2013
Bali, Indonesia. Crystal clear sea, huge waves: this is a paradise for vacationers. Seemingly all idyllic. But documentary filmmaker Zsolt Sásdi has spent too much time on the island to be deceived by the appearance. The Hungarian cameraman captured one of the most prosperous businesses of our time, the global trade of shark fins. Profit is measured in millions of dollars, but the number of sharks has dropped sharply. Where does this horrendous destruction lead to?
2013
In July 2011, Europol warned in a communication that a rhino horn stealing wave is being wiped over in Europe by organized criminal groups. Several successful robberies were executed: 15 in Germany, 11 in France, and 8 in England. Over two years, nearly 70 horns were stolen from museums, zoos, and private collections. After exhausting the opportunities in western Europe, criminals turned to eastern Europe.
2013
The Tambopata National Reserve lays at the foothills of the Andes, in the Peruvian Amazon. This tropical rainforest is habitat to more plant and animal species than the ones living in North America. The Tambopata Research Center has been established for over 20 years. Here, researchers can study many aspects of the macaw populations living in the area. Parrots are very popular among bird keepers, as they are very intelligent and beautiful birds splendid in rainbow colors. The tremendous demand for these birds triggered an avalanche. Parrots are subjects of a huge international illicit trade that is the third most lucrative one globally after drug and arm trades.
2013
Favorable changes have taken place in the habitat of the eastern imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca) since the 1980s, so the Hungarian population has grown one and a half times in the past decades to 140 nesting pairs. Serial poisoning of the eastern imperial eagle began in 2005, a process that is still ongoing today.
2013
Conservation biologists first and foremost blame illegal ivory hunting for the destruction of large mammals. The hunt for elephant fangs continues despite that the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) banned ivory trafficking in 1989. Poachers are estimated to eradicate about 8% of the total African population annually.