Democratic Republic of Congo
pristine tropical forest. While scanning the forest canopy, Harvey caught sight of a colourful flicker - it was unmistakably a group of helmetshrikes. They spent a week in the helmetshrike habitat. The absence of sightings or documentation of the helmetshrike for decades does not necessarily indicate its extinction. Harvey points out that being “unknown to Western science” does not equate to being lost. He highlighted that there are regions of the world poorly explored by biologists and bird watchers. It took them two weeks to get to the area where they finally spotted the birds, travelling first by off-road vehicles, dirt bikes, and on foot for over a week. But the helmetshrike was not the only surprise. The expedition yielded other surprises, including the rediscovery of a tiny frog last documented in the 1950s. Belgian scientists first discovered the red-bellied squeaker frog after the Second World War, when the Congo was still under colonial rule. They also took DNA samples of a rare snake. Findings like these could shine the spotlight on often-overlooked regions and their biodiversity. Harvey believes people could become invested in preservation and conservation efforts by raising awareness. Greenbaum agreed, “Each new discovery reaffirms why it’s so important that we continue exploring the planet’s most biodiverse areas.”
Credit: Matt Brady
A FLICKER OF FEATHERED FORTUNE
S cientists rediscovered a rare bird thought to have been extinct in the wild in the jungles of the Democratic Republic of Congo during a six-week expedition to the Itombwe Massif, a mountain range in the eastern part of the country. Nobody has seen the yellow-crested helmetshrike for nearly 20 years. With its bright yellow crest and black plumage, the striking bird occurs only in the high cloud forests of the Albertine Rift montane regions. However, war and the
inaccessibility of this remote mountain habitat made surveys difficult in the past.
Greenbaum. Ornithologist Matt Brady and a Congolese research group from Centre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles joined the expedition. Not only did they capture the first photographs of this African bird species long believed lost to science, but they also recorded audio. The expedition also had challenges. Braving torrential rain, rough terrain, and potential tropical diseases, the scientists collaborated with Congolese colleagues to explore over 75 miles of
“It was a mind-blowing experience to come across these birds. We knew they might be possible here, but I was not prepared for how spectacular and unique they would appear in life,” said Michael Harvey, PhD, an ornithologist, and assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at UTEP.
Harvey co-led the expedition with Professor of Biological Sciences Eli
TURKISH AUTHORITIES CRACK DOWN ON ILLICIT WILDLIFE COLLECTION
Animals illegally killed. Istanbul Police Department’s Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Branch
I n a massive operation targeting the illegal wildlife trade, Turkish authorities have conducted coordinated raids on two private museums housing trophies of endangered species in Istanbul. The combined estimate of the seizures is worth over US $2.3 million, revealing extensive criminal activity spanning decades. The collections housed more than 400 specimens, some species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). CITES is an international agreement between governments aiming to ensure that
international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Acting on intelligence, police targeted the premises of 85-year-old businessperson Ali Haydar Ustay. They believe Ustay, known for his passion for big game hunting, has spent years travelling internationally to hunt protected species. He then displayed his trophies at two private museum locations in Istanbul’s Sarıyer and Arnavutköy districts. During raids in March, police confiscated taxidermy specimens from Ustay’s collections, including polar bears,
crocodiles, lions, cheetahs, bison, and a mammoth tusk. The seized trophies represented over 30 countries from six continents, transported illegally on Ustay’s private plane. Among the most concerning finds was the rare Anadolu tiger skin, revealing that Ustay might have hunted Turkey’s last known individual of this extinct subspecies. The discovery sparked outrage among conservation groups, given the tiger’s symbolic status for Turkey’s lost biodiversity.
solely for pleasure, establishing an illicit museum to display his trophies. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison for each unlawful animal killed. International bodies such as Interpol have praised Turkey’s leadership in disrupting the illegal market trade, enabling the demand for rare trophies. Monitoring groups are analysing seizure records for clues, tracing smuggling routes and identifying accomplices abroad who may now fear prosecution.
Ustay now faces interrogation over hunting well over 400 protected species
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