The US produces a quarter of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, the population has risen by 100-million since 1970 and when more than 200-million acres of state land were recently opened up for mining, drilling, logging and road building, no one took much notice. What does the Bush administration do? It ignores all attempts to curb environmental damage.

Baixinha, the highly endangered East African rhino saved from a ”canned” hunt due to take place on a farm in North West province in 2001, died last week of multiple organ failure.

A Gauteng-based wildlife dealer is planning to import 16 old circus and zoo lions from Brazil, raising fears that the big cats will be used to feed the lucrative ”canned” hunting industry.

South Africa edged closer to the government’s declared target of placing at least 8% of the country’s land under ”people’s conservation” this week, with the announcement of the largest single proclamation of protected areas since the 1930s.

The director of the Kruger National Park, David Mabunda, is tipped to become the new head of South African National Parks (SANParks). He will take over as CEO of the country’s 20 national parks from Mavuso Msimang, who has moved on to head the State Information Technology Agency.

Conservation officials and police have joined forces to bust open a huge smuggling network involved in cruel, illicit trade in endangered wildlife. In the past month the network has been responsible for smuggling at least 13 leopards — animals that are ranked in the highest category of threatened species.

Wild Coast communities who own one of the world’s most important conservation ”hot spots” are signing a multimillion-rand ecotourism deal, effectively edging out mining interests in the region. The Mkambati Land Trust has approved the development of lodges by top-end ecotourism operators.

South Africa’s community conservationists who own land and commercial rights in national parks are joining forces to demand tangible benefits from the World Parks Congress (WPC) to be held in Durban next week.

South Africa’s premier community conservation project, the Makuleke Communal Property Association, has rejected commercial hunting in favour of ecotourism to raise revenues. The new ecotourism deal will put an end to hunting in the national park.