Erin Frackleton’s Post

In the final days of 2023, a tip-off to the South African Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation resulted in a 16-hour raid on Derek Lewitton’s South African ranch. Twenty-six rhino carcasses were located during the raid together with undocumented rhino horn. This tragedy is still unfolding, and what happened and why can only be speculation at this point. Yet it is interesting that this has occurred just months after the sale of John Hume’s rhino herd to African Parks. These rhinos are now earmarked for a rewilding program. The loss of 2,000 rhinos from the pro-trade pool is significant. While the pro-trade groups assessment of how they could manage supply and demand has always been questionable, their already suspect figures of available supply from horn harvesting of privately owned rhinos did factor in Hume’s rhino herd. So, the single largest rhino herd in the pro-trade agenda has now been removed from any future pro-trade proposals. In short, their figures have never stacked up and now they have lost 13% to 15% of the world’s white rhino population to their debatable calculations. Does this mean the pro-trade group have lost their already questionable leverage to lobby for a legal international trade? #Biordiversity #Collapse #Regulation https://lnkd.in/gMFb73DK

With nature breaking down around us we are ramping up our war on wildlife While everyone knows about climate change (even if incredibly still not everyone believes IN it), the impact of biodiversity loss is much less covered and understood. And it is greatly underestimated, but the loss of nature is happening all round us and affecting our health and the ecosystem services we take for granted including food security, flood mitigation and disease control. In "Science takes a back seat in the war on wolves" Tracy Keeling paints a compelling yet depressing picture of the plight of European and Swiss wolves. Her website (https://lnkd.in/eRrgfjkw) sends an equally stark message: 4% of all Earth's mammalian biomass consists of wild animals 62% of all Earth's mammalian biomass consists of farmed animals And while we humans make up just 0.01% of life on Earth, she points out that our species is responsible for crossing 6 of the 9 identified planetary boundaries, "including massively breaching the safe limit of biosphere integrity, aka biodiversity loss." According to a letter penned today by over 1,000 scientists (https://lnkd.in/eczfyhsM): "There are more than 163,000 species on the IUCN Red List, with more than 45,300 species threatened with extinction, including 41% of amphibians, 26% of mammals and 12% of birds." They go on to say that: "The climate and nature crises are not happening in isolation—they are deeply connected. Changes in climate are negatively impacting biodiversity, while the loss of nature is amplifying the breakdown of our climate, making us less able to adapt to it. We believe that to achieve the turn-around required, systemic change can only come quickly enough if it is delivered through legal reforms that integrate our response to the interconnected climate and nature emergencies." Against this backdrop, Switzerland has modified its legislation to make it easier to hunt iconic, native and "protected" species and a number of other European countries are following suit or about to do so. We are the ones that deserve to be shot. PS. Now please don't take the above statement literally and simply treat it as a turn of phrase, for everyone (except for our targeted wildlife) knows that the pen is mightier than the sword.

My latest, on the war on wolves: Switzerland fired the official starting gun on a five-month-long wolf cull on 1 September. Several cantons have applied to kill young wolves and their elders, as well as to wipe out numerous whole packs. If approved by the federal authorities, the cantons will be able to commence with the slaughter, thanks to controversial legislative changes that allow for a dramatic reduction of the country’s fragile wolf population. Switzerland’s actions are illustrative of a wider trend. Previously hunted to near extinction in Europe, wolf populations have rebounded in recent decades. But as wolf numbers have crept up, the same demonisation and persecution that has plagued the species for eternity has crept back in. However, there are now obstacles to killing the maligned canine, not least the legal protections that have helped to pull wolves back from the brink. So the current war on wolves is being fought on many fronts, with science, democracy, and the iconic canines, all getting hammered in the process. https://lnkd.in/ezEiwrSt

This is both horrific and tragic. Rhinos are fascinating animals and play an important role in their ecosystems. Rhino horn, which is trafficked in China, is not an aphrodisiac. My hope is that the poachers, and most importantly, the intermediaries and traffickers, are held to account. The wildlife trade that centers on misguided beliefs about rhino horns and pangolin scales is driving these animals to the brink of extinction. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance / San Diego Zoo Safari Park and many other organizations are working diligently to protect these and other species. #extinctionisforever https://lnkd.in/gJ2U4a6C

The lumpfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cyclopteridae, the lumpfishes and lumpsuckers. They have gelatinous skin covered in small, bony plates. https://lnkd.in/eG45C9q6

Uncovering the Venomous Truth: Forensic Insight into Snake Poison At the Center for Criminal Investigation & Forensic Science, we’re exploring the critical role of snake venom in forensic investigations. Our research focuses on using advanced techniques to identify venom types, aiding in wildlife crime cases and potential homicides. By analyzing snake poison, we enhance investigative methods and support legal processes, all while contributing to wildlife conservation. Stay tuned for more updates on our findings! #ForensicScience #WildlifeConservation #CriminalInvestigation #SnakeVenom

Did you know? ALL exterior wall penetrations should be sealed to prevent water penetration and unwanted wildlife entry. Even the service panel and meter box should be sealed.

You can get this sumptuous beauty of a magazine for free! And it includes dormice, or is it dormouses? How good is that? #magazines #localstories #journalists #dorset #nature #photography #dormouse

Is your roof playing host to unexpected wildlife guests? 🐦🐭 Our latest blog has all the tips and tricks you need to keep those furry and feathered intruders at bay! https://lnkd.in/e9gC6wek - - - #RoddRoofing #Roofers #Residential #Commercial #ProRoofers #NewEngland #PestControl #NewBlog

Rhinos are not only fascinating and beautiful creatures, but they are also a crucial factor to the whole ecosystem in the area they are living. Losing them would have unpredictable consequences for the entire flora and fauna. We have to protect them, all the more so because they have no natural enemies. What brings them close to extinction is the greed of criminal syndicates who give poachers a lot of money to get their horns. If nobody would stop those poachers, rhinos would be extinct in approximately ten years – with unforeseeable effects on the ecosystem. That’s why we protect them with our Direct Action Hemmersbach Rhino Force. Find out more: Hemmersbach Rhino Force #csr #directaction