Species conservation

Pangolins are the most heavily trafficked mammal in the world. This report explores Lao PDR’s role in the illegal pangolin trade and discusses the findings of two market surveys, conducted in several locations as well as the outcomes of an analysis of pangolin seizures that involved Lao PDR as either an origin, transit, seizure or destination country between 2010 and 2015.

Predicting climate change impacts on biodiversity is a major scientific challenge. A range of methods have been developed for climate change vulnerability assessment (CCVA) of species and a large and burgeoning scientific literature is emerging on this subject. Our motivation for preparing this document is to ease the challenge that conservation practitioners face in interpreting and using the complex and often inconsistent CCVA literature.

As habitats and ecosystems become increasingly altered and populations evermore impacted by human activities, a growing number of species will require some form of management of both individuals and populations to ensure their survival. Ex situ management is one possible option that can contribute to the conservation of threatened species.

The rapid growth and widespread use of social media has allowed these new platforms to facilitate wildlife trade, both legal and illegal. With this in mind, TRAFFIC undertook a rapid assessment to monitor wildlife trade occurring on 14 Facebook groups in Peninsular Malaysia, conducted over approximately 50 hours during a five month period (November 2014 – March 2015).

This study is focused on four otter species in Asia; the Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra, the Hairy-nosed Otter Lutra sumatrana, the Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus and the Smooth-coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata. The illegal wildlife trade poses a direct threat to all four species as they are popular for their fur and increasingly for their supposed qualities as pets. This study is an analysis of otter seizure data during the period 1980 to July 2015 inclusive.