against a group of armed poachers, and you're not sure whether your weapons will fire.”

Fighting Some of the Worst People in the World

The most important and unsung element of wildlife crime are the rangers on the ground,” Christy says. “These men and women are asked to go out and fight some of the worst people in the world.”

The more time he spends doing his investigative work, the more he realizes it is a human story, Chrjsty adds. It is to the benefit of criminals and their networks to keep these matters in the dark, he says. “So it sounds small, but sharing these stories is incredibly important.”

Bryan Christy recently chaired a global seminar and training summit in Washington, D.C., focusing on collaboration between wildlife law enforcement agencies across the world. Read more about this below. Follow the link for a more comprehensive briefing.

Uniting Against Organized Wildlife Crime

Read the whole post »

More About National Geographic's Contributions to Fighting Wildlife Crime

National Geographic Society

Saving Big Cats: Around the world, trophy hunting, habitat loss, and conflict with humans are putting big cats at great risk. See what we're doing to help.
A Voice for Elephants: Elephants may be large, heavy and thick-skinned, but they are being threatened with extinction in the wild by poaching for their ivory, and by human impact on their habitats. “A Voice for Elephants” is a resource for information about this critical species, a forum for discussion, and a rally point for those who want to stand with them.

National Geographic Media

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