International Animal Rescue News

Animal welfare history is made as the final curtain falls on dancing bears in India
A coalition of conservation and animal rescue groups has today made animal welfare history by taking the last dancing bears off the streets of India.

Circus legal action in Malta criticised
The Circus Animal Rights Coalition in Malta, of which International Animal Rescue is an active member, has expressed its full support for a number of individuals who are being sued for libel by circus organisers.

Walk for animal rights and against animal circuses in Malta
The Circus Animal Rights Coalition organised a Walk for Animal Rights and Against Animal Circuses as a symbolic protest at the presence of 'Circo Fantasy' in Malta.

Large male orangutan safe in the wild thanks to rescue and conservation groups
International Animal Rescue has successfully relocated a large male orangutan into a safe area of forest purchased and protected by conservation group Fauna and Flora International (FFI).

Jail sentence for Maltese drug trafficker in possession of dead protected bird species
A former Maltese policeman has been jailed for drug trafficking and being in possession of protected bird species.

Circus owners claim discrimination after ban on school visits to the circus in Malta
A hardhitting campaign against the use of animals in circuses by a coalition of NGOs in Malta has prompted anger among circus owners and their representatives.

Orangutans Charlie and Jingo are freed from suffering
An orangutan that was living in shocking conditions over an open sewer in Borneo has been rescued by IAR’s team in Indonesia and is now safe and comfortable in our temporary rescue centre in Ketapang, West Kalimantan.

Twenty-four rescued slow lorises arrive safely at IAR’s centre in Ciapus
Following the confiscation of several endangered species from a wildlife vendor in East Java, Indonesia, 24 slow loris have been successfully transported to International Animal Rescue’s primate centre in Ciapus, near Bogor.

Orangutans pay a high price for palm oil in Indonesia
The plight of a baby orangutan rescued from plantation workers in Borneo has exposed the high price these endangered primates are paying for the production of palm oil.

Goodbye and good luck to Sue White
International Animal Rescue and British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) bid a fond farewell to Sue White on 19 November.

Victory for animals in Malta as school outings to the circus and dolphinarium are banned
A ban introduced by the Director General for Education in Malta on school visits to the circus and the dolphinarium has delighted International Animal Rescue and its campaign partners.

Twenty-one slow lorises saved from a wildlife trader in Indonesia
Twenty-one endangered slow lorises that were among several rare wildlife species seized by police in East Java are being cared for by International Animal Rescue’s team in Indonesia.

More than one hundred hedgehogs find a new home in Scotland
A total of 109 hedgehogs have been captured and humanely transferred to the Scottish mainland during the latest phase of trapping in the Benbecula area of the Uist Islands.

Two important meetings take place in Brussels
Max Farrugia, IAR's representative in Malta, attended a meeting of ENDCAP which seeks to end the keeping of wildlife in captivity and a meeting of PIE which is proposing a charter for the welfare of companion animals.

Fun had by all at sponsored dogwalk and thanksgiving service
On 11 October members of IAR’s team and local supporters took part in a sponsored dogwalk followed by an Animal Thanksgiving Service at St Margaret’s Church in Buxted, East Sussex.

UK campaign against Japanese dolphin slaughter mounts London vigil
The UK campaign against the shocking slaughter of dolphins in Japan will be holding a vigil outside the Japanese Embassy in London on 21 October.

Conservationists fuming at low fines for bird trappers in Malta
Bird conservationists reacted angrily today when a Malta court sentenced a man to a fine of 600 Euros after he was found guilty of animal cruelty and being illegally in possession of protected birds.

Bird guards in Malta record nearly 500 offences in three weeks
Bird guards from the Committee Against Bird Slaughter(CABS) left Malta on 4 October after three weeks of operations.

School for scandal: Illegal wild animal dealing at Shenfield High School
Shenfield High School has been publicly condemned for its part in facilitating an underground reptile market that took place on 27 September 2009, at which illegal trading of wild animals took place.

Dangerous animals to be banned as pets in Malta
New rules to be issued by the Ministry of Environment in Malta will make it illegal to keep certain dangerous animals, particularly wild animals, as pets.

Conservationists question authorities' motives over Malta 'bird cemetery'
In a joint Press Conference earlier yesterday the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) and Birdlife Malta have questioned the motives behind the lack of investigation into the Mizieb 'bird cemetery'.

Reptile dealers on the run: Animal market goes underground
Plans by Essex Reptile and Amphibian Club to stage an underground animal market in the area are being closely monitored by IAR's campaigning partners the Animal Protection Agency.

Conservationists call for enquiry into bird 'cemetery' in Malta
Volunteers from two bird protection camps in Malta have uncovered further bodies of endangered birds during their search of Mizieb hunting reserves.

Grim discovery of 'bird graves' in Malta
The bodies of 76 protected birds have been found hidden under rocks and rubbish in a woodland in Malta which is treated as a hunting reserve.

Illegal shooting of birds of prey filmed in Malta
During the first week of Operation Safe Haven, the bird protection camp in Malta organised by the Committee Against Bird Slaughter with support from IAR, bird guards have observed the shooting down of at least five birds of prey.

Illegal reptile market disallowed by Brentwood Council and Shenfield High School
Brentwood Borough Council and Shenfield High School have been praised by animal welfare groups for disallowing a reptile market that would have taken place at the school on Sunday 27 September 2009.

Maltese police seize 29 protected wading birds
The incident took place on the very first day of Operation Safe Haven, an initiative by the German group Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) with support from IAR.

First casualty of illegal shooting recovered in Malta
Just hours after the European Court of Justice ruled against spring hunting in Malta, the Maltese police recovered the first casualty of illegal shooting after a bird of prey was shot down.

Spring hunting in Malta finally comes to an end
The European Court of Justice in Luxemburg has ruled against the spring hunting of turtle doves and common quail in Malta.

Shocking video exposes bird slaughter in Cyprus
A video posted on YouTube by a group campaigning against illegal bird trapping in Cyprus shows shocking scenes of birds struggling in nets or stuck fast to tree branches.

Hope on the horizon for Bluefin Tuna
A proposal put forward by Monaco and co-sponsored by the European Commission to list Bluefin Tuna as an endangered species is being met with fierce opposition from the fishing industry in Malta.

Our team in Indonesia helps orangutans in crisis
International Animal Rescue's team in Indonesia is embarking on a new project to help captive orangutans in West Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo.)

IAR to support Operation Safe Haven in Malta
We will be working to combat illegal bird hunting in Malta again this autumn during a two week camp to monitor and record illegal shooting and trapping activity.

Great British Circus cruelty exposed
International Animal Rescue has applauded investigators for exposing cruelty towards elephants in the Great British Circus.

IAR helps a Javan Hawk-eagle fly to freedom
Our team in Indonesia has assisted with the release of a Javan Hawk-eagle in Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park in West Java, Indonesia.

IAR carries out 'Operation macaque monkey'
A long tailed macaque that arrived recently at IAR's rescue centre in Indonesia was badly injured and in terrible pain when he was brought in.

Macaques find freedom in Indonesia
Only three months after two groups of macaques were reintroduced into the wild, yet another three groups were leaving our facilities to start a new life in nature.

IAR teaches respect for wildlife in Indonesia
International Animal Rescue's team in Indonesia has conducted a series of presentations and workshops to teach local villagers to respect and preserve their native wildlife.

Investigators report large-scale suffering at reptile market
Investigators from the Animal Protection Agency, supported by IAR, have reported large-scale animal suffering at a reptile market at the Glades Leisure Centre, Kidderminster.

Malta Committee advises ban on finch trapping
The Maltese Ornis Committee has voted unanimously to advise the government to ban the trapping of wild finches.

Wyre Forest Council is slammed for giving green light to reptile market
Established commercial traders posing as individuals selling a few surplus pets have been given the go-ahead by the Wyre Forest Council to trade in animals at an upcoming reptile market.

Maltese police confiscate national bird
A number of Blue Rock Thrushes have been confiscated by the police in Malta after they received a tip off.

Endangered Sumatran tiger caught on camera
A rare species of tiger hovering on the brink of extinction has been photographed by a camera trap during a survey of an area of rainforest in Lampung Province, Sumatra.

Norway urged not to sell exotic pets
International Animal Rescue has joined other animal protection groups in Britain and Norway to warn that diseases to both humans and wild animals could flood into Norway on a tide of imported exotic animals.

Rare leopard is released in Indonesia
International Animal Rescue has helped to return a rare Javan leopard to the wild almost a year after it was found trapped in a snare in West Java.

International Animal Rescue gives help with dogs and cats in Spain
In May a small team of volunteers from the UK visited Tossa de Mar, in northern Spain and worked at a dog and cat shelter.

News update from Indonesia
Our team in Indonesia has issued a report on recent activity at the centre, from the sterilisation of stray dogs and cats to dental xrays of endangered slow lorises. We are extremely grateful to vets Karthi and Paolo Martelli for lending us their support and giving us the benefit of their extensive veterinary experience.

Green Euro-MP calls for end to animals in circuses
Kent's Green Euro-MP has called for an end to the exploitation of wild animals in circuses and expressed her support for the protest by IAR and Animal Aid against the Great British Circus.

Majority of hunters respect spring hunting ban - CABS
The third Bird Guard Camp in Malta organised by the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) with the help of International Animal Rescue came to an end earlier this week.

IAR returns macaques to the wild in Indonesia
At the end of April our team in Indonesia released sixteen macaques back into the wild.

Police officer caught hunting illegally in Malta
It has been revealed that one of two men caught on film hunting illegally in Malta and subsequently arrested by the Administrative Law Enforcement Police is a police officer.

IAR welcomes encouraging news of Uist hedgehogs
As a member of the Uist Hedgehog Rescue coalition, International Animal Rescue has welcomed the news that this spring hedgehogs will continue to be moved off the islands to a more suitable location.

Still no safe haven for migrant birds in Malta
During the first two days after arriving in Malta, bird guards from the bird protection camp have personally witnessed the shooting down of four birds of prey.

Guards in Malta to protect birds by 'twittering'
The bird protection camp in Malta organised by the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) with support from International Animal Rescue starts on 25 April and runs until 3 May.

A ranger shot in Malta
A ranger in the north of Malta was shot as he got out of his car at six o'clock in the morning on 14 April.

Yoga day in Goa raises funds for IAR
Our Animal Tracks centre in Goa has seen a fall in funds raised locally during the recent holiday season. However things would have been worse had it not been for two extraordinary couples.

Two men cruelly beat injured bird to death
A number of bird watchers were shocked by an appalling scene they witnessed in the North of Malta, in the area known as Maghtab.

Maltese MEP speaks out for hunters
The Maltese Labour MEP John Attard Montalto clashed with the Polish chairman of the EU's Petition Committee, Marcin Libicki, during the hearing of a pro-hunting petition presented by the Maltese hunters' federation in Strasbourg.

Bird guard operations in Malta enter third year
The start of spring migration heralds renewed efforts to prevent illegal hunting on Malta and Gozo.

Illegal trapper caught in Malta
A policeman has been slightly injured by an illegal bird trapper trying to evade capture in Malta.

IAR welcomes ban on Spring hunting in Malta
International Animal Rescue has welcomed the news that there will be no spring hunting and trapping in Malta this year.

UK volunteers Helen and Chris complete a day's dogwalking marathon
UK volunteers Helen Partridge and Chris Wills have successfully completed an entire day's dogwalking at our centre in Goa to raise funds for the animals.

International Animal Rescue investigation helps to catch wildlife smuggler in Indonesia
An investigation by International Animal Rescue in Indonesia has led to the arrest of a wildlife smuggler at Soekarno Hatta airport in Jakarta.

IAR supports raid on illegal traders in Jakarta
International Animal Rescue is one of several NGOs to have supported a successful police raid on an animal market in Jakarta.

IAR supports police raids in Indonesia
International Animal Rescue in Indonesia is lending its full support to the national police force in its efforts to hunt down members of syndicates involved in the trade in endangered species in the country.

Gala evening of gourmet cuisine in aid of wildlife protection
A gala evening in aid of IAR and the Animal Protection Agency will take place at the elegant Old Market Theatre in Hove on Friday, 27th March.

Hedgehogs saved in Malta
On Friday 13th an animal lover found an injured adult hedgehog in the middle of the road at Marsascala in the south of Malta. An hour or so later three baby hedgehogs had been found.

Happy ending for a rescued slow loris
A loris rescued last November by our team in Indonesia has been safely returned to the wild.

Maltese police uncover nearly 100 protected bird species
A police raid in Malta has uncovered 98 protected bird species which had all been stuffed.

2009 is our Year of the Bear
International Animal Rescue has designated 2009 as The Year of the Bear which will end the dancing bear trade in India for good.

Good news for birds in Malta in 2009
The Government in Malta has said that it has no plans to allow a bird trapping season in 2009.