A New Report Says We’re Hunting the World’s Mammals to Death. What Can Be Done?

Solutions are multifaceted and region-specific, but conservation researchers have some ideas

A black and white ruffed lemur in Madagascar’s Vakona Forest Reserve. Worldwide, primates are particularly prone to overhunting, according to the first global assessment of bush meat hunting trends. (Fredrik Stenström / Alamy )

By Joshua Rapp Learn

Take a walk on the wrong side of the rainforest in Laos, Vietnam or eastern Cambodia, and the traps are unavoidable. Hunters lay these snares by burying a wire under a layer of dirt and leaves, then attaching it to a tree bent towards the ground. When a thin bamboo strip gets bumped, it releases the tree and pulls the animal’s leg into the air, suspending it until bush meat hunters return for the slaughter.  Read more.