In the mid-1990s, the kākāpō seemed destined for extinction. Only 51 individuals of the flightless, nocturnal parrot remained, all of them descended from a shrinking gene pool and spread across remote corners of New Zealand. A victim of its own evolutionary success, the kākāpō had once flourished in a predator-free island ecosystem. But its defenses—freezing […]
Category: Wildlife
International Tiger Day: 3 stories of hope
The tiger, once wide-ranging across Asia, has disappeared from much of its historic range. But thanks to concerted conservation efforts and communities willing to coexist with them, the majestic predator is making a comeback in some parts of the continent despite threats including habitat loss and poaching. South Asia continues to be a stronghold for […]
Big game hunter, 52, gored to death by buffalo he was trying to kill
An American big game hunter was gored to death by a buffalo he was stalking in South Africa. Millionaire ranch trader Asher Watkins, 52, was on safari last Sunday with a tracker when he was killed. The 1.3 tonne animal charged out of the brush and hit Mr Watkins, killing him almost instantly. Watkins was […]
More than 10,000 species on brink of extinction need urgent action: Study
Extinction is an overwhelming concept, difficult to grasp in its enormity and finality. Thousands of species are barreling toward that grim fate, unless we help. A comprehensive new study provides the clearest picture yet of Earth’s most imperiled species, and offers evidence that conservation can work. The study published in Nature Reviews Biodiversity found that […]
Minns government’s environmental integrity condemned as ‘nonexistent’ amid 40% surge in land clearing
The Minns government has lost its way on environmental policy, according to the New South Wales opposition, the Greens and a member of the crossbench, after government data revealed a 40% surge in land clearing across the state. The report is the latest headache for a state government under pressure over conservation concerns, including continued […]
I’ve caught the baby wombat”: 10 unbelievably idiotic and reckless acts committed by wildlife tourists that will have your blood boiling
Tourists, eh? What are they like? There’s clearly something about going on holiday that turns off the part of the brain that deals with common sense. Mix that with a devil may care ‘we’re on holiday, let’s do it’ attitude and a wild animal or two, and you’ve got a potent recipe for disaster, says […]
Scheme to release beavers into wild in England has stalled, say nature experts
When the first pair of beavers to be legally released in England crawled sleepily from their crates into the ponds of Purbeck Heath in Dorset, it seemed like a watershed moment for wildlife in the UK. Wildlife charities rejoiced as ministers finally agreed for the nature-boosting rodents to be released, subject to licence, into the […]
Petition: Add the Bollanolla Range to Australia’s Great Koala National Park – Protect Koala Habitat Now
The government of New South Wales is creating a new “great koala national park,” and this is wonderful news! The troubling thing though, is that so far, it’s excluded an important area that is home to a “high density” of many different endangered species. Sign the petition to make sure the government of New South […]