Zurich Zoo has published the first results of an autopsy on a male elephant which died soon after birth at the weekend. These show that the animal was not viable.

The World Wildlife Conference began on 14 November. In it, nations will make decisions that determine the fate of numerous species. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora’s (CITES) conference of the parties (CoP19) runs to 25 November.

The Asian elephants Pocha and Guillermina arrived at the Brazilian Elephant Sanctuary (SEB) in Mato Grosso this Thursday morning, after five days of travel from Mendoza, Argentina. The animals they had left the ecopark of the provincial capital on Saturday afternoon and his release was celebrated and accompanied by a caravan of cars.

Africa’s elephants top a packed agenda for the CITES Standing Committee meeting opening Monday that covers protection for 30+ species of plants and animals. Delegates will consider the live trade in elephants, management of ivory stockpiles, and the closure of domestic ivory markets.

The global wildlife trading body has released a statement regarding Namibia’s scandalous firesale of endangered elephants. Experts and NGOs have condemned the response from the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). They argue that it effectively rubber-stamps Namibia’s plan.

Ever since the announcement by Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) on the 2^nd December 2020, the intended capture and export of dozens of wild elephants in Namibia has been the subject of global media coverage. Yet, as the first captures begin, the destination of the elephants remains shrouded in secrecy.

The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is engaged in a critical meeting between 23 August and 3 September. During the days-long session, the body is doing advance preparations for the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The world is currently in the midst of an extinction crisis, so the framework will essentially establish the global plan to turn this travesty around.

On November 9, 2020, the Franz Weber Foundation and 14 other nature and animal protection organizations called on the EU to finally close its internal market for ivory by deleting the exceptions currently granted in the law. The European Commission is expected to announce further changes to its ivory legislation soon. The NGOs expect the EU – currently the largest still open internal market for ivory – to finally take on responsibility.