RIO DE JANEIRO - The UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) on Sunday approved the listing of 40 new species for international protection, including the snowy owl featured in the Harry Potter saga. The decision came at the conclusion of the Cop15 summit on migratory species in Campo Verde, Brazil, which brought together representatives from 132 countries and the European Union. It is one of the world's most important global meetings for wildlife conservation. The new list featured land mammals like the striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) and other aquatic wildlife such as the giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis). Habitat destruction, overfishing and water pollution from the Amazon to the Danube threaten the very survival of hundreds of species whose epic voyages along the world's great rivers go largely unnoticed.

Source: Bangkok Post March 30, 2026 02:06 UTC