The illegal trade in cheetahs

Pet cheetah in a car in Dubai on a lead with the owner on his phone.

For a long time now there has been a fascination with the exotic cheetah, the world’s fastest land animal, which has encouraged the illegal trade of cheetahs as they are taken from their mothers, caged, smuggled and sold as pets in countries in the Middle East and elsewhere, where the rich feel the need …

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The clouded leopard is insufficiently protected and is being illegally traded as a consequence

The clouded it is insufficiently protected and is being illegally traded as a consequence

A study published in 2015 paints a damning picture of the protections afforded the clouded leopard which are clearly insufficient. The clouded leopard population is decreasing and they are arguably gradually heading towards extinction in the wild. This is unsurprising because of this cat’s uniquely attractive coat. This medium-sized wildcat is also quite tame …

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Pet serval is like a domestic cat on steroids

Serval living in an apartment wants to escape

It is distressing to learn once again of another pet serval escaping. This time a man who appears to be in his 30s living in an apartment adopted a serval. I am sorry but he is living in a standard apartment and he thinks it is okay to have a pet serval. It is …

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Silencing volunteers at animal shelters in the United States

Shelter workers' freedom of expression is protected by the First Amendment in the US

Nathan Winograd, an animal advocate and lawyer, has criticised the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control (LACDACC) about their policy which in effect silences volunteers working at animal shelters who want to expose malpractice. Mr Winograd tells me in an email that LACDACC have just released a policy which prohibits volunteers …

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Can you be fined for allowing your dog or cat to poop in your backyard?

Dog owner fined for allowing their dog to poop regularly in their backyard

The question is: “Can a cat or dog owner be punished by the local authority or sued by their neighbours for allowing their cat or dog to poop in their backyard frequently without cleaning up the mess?” And the answer is yes! But it depends on the circumstances. And the answer is based upon …

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Climate change and illegal water extraction add to threats against Iberian lynx

Iberian Lynx Continued Threats 2022

An awful lot has been done to bring back the Iberian lynx from near extinction but it might all be undone because of global warming and years of agricultural overexploitation which have combined to lead the largest permanent lake in Doñana National Park to dry up. It is one of Europe’s most important wetlands. …

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