On December 22, a federal appeals court ruled that the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) did not properly follow procedures when it banned importing elephant “trophies” – including heads, tusks, or other parts – from Zimbabwe in 2014. While the ruling was aimed at an Obama Administration policy, its impact will likely influence how […]
Category: News
Nepal’s Last Dancing Bears Have Been Rescued
Rejoice, animal lovers. The last two known “dancing bears” in Nepal have been rescued from lives of sadness and pain. Bears become “dancing bears” after would-be showmen capture or purchase cubs. Those young bears are stolen from their mothers, and from that point forward, they’ll never again live as a wild bear should. Instead, their […]
Trump plan to shrink ocean monuments threatens vital ecosystems, experts warn
The Trump administration’s plan to shrink four land-based national monuments has provoked howls of anguish from environmental groups, Native American tribes and some businesses, such as the outdoors company Patagonia. Accompanying changes to protected monuments in the oceans – vastly larger areas than their land-based counterparts – have received less attention, but could have major […]
Waterbirds flock to well-run countries, new study shows
A country’s citizens aren’t the only ones to benefit from living in a place that’s run well. In a new study, a team of scientists reports that the most important factor that determines the conservation status of waterbird species is how effectively a country is managed. “Political instability can weaken legal enforcement, and consequently promote […]
New survey reveals… Laikipia’s patas monkey in decline (Kenya)
By Yvonne de Jong & Tom Butynski, Eastern Africa Primate Diversity and Conservation Program (wildsolutions.nl) and Lolldaiga Hills Research Programme (lolldaiga.com) The eastern patas monkey Erythrocebus patas pyrrhonotus is a subspecies whose abundance and geographic range are in decline. Laikipia County, central Kenya, supports a small, isolated, population which forms the stronghold and eastern limit […]
Poachers Shoot Down Sea Shepherd Drone in the Gulf of Mexico
Poachers in the Gulf of Mexico have reached a new level of violence after shooting down a Sea Shepherd drone for the first time. Sea Shepherd ships were in the Sea of Cortez as part of a Operation Milagro IV to save the critically endangered vaquita porpoise and endangered totoaba bass from illegal fishing when […]
Everyday Extinction: An Instagram Campaign Raising Awareness of Species Extinction
The current rate of biodiversity loss has thrust the world into a sixth extinction event and much of the blame falls on humanity, as does the responsibility for combating the severe losses. Raising public awareness on the rapid extinction of species is one of the most important actions we can take. In response to this […]
Coast Guard Rescues Sea Turtle Entangled Amid Bales of Cocaine
A military plane happened to be in the right place at the right time in November when its occupants spotted debris floating in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Central America. They notified the U.S. Coast Guard. A Coast Guard crew aboard the cutter Thetis dispatched a small boat to sail over to the […]