Social media influencer investigated for crocodile wrestling videos
The man had apparently travelled from the US to Australia to fulfil a 'dream' of fighting crocs
Australia: A social media influencer is being investigated after posting two videos of himself wrestling crocodiles. Mike Holston, who is from the US, said he posted the videos as educational tools, but he has been criticised for treating the animals cruelly. He could face fines of more than £18,000. In both videos the animals were released. (BBC)
Nigeria: Some 340 live snakes and 17 scorpions were seized at Lagos airport. The animals were set to leave the country before they were discovered by Customs agents. Agents warned that they have seized numerous animals threatened with extinction in the country. (Guardian Nigeria)
China: Tensions are heating up in the South China Sea as the US has proposed training Filipino fishermen as informants to report on illegal fishing. Illegal and unregulated fishing vessels, often from China, are a major problem in the area with Filipino officials stating that they undercut local fishermen. (South China Morning Post)
Thailand: A Vietnamese man was arrested at Bangkok’s airport suspected of smuggling $200,000 worth of rhino horns in his luggage. He had flown from Angola and his final destination was intended to be Laos. He was flagged to authorities using intelligence data and “advanced screening systems”. The global trade in rhino horn is banned, but they fetch high prices on the black market. (VN Express)
France: A couple who kept a black panther at their home as a pet in northern France have been handed a prison sentence and fined tens of thousands of euros. The panther made headlines in 2019 when it was spotted wandering along rooftops in the small town of Armentieres. She is now homed in a rescue centre in the Netherlands. (One Green Planet)
Kenya: Three men were arrested on suspicion of attempting to smuggle and sell elephant tusks, a trade that poses a serious threat to the ongoing survival of the animal. The international trade in ivory, which is sourced from elephant tusks and other animal parts, is banned under international treaties. (The Star)
USA: Poaching costs an estimated $1.4bn a year, according to a new US study which also claims that 96 per cent goes undetected. The researchers recommended increasing “boots on the ground” and making it easier to report incidents. (ABC News)