South Africa lifts its ban on rhino horn trade

South Africa lifts its ban on rhino horn trade

South Africa just made a controversial decision. Some say it’s a step backwards in the protection of one of the world’s most charismatic and threatened animals, the rhino, while others say it’s a necessary measure. South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal has legalised domestic rhino horn trade, lifting a ban established in 2009 and rejecting an

How many plants there are in the world and how they’re doing

How many plants there are in the world and how they’re doing

There are about 391,000 plant species known to science. They’re vascular plants, which have a vascular system to conduct water and minerals throughout the plant and include all plants except for algae, moss and hepatics. A recent study has assessed for the first time ever the conservation status of the world’s plants. The report on the state of the world’s plant

US beekeepers lost half their honeybees last year

US beekeepers lost half their honeybees last year

Data coming from the United States is alarming. Between April 2015 and April 2016, US beekeepers lost 44 per cent of their honeybee colonies. The figures emerged from a survey that tracked the number of winter and summer losses across the country. Findings show the trend is getting worse, for the second year in a

Discovering the whales and dolphins of the Mediterranean Sea

Discovering the whales and dolphins of the Mediterranean Sea

“Blow at 2 o’clock!”, shouts a member of the research team onboard the motorsailer Pelagos. For five endless minutes everyone has been scanning the sea in a state of alert silence, looking for a white puff to indicate the blow of a male sperm whale coming to the surface to breathe and rest. The researchers

Indonesia announces a ban on palm oil expansion

Indonesia announces a ban on palm oil expansion

The government of Indonesia has declared a new moratorium on the expansion of the palm oil and mining industries in the Leuser ecosystem. This area, located on the island of Sumatra, is the last place on Earth where Sumatran orangutans, tigers, rhinos and elephants coexist in the wild. As well as being a biodiversity hotspot,