On the same day that South Africa hosted its fourth Investment Conference in Sandton, a new instrument was offered to investors – a Wildlife Conservation Bond (WCB), or Rhino Bond.

In 2016, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) shifted the conservation status of giraffes from species of “least concern” to “vulnerable”. It seems that in all of six years, the gentle giants had gone from a state of low or no concern to being just four steps away from a complete wipeout.

Japan is failing to regulate its domestic ivory market, resulting in the perfect cover for illegally imported ivory and a supply source for illegal export.

South Africa is one of the world’s greatest suppliers of wildlife trophies, many of them from captive-bred animals. The greatest number are shot by people from the US. From tigers to vervet monkeys, it’s all legal.

The theme of World Wildlife Day which falls this year on 3 March is “Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration”.

Namibia is in the process of capturing 57 wild elephants sold last year at auction, according to a statement today from the country’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism.