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Malaysia :Poaching puts pressure on Malayan tiger

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:20:37 -0200

KUALA LUMPUR — A Malaysian government plan to double its population of endangered Malayan tigers to 1,000 through tighter protection is under threat due to persistent poaching, a conservation group warned Tuesday.

[img width=300]http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/media/ALeqM5iRT7hY7hMy1DbBf6S4_Rv_cQUApw?docId=photo_1337076797220-1-0&size=l[/img]

Illegal hunting, fuelled by continued demand for tiger parts remains a serious threat to the animal and other endangered wildlife, MYCAT Tracks, an alliance of conservation groups, said in a report.

The Malayan tiger is a subspecies of the great cat and is found in central and southern parts of the Malayan peninsula.

In 2009, the government announced a plan to double the wild Malayan tiger population -- now estimated at just 500 -- by the year 2020.

Conservationists say factors behind the fall in numbers include poaching, declines in prey such as deer and wild boars, and habitat loss due to agricultural development.

But protective measures, among them a ban on deer hunting aimed at preserving tiger food sources, are being cancelled out by continued poaching, MYCAT Tracks said.

"This is evidenced by the discovery of many poaching signs and close to a thousand snares in (key tiger habitat areas) between 2010 and 2011 as well as the arrest of several poachers," it said.

WWF-Malaysia has previously said demand for wildlife parts to be used in traditional Chinese medicine posed a grave threat to tigers and a range of other species.

There were an estimated 3,000 tigers in Malaysia as recently as the 1950s but numbers have steadily declined since.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/ ... 984d0f13d44f4a28dec46.3b1

Zimbabwe: Rescuer dies as crocodile attacks friend

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:04:45 -0200

A Zimbabwean man was killed while trying to rescue his friend from attacking crocodiles in northwest Zimbabwe, a fishing club said Wednesday.

The National Anglers' Union said that Frank Trott, aged in his 70s, died after trying to rescue a friend paddling along the shoreline at Charara fishing camp. His friend survived but sustained wounds to his midsection and buttocks.

Two crocodiles were shot dead by wildlife rangers after last week's attack. Remnants of the victim -- including intestines and clothing -- were found along the remote shores of Lake Kariba. No other remains were found.

The dead man was dragged away by a giant crocodile after going to assist his friend, said Mike Brennan, head of the fishing group. The friend, aged in his 40s and a fellow farmer with experience in the African wilderness, was treated for his wounds.

Brennan said the two had returned from a day outing Thursday on the lake for dinner and drinks at the fishing camp.

The survivor's wounds suggested he had been wading waist-deep in the lake when the crocodile attacked late in the evening. Trott was seized by a second large crocodile resting in long grass when he raced into the water to answer his friend's cries for help.

The surroundings of Lake Kariba, a man-made hydroelectric dam about 300 kilometers (180 miles) long, are a major leisure resort for fishing, boating and sightseeing for wildlife, the habitat of crocodiles and hippos.

Brennan said a memorial service for Trott is scheduled Friday.

He said it was the second dramatic crocodile attack within the past month.

"Please, everyone be warned to be to be vigilant near the water's edge at all times," he said. "It is dangerous no matter where you are on the lake."

http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/zi ... -attacks-friend-1.3708358

China: Rare Amur leopard photos captured in NE China

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:02:55 -0200

Ten clear photos of the endangered Amur leopard were recently taken in a forest in northeast China's Jilin province, researchers said Monday.

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The photos, taken on April 4 on Changbai Mountain in Wangqing county, show an adult leopard resting and walking on the hill, said Sun Ge, a doctor at Peking University.

The county is located in the Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture, which borders Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Funded by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Sun worked with the Wangqing County Forestry Bureau (WCFB) to set up more than 100 automatic infrared cameras in the forest to capture images of animals.

According to the WWF, the Amur leopard has been photographed in the county's forests only two other times since 1949, with the first and second instances occurring on August 24 and September 19, 2011, respectively.

Sun said some WCFB employees claim to have spotted a leopard on April 28.

The WCFB and WWF have also found Amur leopard footprints, droppings and fur while conducting research activities in recent years, he said.

The Amur leopard, which mainly lives in Russia and China, is one of the world's most endangered large cats. The total number living in the wild is believed to be less than 50 worldwide, said Jiang Guangshun, a senior researcher for a tiger and leopard protection project under the WWF.

Jiang said the evidence has indicated that ecology and protection efforts have improved in northeast China.

China launched a natural forest resource conservation program in 1998, specifying 17 regions, including the Changbai Mountain Natural Reserve, as targets for ecosystem protection.

Increasing numbers of wild animals such as bears and boars have also been seen in forests near the China-Russia border, Jiang said.

http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/china ... 5/14/content_15290467.htm

Australia: Rangers shoot rogue crocodile of odd tastes

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:00:47 -0200

Rangers at Elcho Island off the Arnhem Land coast of the Northern Territory have shot a rogue saltwater crocodile that was killing dogs in the area.

Police notified rangers about two weeks ago that the large saltie had taken at least one dog and was lunging at others along a beach near the community of Galiwinku.

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Photo: This 3.5 metre saltwater crocodile had been acting menacingly off a beach at Elcho Island. (NT Police)

Witnesses say rangers and police were on Mission Beach this morning when the crocodile took hold of a dog's leg in its jaws.

The 3.5 metre crocodile was then shot.

The dog has been injured but survived the attack.

Police say they found several items inside the stomach of the crocodile, including a pair of shorts, a football, a nappy, fish and the remains of a dog.

Northern Watch Commander Greg Pusterla says the crocodile posed a threat to the community and had attempted to attack another dog yesterday.

"Out there yesterday afternoon, the crocodile spotted a dog on the beach and started going towards the beach, in the direction of the dog," he said.

"Fortunately someone called the dog away and the croc then retreated back out into the water."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-15 ... c-shot/4012328?section=nt

South Africa: NPA Prosecutes Along Rhino Poaching Supply Chain

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:54:54 -0200

More than 160 people involved in the complex supply chain stretching from South African parks to Southeast Asian consumers are currently before the courts, said Joanie Spies, a prosecutor with the Rhino Project.

Petty hunters, corrupt wildlife officials and Asian traffickers have all been snared in South Africa's crackdown on rhino poaching as special prosecutors battle syndicates feeding the trade in horns, Times Live reports. "Slowly but surely," Spies said "we're moving upwards and getting higher people who did not pull the trigger."

The National Prosecuting Authority () set up team to help combat the dramatic surge in poaching that has seen more than 200 rhinos killed so far this year. The cases have exposed corruption within the systems meant to protect the animals. Private game owners, national park rangers and veterinarians have been arrested.

Authorities have also caught pilots who flew helicopters to spot and dart the rhinos, and both small-time and professional hunters who shot them. "There is a great level of organisation involved," Spies said.

Whoever does the shooting, she said, the horns can end up in the hands of the same Asian kingpins. South Africa is stepping up its efforts by creating a combined task force of police, military, prosecutors and environmentalists.

"You get better convictions, better sentences," Spies said, according to Times Live.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201205100228.html

USA: 7 Reasons the Left Should Be Pro-Hunting

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:53:40 -0200

The last 30 days have been chock full of key events that have a tremendous impact on the future of hunting, fishing and recreational shooting in America – events that are leading many sportsmen and women to draw conclusions about (or further cement their conclusions about) Democratic decision makers.

In the nation’s capitol, Congress debated sportsmen’s access to public land, whether EPA could regulate ammunition and fishing tackle, whether recreational shooting should be permissible on national monument land where compatible, and last whether the United States should allow the importation of legally hunted trophies.

In California, the Senate debated whether to ban hunting black bears and bobcats using hounds.
In Ohio, lawmakers protested colleagues holding clay bird shooting events as political fundraisers in the wake of a school shooting that occurred in February 250 miles away from the proposed event.

In each of these cases, it was Democrats who led the charge opposing hunting rights, restricting target shooting or decrying the use of firearms for recreational purposes.

In Congress, HR, 4089, the Sportsmen’s Heritage Act passed by an overwhelming 274-146 vote. Of the no votes, 144 were Democrats. (79% of the Democrats in the U.S. House)
In California, SB 1221 passed the Senate Natural Resources Committee 5-3; followed by a 5-2 vote before the Appropriations Committee. All yes votes were Democrats. Not a single democrat voted to protect hunting.
And as one might expect, the howls of protest over the shooting event fundraiser in Ohio were by Democratic lawmakers; while the shoot was held by a Republican.

It’s not news that sportsmen have a much harder time gaining support from Democratic lawmakers. The question is why?

There are so many reasons why the left-wing should love American hunters.

Here are seven:

We’re a minority. There are roughly 20 million hunters in the United States, making us less than seven percent of the population. Democrats purport to be the champions of the under-represented. Here we are!
We eat free range / organic food. Democrats decry large livestock farms, and the use of hormones in meat. Whether deer or duck, game is the ultimate healthy choice. What’s the difference between free-range chicken and free-range pheasant?
We preserve green space. No single group of Americans puts more money into habitat acquisition and preservation than hunters…billions upon billions of our license dollars and taxes on firearms and ammunition for land that everyone else can use for free. I thought Democrats love free stuff!
We feed the hungry. Each year, hunters donate thousands of pounds of venison to local food pantries. One would think the party of the Great Society would welcome our contribution to the safety net.
We support women’s rights. There are few things that make a sportsman happier than successfully hooking a woman on hunting. We’re even okay that they outshoot us many times.
We’re just regular folks. For every African big-game hunter, there are thousands of hunters making a blue-collar living, and driving our American made trucks.
We’re animal lovers. Hunters are the ones who pay for endangered species rehabilitation, not Hollywood actors or fashion models. And don’t even get me started on our dogs. No one loves and is more obsessed with dogs than hunters. And we don’t keep our dogs caged in purses where they can’t even turn around or stretch their legs.

My hope is that our left-leaning law makers will read this article, and realize that we really do have so much in common. And that they will join the minority of Democratic legislators who do vote pro-hunting and put an end to the discrimination that we have endured over the last thirty plus years. I’m hoping their position on hunting is evolving.

We will have at least two opportunities to see if this happens.

This week the full California Senate will likely vote on SB 1221. We will need no votes from Democrats to stop the hunting ban.
And the fate of HR 4089 rests in the hands of the Democratically controlled United States Senate.

It’s an Election year. What better time to show 20 million Americans who their real friends are.

About:
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. Visit www.ussportsmen.org.

http://www.ammoland.com/2012/05/14/7- ... ro-hunting/#axzz1uwDdJGOG

Kenya: Five Rangers, 78 Elephants Killed By Poachers in a Year

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:50:36 -0200

POACHERS have killed 278 elephants in the last one year, Kenya Wildlife Service has said. Five of its warders were also killed while on duty. The announcement comes amid international outcry over the increased killing of elephants and buffaloes, mostly in private conservancies.

KWS director Julius Kipng'etich said the poachers are now using other crude methods like poisoning watermelons and using arrows instead of rifles to avoid detection by ground units.

He said KWS is looking into classifying poaching as an economic crime in the proposed Wildlife Bill. "We don't want any other loss this year," he said during a media briefing on the status of wildlife in Kenya.

The briefings have been initiated in line with the Constitution and hopes to engage Kenyans in dialogue regarding wildlife related concerns. "The number of elephants has, howeve, go up despite the poaching," he said. The largest single herd is in Tsavo National Park. In 2010 it stood at 12,572 , according to a census done that year.

Yesterday KWS said conflict with people has affected wildlife population and distribution, with the second biggest wildebeest migration in the world being compromised.

Kipng'etich said the wildebeest migration from and into the Nairobi National Park has been affected due to land use changes on the Athi-Kapiti plains. "The upcoming development of Konza city has also compromised the migration and distribution of numerous plains game species," he said.

"KWS is now looking into the possibility of easements with the proposed Wildlife Bill. Land owners will be educated on the value of the land inclusive of the wildlife on it. The government will then lease this land as wildlife space from the landowners, thereby enhancing its potential," he said.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201205111224.html

USA: Major Victory for Hunters and Sportsmen in Iowa

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:48:56 -0200

On Friday, May 10, Governor Terry Branstad announced that he will nullify the traditional ammunition ban in Iowa.

In July 2011, the Iowa Natural Resources Commission imposed the ban –after the topic was debated and resoundingly rejected by the legislature– following the enactment of the first dove-hunting season since 1918. The NRC slipped in the ban on the use of all traditional ammunition while setting bag limits and other regulations with regard to the reenacted Iowa dove-hunting season.

“The National Rifle Association would like to thank Governor Branstad for rescinding this ill-conceived scheme by the Iowa Natural Resources Commission,” said NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox.

“The NRC pandered to anti-hunting extremist groups and did their political bidding. They failed to cite a single credible scientific study to back up their baseless claims to support this ban. Today, thanks to the leadership of Governor Branstad and to the tireless efforts of Senator Dick Dearden, fairness, integrity and common-sense have been restored to this process.”

Traditional ammunition bans are financed by extremist anti-hunting groups –like the Humane Society of the United States and the Sierra Club under the guise of “conservation efforts.” The long-term goals of these groups are to try to eradicate hunting and firearm ownership. Their attempt to gain a foothold in Iowa has been foiled.

Earlier this year, House Joint Resolution 2001, restoring the use of traditional ammunition, passed the Iowa House of Representatives by an overwhelming, bipartisan margin. The senate companion, SJR2001, passed the Senate Natural Resources Committee on a bipartisan 9-3 vote. Despite broad bipartisan support and assurances, the Senate Majority Leader failed to call-up the resolution for a vote.

In rejecting the ban today, Governor Branstad said, “As you may know, the Senate adjourned without bringing up the resolution nullifying the NRC rule banning traditional shot. Today, I am exercising my legal power as Governor and rescinding the ban on traditional shot by Executive Order. The determination of whether hunters should be forced to stop using traditional lead shot is the role of the legislature, not an unelected NRC.”

The Commission’s earlier attempt at a traditional ammunition ban was also defeated with Governor Branstad’s help in 2011.

About:
Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Visit: www.nra.org

http://www.ammoland.com/2012/05/14/ma ... en-in-iowa/#axzz1uwDdJGOG

Malta: Hunters call for German ambassador’s intervention

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:41:35 -0200

The hunters’ and trappers’ federation, the FKNK, and St Hubert Hunters have both written to the German ambassador in Malta to protest about incidents occurring over the last weeks as a result of actions by the German organisation CABS (Committee Against Bird Slaughter).

The FKNK explained that CABS is intent on marring the healthy and mutually beneficial relationship in place between Germany and Malta in a democratic European context.

“So why do we now have to subject ourselves to a situation whereby CABS deems fit to slander not only hunting on Malta but the Maltese on a German public television station RTL ...” the FKNK asked.

“The actions of CABS during a spring season that was legally authorised by the government under a derogation from the Birds Directive should have been, for hunters, a peaceful and recreational event as hunting is for over seven million counterparts in Europe.

“Unfortunately, CABS has managed to transform this season into a war zone to the extent of using a military reconnaissance aircraft without the necessary permits and fly this machine over private property while filming without authorisation or consent. I am sure that you agree that no European citizen should have his privacy invaded illegally and with unauthorised methods,” it added.

The end result of the actions of CABS was an aired film on RTL television and with clips of it running constantly on YouTube and other web-associated media, depicting not the 2012 spring hunting season, but years of clips put together to maliciously infer that this all happened in three weeks.

The FKNK said illegal activities in the field do not only occur in Malta but worldwide, and it is completely unfair and unfounded for anyone to pick on the smallest member state of the EU, where everyone is known and everything is visible due to the small size of the islands and to capitalise on individual issues and portray them as the order of the day.

St Hubert Hunters said the filming by CABS aimed to depict Malta as a lawless nation with regard to bird hunting. The ‘documentary’ “deceitfully depicts this year’s spring hunting season as an abomination,” it said.

“While recognising genuine efforts towards curbing the few remaining instances of abuse, we commend the efforts of the government and the Malta Police at containing the problem of hunting illegalities to within European norms. It is an undisputed fact that the application of spring hunting derogations within the limits of the EU Birds Directive are a right of the Maltese government declared possible by the European Courts and endorsed by the European Commission. The actions undertaken by CABS based on deceit and misrepresentation of fact, even resorting to illicit means, undermine such legal right.”

http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=144397

USA: Record 46-pound carp took Shrewsbury crossbow hunter for a ride

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:39:14 -0200

And now for a really big fish tale. A Shrewsbury crossbow hunter set the state record last month for landing a 46-pound 5-ounce mirror carp in Lake Quinsigamond.

But the behemoth wasn’t about to go quietly: Shane Felch and his two fishing buddies had to work hard to drag the behemoth from the shallows. In fact, for a while that April night, the carp took them on a joyride.

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“It pulled us around for five or 10 minutes,” Felch said.

Although the 14-foot fishing boat and its three occupants were momentarily actors in an old-fashioned Nantucket sleigh ride, as whalers used to call it, Felch eventually reeled his beast onto the craft.

The previous record-holding mirror carp in Massachusetts was about 44 pounds, according to the state Department of Fish and Game (also known as MassWildlife). An angler pulled that fish from the Connecticut River in 1993.

Felch’s April 18 catch was even more extraordinary because he used a crossbow. Of the 25,000 or so sizable fish the state has logged since 1963, said Richard Hartley — fisheries biologist for the commonwealth, and program coordinator for MassWildlife’s Freshwater Sportfishing Awards Program — only 11 have been caught by a conventional bow.

“This is probably the first one I’m aware of in which they specifically used a crossbow,” Hartley said.

This big fish tale is also a comeback story for Felch. Three years ago, he broke his neck in a motorcycle crash. Afterward, he was no longer able to draw a conventional bow.

But the state provides special permits for crossbow hunting in cases where hunters have suffered disabilities.

Hartley said carp are uncommon in Massachusetts’ lakes and ponds. But when they get into a body of water like Lake Quinsigamond, the fish can thrive.

“Carp go back a hundred-plus years,” said Hartley of the carp in the United States. “They were originally brought in by the Fish and Wildlife Service as a food source. Then, by escape or intentional release, they got into rivers.”

When the carp find a body of shallow water like parts of Lake Quinsigamond, Hartley said, “they tend to root around and get fresh roots and stems, they uproot plants, and they can actually have an impact on water quality, if their numbers get out of control.”

In the end, Felch gave away his trophy to a friend who likes to eat carp, even though the fish is not common dinner fare, Hartley said.

His record catch hasn’t slaked Felch’s thirst for the waters of Lake Quinsigamond. He’ll be back out shooting.

“There’s bigger fish in there,” he said. “Let’s put it that way.”

James O’Brien can be reached at james@jamesobrien.cc

http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2012/ ... n9b1HC8ZAFPuqN/story.html