Wildlife

Hippo Trade

Africa’s threatened hippo populations are now being ravaged by a growing trade in their teeth, which are becoming increasingly popular as carved items similar to those made of ivory.

Hong Kong imports about 90 percent of the trade, which mainly originates in Tanzania and Uganda.

“If authorities do not more diligently monitor the international trade in threatened species, those species could be exposed to unmanageable exploitation levels, which could lead to extinction,” said Alexandra Andersson from the University of Hong Kong’s School of Biological Sciences.

Australia’s Felines Massacre Birds

Australia’s pet and feral cats are killing more than 1 million birds on average across the country every day, according to a new study.

Researchers from Charles Darwin University say the savage slaughter “is likely to be driving the ongoing decline of many species.” Wild cats kill 316 million birds annually, while pets kill about 61 million.

The scientists say they also found evidence of the non-native cats killing 338 types of birds — nearly half of all the native feathered species in the country.