In undercover raids carried out in late September, Mexican authorities discovered 2,339 wild-caught turtles crammed into bins in five locations in Jalisco and Baja California states. Along with the live reptiles, they found a massive stash of other illegal wildlife products that are coveted as delicacies in East Asia: 1,569 kilograms (3,459 pounds) of sea […]
Troubled New Zealand wildlife park euthanises two lions
A New Zealand wildlife park has been forced to euthanise two of their lions, following the closure of the park amid ongoing financial difficulties. The privately owned Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the northern city of Whangārei on New Zealand’s north island, has been up for sale since August. The sanctuary said they had been […]
‘The tigers are hungry’: endangered but deadly, the world’s largest big cat is sowing fear in Siberia’s villages
The attacks seemed to come from nowhere. At first, the tigers snatched guard dogs on the edge of villages in Russia’s far east, emerging from the forest at night to prey. Others went for livestock, going after horses and cattle. Then the attacks on people began. In January, an ice fisher was mauled at night […]
Incredible, first-of-their-kind images show an orca being born in Norway — and the rest of its pod forming a protective circle
Scientists in Norway have witnessed the birth of a baby orca in the wild, first-of-their-kind pictures show. The researchers were observing a group of orcas (Orcinus orca) during a whale-watching trip off the coast of Skjervøy in the Arctic Circle when the water around the animals suddenly turned crimson with blood, they said. “We were […]
Reindeer numbers may fall by more than half by 2100 as Arctic warms: Study
Global reindeer populations could fall by more than half by 2100 due to the impacts of climate change, including the shrinking of their habitats, according to a recent study, Mongabay’s Sonam Lama Hyolmo reports. Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), known in North America as caribou, live only in frozen tundra and boreal forests near the Arctic, and […]
Catastrophic 73% decline in the average size of global wildlife populations in just 50 years reveals a ‘system in peril’
Major threats to wildlife populations include the wildlife trade, hunting, invasive species, pollution, climate change, habitat loss and the declining state of our oceans. Focusing on Wildlife works closely with local conservation partners in almost 50 countries to deliver locally led conservation solutions that are sustainable, scientifically robust, and linked to human well-being. Our approach […]
This bizarre Galápagos bird hunts giant deep-sea squid at night. How it does it is astonishing
Ghostly white forms drifted like white handkerchiefs on the brisk night breeze, dipping, rising, flapping, turning and tumbling over an inky black ocean. My small sailing boat rocked gently on the waves, while a handful of stars blinked between the clouds above. The shoreline lay some 30km ahead, just visible as a faint smudge on […]
MPs call for release of 15 penguins ‘trapped’ at London aquarium
A group of 75 MPs are calling for the release of 15 penguins “trapped” in a small enclosure “without sunlight or fresh air” at the Sea Life London Aquarium. Housing the 15 gentoo penguins at the attraction on the South Bank was “un-British”, said the leader of the campaign. Members of parliament from across the […]