Tourists and researchers on a whale-watching boat off the coast of Western Australia got a little more action than they bargained for when they witnessed a pygmy blue whale being hunted and eventually predated upon by a huge pod of orcas. Pygmy blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) are a subspecies of the largest creature ever […]
Iceland’s Biggest Whaling Company Cancels Whale Hunt for 2025!
In a rare win for whales, Iceland‘s largest commercial whaling company, Hvalur hf., has announced it will not hunt fin whales during the summer of 2025. The decision follows years of controversy, global criticism, and a shrinking market for whale meat in Japan, where the company exports nearly all of its catch. According to Mongabay, […]
Kenya accuses 4 men of trying to smuggle thousands of ants, as authorities note “shift in trafficking trends”
Nairobi, Kenya — Two Belgian teenagers were charged Tuesday with wildlife piracy after they were found with thousands of ants packed in test tubes in what Kenyan authorities said was part of a trend in trafficking smaller and lesser known species. Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, two 19-year-olds who were arrested on April 5 with […]
Trump administration seeks to narrow Endangered Species Act by redefining ‘harm’
The Trump administration on Wednesday proposed a rule to redefine what it means to “harm” a protected species under the Endangered Species Act, a move conservationists say will strip vulnerable plants and animals of habitat they need to survive. The proposal advanced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service would […]
Gopher tortoises find new home on Florida coast after astonishing journey to flee hurricane
Dozens of gopher tortoises survived a perilous sea crossing after being swept from their homes during Hurricane Helene last summer, and are enjoying a new lease of life on a remote stretch of Florida coastline. Rangers at Fort de Soto county park near St Petersburg say that before the September storm only eight of the […]
Telemetry: Tracking Bald Eagles in Real Time
We often say that the science of bird banding is like putting a message in a bottle and throwing it into the ocean. Data can only be recorded if someone else finds the bottle, or in other words, resights the bird and reports its band. While this data is useful, it is limited. Now, the […]
Georgia doctor sentenced in largest-ever rare bird trafficking case
HARRIS COUNTY, Ga. – A Georgia reconstructive orthopedic surgeon and a farm worker have been sentenced in what federal authorities are calling one of the largest bird trafficking cases in U.S. history, involving thousands of rare and protected bird specimens and eggs smuggled into the country. Collection included extremely rare eggs What we know: Dr. […]
Petition: Save Big Cats in Vietnam from Deadly Bird Flu Outbreak
A panther, three lions, and 47 tigers have recently died at various zoos in Vietnam due to an outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu virus. This heart-wrenching loss highlights the urgent need for change in how we treat and care for these magnificent animals. In a matter of only a few weeks in August and […]