Royaltee GOLF & Safaris - wwwroyalteecoza inforoyalteecoza"

21/04/2018

[email protected]

UAV & Drone Solutions’ (UDS) Air Shepherd programme, founded by the Lindbergh Foundation and developed to protect elephants and rhinos from poaching by using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), was..

21/04/2018

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The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has bulked up security at South Africa’s points of entry to ensure the protection of big cats and other wildlife. To mark World Wildlife Day on 3..

21/04/2018

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What started three years ago as a semi-localised anti-poaching initiative by four Southern African Development community (SADC) countries has grown to include 10 of the regional bloc’s 15 members...

04/04/2018

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A newborn who was snatched by a monkey from his mother's side in an Indian village at the weekend has been ...

31/03/2018

SOURCE harnesses the power of the sun and the unlimited supply of water v***r in the air to provide you with delicious drinking water. Learn How Zero Mass Water is changing how you drink water.

10/03/2018

Eighteen hostages are alive and abductors are demanding a large ransom, local sources say

10/03/2018

https://lnkd.in/g7wURGz

Eighteen hostages are alive and abductors are demanding a large ransom, local sources say

22/02/2018

Royal-Tee Golf & Safaris

Game wardens found this Black Rhino bull wandering Zimbabwe's Savé Valley Conservancy after poachers shot it several times and hacked off both its horns. Veterinarians had to euthanize the animal because its shattered shoulder couldn't support its weight.

SHARE if you DEMAND stronger penalties for EVERYONE involved in the Rhino horn trade - from the poachers to the customers!

🦏💔

21/02/2018

Royal-Tee Golf and Safaris

There is probably no fear stronger than the one we feel in the presence of animals that can kill us. The creatures on this list are all confirmed killers.

20/02/2018

Royaltee GOLF & Safaris - wwwroyalteecoza inforoyalteecoza"

We embark on a safari to meet the amazing animals of...Africa! Animal Atlas travels the globe to meet every kind of animal imaginable, from the familiar to t...

20/02/2018

Royaltee GOLF & Safaris - wwwroyalteecoza inforoyalteecoza"

Explore the culture and traditions of Zanzibar, an island off the East African coast steeped in tradition and culture. Residents guide us through their Taara...

20/02/2018

Royal-tee Royaltee GOLF & Safaris - wwwroyalteecoza inforoyalteecoza"

Between 2007 and 2014, the African elephant population declined by 144,000 animals, decimated mainly by poaching. In response to this crisis, new approaches ...

20/02/2018

Cameroon’s Defence Minister, Joseph Beti Assomo said on Monday that poachers killed six soldiers and two guides. The soldiers were attacked while out on patrol in a wildlife park in the northern region of the country. "Six members of the defence forces and two civilian guides were killed on Thurs

20/02/2018

ROYAL-TEE GOLF and SAFARIS

16/02/2018

One park in Mozambique lost 90 percent of its wildlife

16/02/2018

2 hot 2 handle

16/02/2018

"We’ve taken technology to places where it was probably never meant to go."

16/02/2018

Orangutan populations in Borneo are in steep decline and can not cope with with current levels of killing. Their jungle habitats are threatened by deforestation, driven by plam oil production.

16/02/2018

E' giunto il momento tanto atteso... Nuovo sito internet, nuovo logo, nuovo direttivo, nuove idee, nuovi progetti. AIEA2 è pronta a presentarsi con il suo nuovo super staff di professionisti e veri appassionati, tutti pronti a dare il massimo per la conservazione. Vi aspettiamo tutti sabato 24 febbraio per festeggiare insieme con il nuovo direttivo... Per conferme [email protected] Vi aspettiamo numerosi.

02/02/2018

Protected Planet is the online interface for the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), and the most comprehensive global database on terrestrial and marine protected areas.

02/02/2018

Protected Areas

function
Displays areas that are legally protected according to various designations (e.g., national parks, state reserves, and wildlife reserves) and managed to achieve conservation objectives
GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE
Global
source data
The World Database on Protected Areas, which compiles protected area data from governments, NGOs, and international secretariats
FREQUENCY OF UPDATES
Monthly. Current version: September, .
DATE OF CONTENT
Varies by protected area

cautions

Boundaries come from a variety of sources, with varying accuracy, up-to-dateness, and resolution. Data for some countries may be imprecise, miss some protected areas, or include boundaries that have since been cancelled.

Protected area designations, such as “National Park,” can be applied differently in different countries and may be associated with different IUCN categories. Only areas that meet the IUCN definition of protected areas are collected by WDPA, and thus the data may differ from national-level data on protected areas.

Protected areas with no boundary data are displayed as boxes which represent the reported protected area size. The box is centered around a single point location and the borders do not indicate the real boundary of the protected area.
license

Terms of Use

Overview

The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) is the most comprehensive global spatial data set on marine and terrestrial protected areas available. Protected area data are provided via Protected Planet, the online interface for the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA). The WDPA is a joint initiative of the IUCN and UNEP-WCMC to compile spatially referenced information about protected areas.

IUCN Management Categories

Not all protected areas receive the same degree of protection. While some have strict guidelines designed to preserve intact ecosystems, others allow for sustainable land use, often including limited resource extraction. In addition, not all countries use the same terminology when designating a protected area. Accordingly, the International Union for Conservation of Nature defined universal management categories that stipulate the level of protection for most protected areas.

As you click through protected areas in this layer, note the “legal designation” and the explanations below to better understand the degree to which an area is protected.

Ia. Strict Nature Reserves. Protected areas designed to preserve biodiversity and all geological features. Limited human use (e.g., scientific study, education) is allowed and carefully monitored. Strict Nature Reserves are often used to understand the impact of indirect human disturbance (e.g., burning fossil fuels) because of the area’s high level of preservation. Other common designations: Biological Reserve, Botanical Reserve

Ib. Wilderness Areas. Protected areas managed to preserve ecosystem processes with limited human use. Wilderness Areas cannot contain modern infrastructure (e.g., a visitor’s center), but they allow for local indigenous groups to maintain subsistence lifestyles. These areas are often established to restore disturbed environments. Other common designations: Wilderness Reserve, Wildlife Area

II. National Parks. Protected areas designed to preserve large-scale ecosystems and support human visitation. With conservation as a priority, these areas allow infrastructure and contribute to the local economy by providing opportunities for environmental educational and recreation. Other common designations: State Park, Class A Park, Park Reserve, Provincial Park

III. National Monuments or Features. Areas established to protect a specific natural feature (e.g., cave, grove) or human-made monument with significant historical, spiritual, or environmental importance and the immediate surroundings. Accordingly, Natural Monuments or Features are typically smaller in area and have high human impact resulting from visitor traffic. Other common designations: Natural Features Reserve, Nature Monument, Botanical Garden

IV. Habitat and Species Management Areas. Areas designed to conserve specific wildlife populations and/or habitats. Habitat and Species Management Areas often exist within a larger ecosystem or protected area and are carefully managed (e.g., through hunting abatement or habitat restoration) to conserve a target species or habitat. Other common designations: National Wildlife Refuge, State Wildlife Management Area, Faunal Reserve, Zakaznik (Russia), Provincial Reserve, Wildlife Sanctuary

V. Protected Landscapes and Seascapes. Protected areas with ecological, biological, or cultural importance that have been shaped by human use of the landscape. Protected landscapes and seascapes typically cover entire bodies of land or ocean and allow for a number of for-profit activities (e.g., ecotourism) in accordance with the region’s management plan. Other common designations: National Forest, State Natural Area, Environmental Protection Area, Protected Area, Quasi National Park (Japan), Nature Reserve, State Natural Area

VI. Protected Areas with Sustainable Use of Natural Resources. Areas designed to manage natural resources and uphold the livelihoods of surrounding communities. These regions have a low level of human occupation, small-scale developments (i.e., not industrial), and part of the landscape in its natural condition. Other common designations: Wildlife Reserve, Biosphere Reserve, Forest Reserve, Protective Zone, National Forest, Natural and National Reserves, Reserve, Multiple Use Reserve, Municipal Reserve

UNESCO-MAP Biosphere Reserves: areas under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme designated to “promote sustainable development based on local community efforts and sound science.”

World Heritage Sites: areas considered to have “outstanding universal value” and meet at least one of ten criteria, as described here.

Ramsar Sites—Wetlands of International Importance: wetlands that hold significant value designated under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

Citation

IUCN and UNEP-WCMC (), The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) [On-line], September, , Cambridge, UK: UNEP-WCMC. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net. Accessed through Global Forest Watch in [insert month/year]. www.globalforestwatch.org

Protected Planet is the online interface for the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), and the most comprehensive global database on terrestrial and marine protected areas.

02/02/2018

News

" Responsible investors urged to push for sustainable palm oil "

17th January 2018

Palm oil investors are being urged to keep sustainability issues high on their agenda through a new report launched by international conservation charity ZSL (Zoological Society of London) in partnership with Aviva Investors.

Years after the first reports emerged linking the palm oil industry with environmental destruction and human rights abuse, the sector is still considered high risk for investors in 2018. Despite these concerns, global demand for palm oil continues to grow, accelerating expansion into regions such as West Africa.

The report from Aviva Investors and ZSL’s dedicated Sustainability Policy Transparency Toolkit (SPOTT) team – Sustainable Palm Oil and Responsible Investment – highlights that investors have the power to transform the whole palm oil industry, by encouraging the companies they finance to adopt more responsible policies on deforestation, land conflicts and labour conditions. Focusing on the business case for palm oil investment through case studies, it outlines key questions that institutional investors should ask during their engagement with oil palm growers, traders and buyers, to help incentivise improvements to their environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices.

Joyce Lam, Manager for ZSL’s SPOTT team, comments: “Palm oil is not going away anytime soon, and neither are the risks associated with it. The good news is that the push for more transparency and corporate disclosure is no longer the sole concern of environmental and social NGOs. Investors have become more aware of the financial, operational, and ESG risks associated palm oil production. This makes investors a driving force in bringing the laggards up to speed. ZSL is proud to partner with Aviva Investors to publish this guide, which – together with the transparency assessments of palm oil companies that SPOTT provides – is designed to support these vital conversations.”

The palm oil sector has become infamous for damaging practices including companies and smallholder farmers resorting to damaging slash-and-burn practices to clear forest for plantation development. Palm oil producers and buyers have seen their operations disrupted and criticised as a result of well-documented cases of deforestation, land conflicts and forced labour. Intense public campaigns against these practices have led to increased reputational risk, governmental scrutiny and regulatory pressure. As the negative impacts of palm oil production increasingly undermine the reputation of institutional lenders and investors in palm oil, the case for engagement by the finance sector to push for sustainable palm oil production is becoming ever-stronger.

As a result, many businesses and financial institutions have now made commitments and adopted NDPE (‘No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation’) policies, to exclude unsustainable palm oil from their supply chains and investment portfolios. However, implementing such commitments in practice is slow and complex. Even though various companies and financiers have made sustainability commitments to address ESG risks, many are yet to follow, thus potentially creating ‘leakage’ and an uneven playing field across the industry.

Abigail Herron, Global Head of Responsible Investment for Aviva Investors, said: “Investors have the power – and indeed the moral duty - to push for best practice in the palm oil sector. The business case for investment in the palm oil supply chain cannot ignore environmental and social considerations and, together with ZSL, we are calling for increased engagement with companies to help speed the transition towards a sustainable palm oil industry. We hope this guide promotes greater transparency across the sector and encourages fact-led dialogue to steer current practice in the right direction.”

SPOTT supports ZSL’s mission to achieve the global conservation of animals and their habitats by promoting transparency, accountability and best practice implementation in commodity sectors.

Download the full report

02/02/2018

"Illegal wildlife trade crisis"

In recent years the impact of illicit wildlife trade (IWT) on species has reached unprecedented levels.

This trade, is estimated to be worth over USD $10 billion annually – the world’s fourth most lucrative criminal industry after drugs, human-trafficking and weapons and represents a serious threat to the very existence of some of our best loved species:

Elephants:

Between 2010 and 2012, over 10% of the total African elephant population has been slaughtered for ivory, a death toll the species simply cannot sustain.
It is estimated that 2015 is the 6th continuous year that the African elephant death rate is higher than the birth rate – meaning elephant populations across the entire continent are in decline.
African elephant populations in Central and West Africa face the most serious levels of poaching.
Asian elephants number under 50,000 individuals and are found in less than 10% of their former range.

Tigers:

Tiger numbers have fallen from some 100,000 individuals a century ago to as few as 3,000 today - a decrease of 97%.
Between 2000 and 2012 1,425 tigers were killed by poachers.

Rhinos:

1,175 rhinos were lost in South Africa in 2015 alone, that’s one rhino every 8 hours.
Three fifths of the world’s rhino species are critically endangered and the estimated global rhino population is just 29,000.

Pangolins:

It is estimated that more than 1 million pangolins have been snatched from the wild in the past decade – making the pangolin the most illegally traded mammal on the planet.
it is estimated that a pangolin is snatched from the wild every 5 minutes.

Sharks:

In our oceans many shark species are being driven to extinction as massive levels of overfishing, estimated at over 100 million individuals killed annually, takes its toll.

Wildlife trade is regulated through the Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species (CITES) to which 179 countries are signatories, and Delegates debate issues that will go a long way to deciding the fate of many species including amongst others, proposals to legalise trade in rhino horn, how to address the massive illegal ivory trade and providing stronger protection for sharks. The next CITES meeting will be held in Johannesburg, this September, where ZSL scientists and conservationists will be in attendance championing for the highest level of legal protection for the world’s most endangered species.

ZSL is also working closely with the UK government to address the IWT; in February 2016 we were delighted to receive our third grant from Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs’ (Defra) Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, this time for our work in Cameroon. We are discussing with the Foreign Commonwealth Office potential for collaboration around the damage IWT does to developing economies in Africa and elsewhere. ZSL is also already active in fighting wildlife crime through our global conservation projects.

Urgent action is needed to address this crisis, to help countries control poaching on the ground as well as to take steps to reduce the demand in consumer countries that is ultimately driving the trade.

02/02/2018

02/02/2018

http://p.dw.com/p/2r36U

02/02/2018

A team of international archaeologists have unearthed thousands of ancient Maya structures in Guatemala. Buried deep in the jungle, the discoveries could change the way we think about the lost Maya civilization.