Press Releases
Tanzania court sentence ‘Ivory Queen’ to 15 years in jail
A Tanzanian court has sentenced Yang Fen Glan popularly known as ‘Ivory Queen’ to 15 years in jail. The 69 year old Chinese national, was charged along with two Tanzanians with offenses of unlawful dealing in collecting, selling and transporting more than 706 pieces of elephant tusks weighing 1889 kilograms in 2014.
WildlifeDirect announces the release of a new report showcasing the state of wildlife crime cases in Kenya
WildlifeDirect announces the release of a new report showcasing the state of wildlife crime cases in Kenya. WildlifeDirect has been monitoring wildlife crime cases in Kenyan courts since 2008. Through Eyes in the Courtroom project; we provide the only nation-wide publicly available review of Kenya’s wildlife law enforcement response.
Court sets free convicted ivory trafficker Feisal Mohamed Ali
Today the Kenyan Criminal Justice system failed. Feisal Mohamed Ali who was convicted of trafficking in illegal elephant tusks today walks free. In July 2016, Feisal was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment and fined of 20 million shillings for trafficking in 2,152 kilograms of elephant ivory. Feisal’s case began in December 2014 after he apprehended in Tanzania through an INTERPOL led swoop. At this time Feisal was the most wanted ivory trafficker in the world with Interpol giving a red notice against him.
Kenyan raptor biologist awarded at Whitley Awards 2018
WildlifeDirect wishes to congratulate Munir Virani, the Vice President at The Peregrine Fund who was on April 25 awarded the prestigious Whitley Award by HRH The Princess Royal. Munir is a Kenyan raptor biologist devoted to conserving one of the most threatened groups of birds on the planet. He works to preserve Kenya’s endangered vultures in Africa’s Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. He first began his project in 2003 following the Asian Vulture Crisis which saw 40 million vultures poisoned across South Asia, as a result of a now banned painkiller and anti-inflammatory drug used in cattle.
Statement on the murder of Esmond Bradley Martin
It is with deep shock and horror that WildlifeDirect has learnt about the murder of Esmond Bradley Martin on Sunday, 4 February 2018 around 4PM at his house in Langata, Nairobi. We had interacted closely with Esmond on matters to do with ivory trafficking and he always kept us updated on his ivory trade research around the world.
Princeton in Africa honor Dr. Paula Kahumbu
WildlifeDirect is pleased to announce that its CEO Dr. Paula Kahumbu was this week presented with Princeton in Africa Founders’ Medal at the Princeton in Africa Gala in New York City. Every year since 2011, Princeton in Africa has presented the Princeton in Africa Medal to outstanding individuals who share a commitment to the advancement of Africa.
WildlifeDirect calls on Tanzania to expedite investigations on the brutal murder of Wayne Lotter
We are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic news of Wayne Lotter’s murder on Wednesday evening. We offer our condolences to his family and friends. Wayne Lotter’s work was vital because of the rate of elephant poaching in Tanzania, which has decimated populations by over 75% in just 5 years.
WildlifeDirect partners with Amarula Trust to raise global awareness about elephant poaching
WildlifeDirect is very proud to work with Amarula Trust to create global awareness of the plight of Africa’s elephants. While many brands use elephants in their logos, Amarula is the only African brand that has positioned itself to champion elephant conservation.
WildlifeDirect calls for rule of law as bloodbath escalates in Laikipia County
WildlifeDirect has called for the national security apparatus to accelerate efforts to achieve rule of law in Laikipia County where many lives have been lost, people injured and millions of dollars lost due to property damage. The targeting of foreign born owners and managers of conservancies have hit both local and international headlines, but even more disturbing are the numbers of unreported killings of Kenyan small scale farmers and herders. In addition there has been a slaughter of endangered wildlife including grevy's zebras, elephants, lions and giraffes.
Amarula Protects Africa’s Elephants
With less than 400 000 African elephants left and one lost every 15 minutes of every day to ivory poaching, experts indicate that this majestic species will be extinct by 2030! To protect Africa’s heritage and further entrench their commitment to conservation, Amarula has joined forces with Kenyan-based conservation organisation WildlifeDirect, working closely with their CEO Dr Paula Kahumbu.