By Dylan Forest, Published on Animal People Forum on March 14, 2021 Wildlife crime is a serious and escalating threat to the survival of many species and entire ecosystems. When most of us hear about the scale of the threat poaching and trafficking pose to wild animals, we hope that between NGOs, law enforcement, andContinue reading “Exposing Wildlife Crime: An Interview With Karl Ammann”
Category Archives: CITES
The Elephant Pricing Scam
by Karl Ammann, Published in Swara – March 3, 2021 In the investigative article below, reproduced with permission, wildlife crime investigator and photographer Karl Ammann exposes corruption, forgery, and fraud on a massive scale in the export of African elephants from Zimbabwe to China. In the image below (Zimbabwe accounts), the Zimbabwe authorities indicate thatContinue reading “The Elephant Pricing Scam”
Letter to CITES Secretariat
6 Medlaurst Close Claobhana, Surrey UK GU24 8PA t*44)7788 4040940 URGENT Via email and post: info@cites.ore CITES Secretariat Palais des Nations Avenue de la Paix 8-14 1211 Genève 10 Switzerland 21 February 2020 Dear Sir/ Madam, Complaint: Import of 18 Chimpanzees from South Africa to China in breach of the Convention on International Trade inContinue reading “Letter to CITES Secretariat”
Letter to the Chinese Forestry Police
Dear Sirs, I am referring to our meeting at the Yunnan CITES office to discuss the import of elephants into China. Below is the report I sent to various parties last year after some of the initial evidence became available. I understand that for the forestry police the main issue is not the CITES technicalitiesContinue reading “Letter to the Chinese Forestry Police”
Pink Tiger Bone Jewellery… A new tale in the context of the commodification of the tiger
In April 2017 I was traveling with Phil, a South African camera man and film director, in SE Asia to compile some “pick up shots” for a documentary on the rhino horn trade we were working on. In Vientiane, the capital of Laos we stayed in aprominent hotel in China town catering to lots ofChineseContinue reading “Pink Tiger Bone Jewellery… A new tale in the context of the commodification of the tiger”
The CITES Secretariat and the epitome of double standards
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) will shortly hold its seventeenth major Conference of the Parties event in Johannesburg from 24 September to 5 October 2016 (CoP17). As part of the agenda for CoP17 the CITES Secretariat has published an agenda and numerous documents for consideration againstContinue reading “The CITES Secretariat and the epitome of double standards”
The CITES – Permitting System and the Illegal Trade in Wildlife
LIVE ANIMAL TRADE IS OUT OF CONTROL This report provides evidence that CITES is failing to police the trade in live animals of endangered species. The level of fraud and falsification of CITES trade permits has reached a level where illegal trade is actively encouraged by this lack of control. Documented is the extent toContinue reading “The CITES – Permitting System and the Illegal Trade in Wildlife”
Wishful thinking and Rhino Conservation
Finally some good news in the context of rhino poaching: A press release circulated on Oct. 20th 2014 tells the concerned public that: INTEREST IN RHINO HORN DROPS IN VIETNAM. The story goes on to describe how a survey was conducted amongst 1000 rhino horn consumers, firstly in 2013 and repeated in 2014 by visiting the same respondents.Continue reading “Wishful thinking and Rhino Conservation”
CITES and the Illegal Trade in Wildlife
Swiss-born journalist and wildlife activist Karl Ammann has been investigating the illegal trade in wildlife products in Africa and Southeast Asia for 30 years. His work has aired on Spiegel Television in Germany, Carte Blanche in South Africa, and several other publications. In 2007 Time Magazine name him a Hero of the Environment. His workContinue reading “CITES and the Illegal Trade in Wildlife”
China and Gorillas
China’s illegal imports of some 150 chimpanzees from West Africa have become a major animal welfare and conservation concern since it first became public some 3 years ago. This trade was still ongoing in 2013. In addition, the CITES trade data for 2010 showed that China had also declared the import of 10 gorillas. AsContinue reading “China and Gorillas”
The world of Karl Ammann 