Wind energy is an important tool for reducing carbon emissions. Hundreds of thousands of wind turbines now operate globally, and despite recent challenges in some countries, analysts predict that wind power capacity could grow tenfold by 2050. But wind turbines can have significant environmental impacts, particularly on birds. In 2021, the American Bird Conservancy estimated […]
Dehorning rhinos reduces poaching by 80%, study finds
Cutting the horns off rhinos causes a large reduction in poaching, according to a new study, which raises questions about the effectiveness of expensive anti-poaching techniques used to protect the African mammals. Poaching for horn is a significant threat to the world’s five rhino species. The substance, which is similar to human fingernails, is commonly […]
Man jailed after exotic animal trafficking gang exposed
Noticing a strange smell, officials opened a package from overseas to discover snakes, iguanas, turtles and tarantulas – many of them dead. Two years later, a sweeping investigation into an illegal wildlife trafficking ring has led to a Queensland man being sentenced to jail. Jesse Sayeg pleaded guilty to three offences related to smuggling exotic […]
Wildlife Advocates Condemn Proposed ‘Barbaric’ Florida Black Bear Hunt
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officials are moving forward with plans for a black bear hunt in the state in December. The proposed 23-day hunt could result in the slaughter of nearly 200 bears — almost five percent of the state’s estimated total. Opponents are calling it a bloodlust-driven trophy hunt with no […]
Rarely seen metres-long ‘doomsday’ oarfish washes up on Tasmania’s wild west coast
At first it looked like a great silver streak on the sand. An oarfish, fantastically long and rarely seen, had washed up on Tasmania’s rugged west coast. Oarfish, one of the ocean’s longest fish, are astonishing creatures that grow up to eight metres long. Nicknamed the “king of herrings” or more unkindly the “doomsday fish”, […]
These Cockatoos Learned to Operate Drinking Fountains with Their Feet to Quench Their Thirst
When scientist Barbara Klump saw some cockatoos operate a water fountain in Australia, a million questions flashed through her mind. That’s understandable. How did they learn; why did they learn? Can all cockatoos do that and can they teach it? Why not just drink from the stream? When it comes to displays of animal intelligence, […]
Zimbabwe to cull elephants and distribute meat to people
Zimbabwe will cull dozens of elephants and distribute the meat for consumption to ease the ballooning population of the animals, its wildlife authority said Tuesday. The southern Africa country is home to the second-biggest elephant population in the world after Botswana. The cull at a vast private game reserve in the southeast would initially target […]
Only a tiny % of the deep seafloor has ever been visually observed: Study
For national and international policymakers, decisions on how to regulate — and whether to allow — exploitative human activities such as deep-sea mining require good information. A new study suggests that when it comes to the ocean floor, they may not have it. Only 0.001% of the deep seafloor has ever been captured by photo […]