PANGOLIN - PETRO DIAMANT

IMAGE : PROPERTY OF PETRO DIAMANT & EARTH ALIVE 365

Hunny Bun's mother was rescued from an illegal wildlife trafficking operation and gave birth to her shortly after at REST Namibia. This image is part of a series of images for the Earth Alive 365 Awareness Portfolio for Near Threatened & Endangered Species

PETRO DIAMANT & EARTH ALIVE 365 do not promote nor encourage taking images with animals. This image is used to raise awareness on issues pertaining to the illegal and exotic wildlife trade in Pangolin and Pangolin Scales.

THE PANGOLIN FLOWER - Awareness Art : Cape / Ground Pangolin

Awareness Artist for Near Threatened and Endangered Species: Petro Diamant

Organisation : Rare Endangered Species Trust (REST) - Namibia

Photographer : Judy & Scott Hurd - www.h4urd.co.uk

Art Garments : by Petro Diamant for EARTH ALIVE 365 | The Pangolin Coat & Jumper : Lorena Benitez -America

The Pangolin Garment designed and created at Rare Endangered Species Trust by Lorena Benitez

( Harvard Graduate and Pangolin Researcher)

Read the Mission Statement here mission statement

"Be the guardian that walks with the wild ones" - Petro Diamant

The Pangolin Trade is the illegal poaching, trafficking and sale of pangolins and parts of pangolins. The animals are trafficked mainly for their scales.

Representatives of 182 countries unanimously enacted a ban on the international trade of all Pangolin species by moving them to Appendix I. Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction. Trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances. It is illegal to trade Pangolin. Read about CITES Appendices HERE

They are one species of the most unique mammals in the world and still threatened by large-scale illegal hunting and trade. Pangolins have become a highly prized commodity, illegally trapped, killed, and trafficked by organized crime networks between countries and continents. From 2016 to 2019, an estimated 206.4 tonnes of pangolin scales were intercepted and confiscated from 52 seizures. This is equivalent to about 360,000 pangolins being poached according to a report by the Wildlife Justice Commission entitled Scaling up - The Rapid Growth in the Industrial Scale Trafficking of Pangolin Scales. These pangolin are often destined for the traditional medicine market in Asia or bushmeat markets in Central and the southern parts of West Africa.

The world of the Pangolin scale trade is a dark and sinister reality. Organized crime is at the heart of any illegal trade in species and it is absurd how interconnected the trade is with rhino horn, ivory, bear paws, threatened plant species, drugs and so much more . The same syndicates responsible for all. In the past few years much work has gone into protecting these animals and yet to date the continuing threat of pangolin trafficking is an ongoing concern.

"Wildlife Justice Commission operatives posing as buyers were offered staggering amounts of pangolin scales to buy in 2020, while the number of seizures decreased significantly compared to 2019. In spite of travel disruptions due to COVID-19, prices for pangolin scales have not plummeted dramatically. The Wildlife Justice Commission fears that once COVID-19 travel restrictions ease, trafficking of pangolin scales will resume to previous levels, putting enormous pressure on an already threatened species. The trafficking of pangolin scales has transformed from a somewhat “niche” wildlife crime to a significant transnational problem, as our 2020 report The Rapid Growth in the Industrial Scale Trafficking of Pangolin Scales pointed out. Official law enforcement seizures are clearly just a drop in the ocean of trafficked pangolin scales. While availability seems to have skyrocketed, prices have not plummeted dramatically, as may have been anticipated. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, many traders began stockpiling their products in order to resume trade as soon as they possibly could. It is probable that some of the scales we were offered in 2020 came from such stockpiles. This only serves to compound our concerns about a market surge when travel becomes easier. This is sustained by the recent seizure of over 854 tonnes of mixed endangered wildlife products, including 8.8 tonnes of pangolin scales, in Nigeria in January of this year (2021).While ivory prices fall, pangolin prices rise – or at least remain somewhat stable. This has become a significant problem in recent years, a trend our Intelligence Development Unit first identified in 2019. In September of that year, the Wildlife Justice Commission published an analysis identifying this trend, and indicating that as ivory prices were falling, traffickers were increasingly turning to pangolin scales and, in combined shipments, the proportion of pangolin scales had surpassed the volume of ivory." - Wildlife Justice Commission

- While ivory prices fall, pangolin prices rise -

Image : Lorena Benitez , Petro Diamant & Maria Diekmann (REST ) Rare Endangered Species Trust Namibia

LANDFILLS AND DUMPSITES

IMAGE : PROPERTY OF PETRO DIAMANT & EARTH ALIVE 365 This image is part of a series of images for the Earth Alive 365 Awareness Portfolio for Near Threatened & Endangered Species PETRO DIAMANT & EARTH ALIVE 365 do not promote nor encourage taking images with animals. We do also do not promote nor encourage […]

STRAY ANIMALS

RHINOCEROS

IMAGE : PROPERTY OF PETRO DIAMANT & EARTH ALIVE 365 Rhinos are on the verge of extinction and those helping the species to survive require your ongoing support for their continued existence. This image is part of a series of images for the Earth Alive 365 Awareness Portfolio for Near Threatened & Endangered Species PETRO […]

CHEETAH

IMAGE : PROPERTY OF PETRO DIAMANT & EARTH ALIVE 365 Cheetah are considered vulnerable with the population decreasing. Their future remains uncertain. Their loss of habitat, lack of prey to feed on, and their vulnerability to humans, hunters, and poachers has increased their risk of becoming extinct. This image is part of a series of images for the […]

ELEPHANT

IMAGE : PROPERTY OF PETRO DIAMANT & EARTH ALIVE 365 THE ELEPHANT OMEN – Awareness Art : Elephants Awareness Artist for Near Threatened and Endangered Species : Petro Diamant Photographer : Kim Wild – Cape Town, South Africa Awareness Art Garment : by Petro Diamant for EARTH ALIVE 365 Collaboration Awareness Project for Elephants Collaborator […]

LION

IMAGE : PROPERTY OF PETRO DIAMANT & EARTH ALIVE 365 Rescued from a lion breeding farm that breeds lions for canned and captive hunting. This image is part of a series of images for the Earth Alive 365 Awareness Portfolio for Near Threatened & Endangered Species. PETRO DIAMANT & EARTH ALIVE 365 do not promote […]

CAPE VULTURE

IMAGE : PROPERTY OF PETRO DIAMANT & EARTH ALIVE 365 The intended vultures that I was meant to work with were rescued by Rare Endangered Species Trust Namibia. This image is part of a series of images for the Earth Alive 365 Awareness Portfolio for Near Threatened & Endangered Species. PETRO DIAMANT & EARTH ALIVE […]

HORSES

IMAGE : PROPERTY OF PETRO DIAMANT & EARTH ALIVE 365 This image is part of a series of images for the Earth Alive 365 Awareness Portfolio for Near Threatened & Endangered Species. This was also a collaboration with Have a Heart Spay & Neuter who not only rescued animals and offered veterinary assistance and animal […]