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The pangolin black market is fueled by its scales, not its good looks

May 15, 2019
Pangolin scales are in demand primarily for traditional Chinese medicine.
A baby Sunda pangolin nicknamed 'Sandshrew' is taken out for feeding by Serena Oh, assistant director and head vet of Veterinary Services in Wildlife Reserves Singapore, at the Singapore Zoo on June 30, 2017. Sandshrew was brought to the Wildlife Health and Research Centre on January 16, reportedly found stranded in the Upper Thomson area by a member of the public. Sunda pangolins are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP/Getty Images

For many Haitians, street dispensaries are the only source of medicine

What’s a street dispensary? It’s “a sort of chemical Babel Tower,” according to Arnaud Robert, who reported on these Haitian pharmacies for the June 2017 issue of National Geographic. But the street vendors are not pharmacists, and their wares are not regulated. This illegal, ubiquitous medical practice can have serious consequences for the health of many […]

Don't call National Geographic 'stodgy'

Sep 27, 2016
National Geographic Editor-in-Chief Susan Goldberg talks about why this is the best time for visual storytelling.
Alex Wong/Getty Images

Finding reality in photos in the age of filters

Jul 13, 2016
National Geographic shares how it checks for accuracy in photos.
Digital technology has simplified the alteration of images, such as moving a pyramid to make a horizontal image fit on a vertical cover (see below).
Gordon Gahan/National Geographic