Sri Lanka’s High Court sentenced an elephant keeper to 15 years in prison on Friday, in a landmark case involving trafficking of wildlife protected by strict environmental laws. The three-judge court in Colombo found Niraj Roshan guilty on two counts of keeping a stolen baby elephant and falsifying records to show he had obtained it […]
Rarest Monkeys Now Number Close to 2,000 Thanks to One Man’s Jane Goodall-like Passion
From the BBC comes the story of an intrepid and dedicated scientist who has spent decades working in China’s mountain forests in an effort to protect and understand one of the nation’s most amazing animals. The golden sub-nosed monkey is revered alongside the giant panda as “national treasures” of Chinese wildlife, yet this couldn’t protect […]
‘A mythical place’: how a Melbourne sewage farm became a haven for 300 species of birds
In a gully between the dirt road and a field of softly waving grass, a brolga stands, straightens its elegant grey neck and gazes at the two four-wheel-drives crawling to a halt a short distance away. In the centre of a lagoon on the other side of the road, a second brolga sits atop a […]
Police investigation launched after swan believed to have been strangled
Police are investigating the death of a swan which is believed to have been strangled. A member of the public discovered the swan’s body at the Balancing Ponds in Saintbridge, Gloucester, on September 13. The bird’s body has since been passed to Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), for disposal. Gloucestershire Police […]
Chimps Eating Bat Poop Might Reveal Hidden Risks for Future Pandemics
A strange new behavior among chimpanzees in Uganda is raising red flags for scientists studying how diseases spill over from wildlife to humans. According to Earth.com, researchers observed chimps and other animals in Budongo Forest repeatedly eating bat guano as a replacement for lost mineral sources. For years, chimps relied on Raphia palm trees to […]
Maine wardens save moose stuck in abandoned well in five-hour rescue
A bull moose that fell into an abandoned well in Maine was pulled to safety during an elaborate five-hour rescue. The operation happened on Wednesday after Cole Brown, whose family owns the forested land in the northern Maine community of Pembroke, spotted a pair of antlers. He heard a noise and initially thought it was […]
Another dolphin dies at troubled Miami Seaquarium, adding to deaths, welfare concerns
Another dolphin has died at the Miami Seaquarium, an embattled marine park at the center of ongoing controversy for repeated animal safety violations and “suffering,” inspection violations, bankruptcy and an eviction battle. The Seaquarium, owned by the MS Leisure Company, under which subsidiary The Dolphin Company operates, has been the subject of criticism and regular […]
Melbourne Sewage Farm Transformed into Bird Haven
In Melbourne, a place once known for processing waste has become one of the most extraordinary sanctuaries for birdlife in Australia. According to The Guardian, the Western Treatment Plant now supports more than 300 species of birds across its grassy plains, marshlands, and lagoons, making it one of the richest wildlife sites in the country. […]