Rachel Nuwer is an independent American journalist and author of the 2018 nonfiction book Poached: Inside the Dark World of Wildlife Trafficking (Da Capo Press). She has covered the issue of poaching from the perspectives of criminals, activists and science for years in prominent publications, including the Smithsonian , BBC Future , The New York Times , and National Geographic . [1]
Nuwer grew up in Mississippi and studied biology at Loyola University New Orleans where she spent time researching Mekong River fish. [2] She completed a master's degree in ecology at the University of East Anglia, and attended New York University's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. [3] The master's thesis she completed for her East Anglia degree was published by the Cambridge University Press. [2]
Nuwer says that her education in biology helped shape her career. [3]
Nuwer has written for Smithsonian, BBC Future, The New York Times, and National Geographic. [1] She is well known for working under cover to access black markets for wildlife. [4] Nuwer's 2023 book, I Feel Love: MDMA and the Quest for Connection in a Fractured World examines the cultural and scientific aspects of MDMA, commonly known as Ecstasy. [5]
Nuwer won the Abe Fellowship for Journalists in 2017. [6]
Her book Poached won the American Society of Journalists and Authors general non-fiction book award, [7] a Nautilus Book Award, [8] and the Santa Monica Public Library Green Prize for Sustainable Literature. [9]
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Poaching is the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rights. Poaching was once performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and to supplement meager diets. It was set against the hunting privileges of nobility and territorial rulers.
Rachel Louise Carson was an American marine biologist, writer, and conservationist whose sea trilogy (1941–1955) and book Silent Spring (1962) are credited with advancing marine conservation and the global environmental movement.
The beluga, also known as the beluga sturgeon or great sturgeon, is a species of anadromous fish in the sturgeon family (Acipenseridae) of the order Acipenseriformes. It is found primarily in the Caspian and Black Sea basins, and formerly in the Adriatic Sea. Based on maximum size, it is the third-most-massive living species of bony fish. Heavily fished for the female's valuable roe, known as beluga caviar, wild populations have been greatly reduced by overfishing and poaching, leading IUCN to classify the species as critically endangered.
Wildlife conservation refers to the practice of protecting wild species and their habitats in order to maintain healthy wildlife species or populations and to restore, protect or enhance natural ecosystems. Major threats to wildlife include habitat destruction, degradation, fragmentation, overexploitation, poaching, pollution, climate change, and the illegal wildlife trade. The IUCN estimates that 42,100 species of the ones assessed are at risk for extinction. Expanding to all existing species, a 2019 UN report on biodiversity put this estimate even higher at a million species. It is also being acknowledged that an increasing number of ecosystems on Earth containing endangered species are disappearing. To address these issues, there have been both national and international governmental efforts to preserve Earth's wildlife. Prominent conservation agreements include the 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). There are also numerous nongovernmental organizations (NGO's) dedicated to conservation such as the Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, and Conservation International.
Wildlife trade refers to the products that are derived from non-domesticated animals or plants usually extracted from their natural environment or raised under controlled conditions. It can involve the trade of living or dead individuals, tissues such as skins, bones or meat, or other products. Legal wildlife trade is regulated by the United Nations' Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which currently has 184 member countries called Parties. Illegal wildlife trade is widespread and constitutes one of the major illegal economic activities, comparable to the traffic of drugs and weapons.
The Greater Mekong Subregion, (GMS) or just Greater Mekong, is a trans-national region of the Mekong River basin in Southeast Asia. The region is home to more than 300 million people. It came into being with the launch of a development program in 1992 by the Asian Development Bank that brought together the six Asian countries of Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and Vietnam.
The wildlife of Cambodia is very diverse with at least 162 mammal species, 600 bird species, 176 reptile species, 900 freshwater fish species, 670 invertebrate species, and more than 3000 plant species. A single protected area, Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, is known to support more than 950 total species, including 75 species that are listed as globally threatened on the IUCN Red List. An unknown amount of species remains to be described by science, especially the insect group of butterflies and moths, collectively known as lepidopterans.
The Burmese roofed turtle is one of six turtle species in the genus Batagur of the family Geoemydidae. It is a freshwater turtle that is endemic to the rivers of Myanmar. It was once a common and abundant turtle in its respective habitat. As populations began facing rapid decline, eventually the species was thought to be extinct, until two subpopulations were rediscovered in 2001 in the Chindwin and Dokhtawady rivers. Less than 10 mature individuals were known by 2018. The Burmese roofed turtle is one of the most critically endangered turtle species in the world.
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, invasive species, and climate change. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List lists the global conservation status of many species, and various other agencies assess the status of species within particular areas. Many nations have laws that protect conservation-reliant species which, for example, forbid hunting, restrict land development, or create protected areas. Some endangered species are the target of extensive conservation efforts such as captive breeding and habitat restoration.
Harold Blauer was an American tennis player who died as a result of injections of 450 mg 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine as part of Project MKUltra, a covert CIA mind-control and chemical interrogation research program run by the Office of Scientific Intelligence. Blauer lost in the round before the quarterfinals of the 1935 United States Professional Tennis Tournament 3–6, 3–6, 3–6 to tennis legend Bill Tilden.
Wildlife smuggling or wildlife trafficking concerns the illegal gathering and trade of endangered species and protected wildlife, including plants and byproducts or products utilizing a species. Research on wildlife smuggling has increased, however, knowledge of the illicit trade remains limited. The differences between international policies and tendencies likely contribute to the extensive estimated range of wildlife smuggling, anywhere from $5-$23 billion, with an additional $67-$193 billion when timber and fish are included. The prolific growth of wildlife smuggling makes it the fourth-largest criminal enterprise globally after drug, firearm, and human trafficking. Products demanded by the trade include but are not limited to ivory, bushmeat, traditional medicine, and exotic pets. China and the United States are the largest buyers in the illegal wildlife trade. It often involves other illegal activities such as tranquilizing animals without proper authorization.
In traditional Chinese medicine, a tiger penis is said to have important therapeutic properties. However, there is no scientific proof that tiger penis can be used to treat any medical disorder. The demand for tiger parts exacerbates the endangered status of the tiger by providing a market for poachers. While tiger penis is consumed in parts of China and Southeast Asia, the consumption of tiger penis is often condemned by most global environmental groups.
Wildlife forensic science is forensic science applied to legal issues involving wildlife. Wildlife forensic sciences also deal with conservation and identification of rare species and is a useful tool for non-invasive studies. Methods can be used to determine relatedness of the animals in the area allowing them to determine rare and endangered species that are candidates for genetic rescue. Techniques using things such as the SSCP or Single-Strand Conformational Polymorphism gel electrophoresis technique, microscopy, DNA barcoding, Mitochondrial Microsatellite Analysis and some DNA and Isotope analysis can identify species and individual animals in most cases if they have already been captured. Unlike human identification, animal identification requires determination of its family, genus, and species, and sex in order to individualize the animal, typically through the use of DNA based analyses.
The Romanian mafia or Romanian organized crime is the category of organized crime groups whose members are citizens of Romania or living abroad in the Romanian diaspora. In recent years they have expanded their criminal activities in the European Union, reads a Europol report on EU organized crime, being active mostly in Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. The Romanian Mafia is composed of several major organized groups, which in turn have wider networks throughout Europe and have even reached as far as North and Central America.
Michelle Nijhuis is an American science journalist who writes about conservation and climate change for many publications, including National Geographic and Smithsonian magazines.
Elizabeth Robinson Koch is an American publisher, writer, and entrepreneur. She has published work for One Story, Columbia Journalism Review, the Los Angeles Review of Books, The New York Observer, and other publications.
Susan Elisabeth Subak is an environmental scientist and author. She has worked for environmental agencies around the world and is known for her work on America's carbon footprint and climate change.
Natalie Anne Kyriacou OAM is an Australian environmentalist, social justice advocate and social entrepreneur. She was appointed the Medal of the Order of Australia for her ‘services to wildlife and environmental conservation and education’ in 2018. She serves on the board of the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife and is a Board Committee member at CARE Australia. In 2023, she joined the UNESCO Green Citizens initiative as a Pathfinder. She has served on the board of University of Melbourne’s Animal Ethics Committee and is presently a member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. She is serving on the advisory board of the Women Leaders Institute. She is also known as the founder and current CEO of My Green World which she founded in 2012 to promote wildlife and environmental conservation issues.
Juliana Machado Ferreira is a Brazilian scientist, a conservation geneticist, and an activist against wildlife trafficking. She is a founding member and current executive director of Freeland Brasil, whose mission is "to conserve biodiversity by ending wildlife trafficking" through the combination of scientific research, education and awareness, and public policy. She is a TED Senior Fellow.
I Feel Love: MDMA and the Quest for Connection in a Fractured World is a 2023 nonfiction book by American author Rachel Nuwer. The book "examines groundbreaking new research that demonstrates that MDMA ... may allow those suffering from PTSD, addiction and anxiety to reconnect to a social world from which their ailments have separated them". Kirkus Reviews called it "an illuminating, myth-free exploration of mental health from a unique perspective". Publishers Weekly said it was "a nuanced, well-researched" book that "will enrich the cultural, legal, and medical conversation around drugs."
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