Wildlife/Marine Mammals
What we found undercover at infamous trophy hunting convention
Elephant-skin luggage and leopard claw jewelry are just some of the supposedly luxurious products our undercover investigator discovered at Safari Club International’s annual hunting convention, where more than 850 exhibitors convened in February in Nashville, Tennessee. As disturbing as the artifacts of animals already lost . . .
For the first time, birds receive protection under the Animal Welfare Act
In a monumental step forward for birds who are often exploited in the pet trade, exhibitions and breeding, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has just enacted federal protections for birds used in commerce. This win is the result of a decades-long legal effort by animal . . .
This state’s draft wolf plan spells disaster for wolves
Idaho is pulling ahead in a race to the bottom for how states treat wolves. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game recently released a draft wolf management plan that will guide how the state manages the wolves who live there through 2028. The plan . . .
We’re prepared to sue to get hippos the protections they need
Update 3/20/23: After we and our partners sent notice of our intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency announced that the common hippopotamus may qualify for protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Today, on World Hippo Day, we and our . . .
This is no time to strip endangered species protections from grizzly bears
After teetering on the brink of extinction, the grizzly bear population in the United States finally began to recover, thanks to the Endangered Species Act. Currently, grizzly bears are classified as “threatened” with extinction. But now that could change for some of them. This week, . . .
As Biden delivers State of the Union address, we’re urging 6 priorities for animals
President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech marks a midway point in his term, and for us, an opportunity to assess the administration’s animal protection priorities. Like many animal advocates, we were buoyed by the legislative successes we helped to secure as 2022 closed. . . .
Life or death for wolves hinges on state management plans
Next month marks the one-year anniversary of the return of federal Endangered Species Act protections to wolves in most of the lower 48 states—a stunning victory that resulted from a lawsuit filed by the Humane Society of the United States and key allies. While we . . .
Europe’s largest hunting fair opens, despite dangers faced by wildlife worldwide
Despite ecological devastation, habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, poaching and all the other threats that undermine the ability of wild animals to survive in their natural habitats, Europe’s largest hunting fair opened this week in Dortmund, Germany. Considering the imminent danger these threats pose to the . . .
Breaking: Big step forward in fight to ban extremely cruel hunting methods
A new National Park Service proposed rule marks a substantial step forward for some of our nation’s most iconic wildlife species, including brown and black bears and wolves. The NPS rule would ban certain extremely cruel methods of trophy hunting and trapping on Alaska’s national . . .
In a win for animals, California’s ban on fur officially takes effect
Californians can now officially celebrate the end of fur sales in the Golden State. A statewide ban on the sale of new animal fur products went into effect on Jan. 1, 2023, making California the first state in the U.S. to implement such a ban. . . .
Big Cat Public Safety Act becomes law, capping off year of wins for wild animals
The exploitation and abuse of big cats as props for paid public interactions at roadside attractions will soon be a thing of the past. As we recently shared, the Big Cat Public Safety Act, something we’ve been working on for over a decade, passed the . . .
2023 federal spending package reflects solid commitment to animal welfare
Update 12/29/22: President Biden has signed the fiscal year 2023 omnibus appropriations package into law—a big win for animals! We’ve had remarkable success in our end-of-session push for critical legislation in the U.S. Congress, with the Big Cat Public Safety Act, Shark Fin Sales Elimination . . .
