The endangered southern resident killer whale population isn’t getting enough to eat, and hasn’t been since 2018, a new University of British Columbia (UBC) study has determined. The animals have been in an energy deficit, averaged across spring, summer and fall, for six of the last 40 years—meaning the energy they get from food is […]
Tag: british columbia
First Nation reclaims territory by declaring Indigenous protected area in Canada
Persistent rain couldn’t dampen the high spirits of Mamalilikulla First Nation members and their guests on a dark day in May. As lowering clouds played hide-and-seek with soaring mountains, the Nation shared lunch and performed traditional songs and dances in their remote territory on British Columbia’s Central Coast, some 350 kilometers (220 miles) north of […]
Human disturbance is pitting wolverines against an unlikely competitor: Coyotes
In March this year, headlines across the United States announced the rare sighting of an elusive creature in Yellowstone National Park: the wolverine. In the accompanying photographs, a lumbering, blackish-brown animal stands in profile on a snowy road. The individual, thought to be one of only around 10 wolverines that call Yellowstone home, continued on […]
How one British Columbia group, First Nations bought out trophy hunters
Butchart Gardens, the slopes of Whistler, a wine-lover’s adventure through the Okanagan — these are some of the hot spots many tourists to British Columbia look to tick off on their way through YVR. But for a select few, the province’s draw lies in its woods, broken highlands and rugged coastlines, a canvas to hook […]
British Columbia Announces Plan to Ban Mink Farming
British Columbia has decided that it will be putting a ban on mink farming due to Covid and general health concerns. There is already a permanent ban on breeding mink, limiting the abilities of mink farming areas. Now, the ban on the entire practice of mink farming will be put into place by 2023, causing […]
‘Unforgivable’: Average of 2.4 black bears killed daily by B.C. conservation officers in August
VANCOUVER – Dozens of black bears were killed in B.C. last month by conservation officers after what officials say was a busy time with thousands of calls. According to provincial statistics posted online Wednesday, conservation officers were called 3,524 times about black bears in August. Officers went to 335 of those calls and in 74 […]
POLL: Fur farming has lost its social license due to the cruelty and health risks. Should it be banned?
IN THE WILD, MINK HAVE A NATURAL TERRITORY of up to 2,500 hectares, where they swim, run, hunt and socialize. In BC’s mink farms, they live their whole lives in small cages which many British Columbians view as inhumane. In the past year, health experts have raised alarms about the spread of viruses, including COVID-19. […]
When Chinook salmon is off the menu, other prey will do for endangered orcas
For nearly 20 years, Robin Baird has been following killer whales, trying to figure out what they eat. At first, he would look to see what was in their mouths as the whales feasted on fish near the surface. But then he and his colleague, Brad Hanson, started looking for more subtle clues in their […]