The Trump administration announced earlier this week its proposal to make changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA), limiting protections given to plants and animals and boosting the influence of economic factors in decision-making. This isn’t the first time alterations have been made to the ESA; the previous Trump administration made changes to the act […]
European wildcats could be seen again in England for first time in 100 years
The prospect of European wildcats prowling in south-west England has taken a leap forward after a two-year study concluded a reintroduction was feasible – and most local people were positive about the idea. Felis silvestris has been absent from mid-Devon for more than a century, but the area has been judged to have the right […]
“Each family display loyalty, courage and generosity” – These wild dogs might be branded villains, but what I found in the savannah completely changed my mind
The gritty 1973 thriller about an assassin plotting to murder the French president has much to answer for. Almost 40 years on, The Day of the Jackal continues to cast a long shadow over the lives of the wonderful animals that gave the film’s villain his codename. The word ‘jackal’ still invokes images of scavengers […]
Man Dies After Developing Allergy to Meat Following Tick Bite
A heartbreaking case from New Jersey has revealed the first known death tied to alpha gal syndrome, a rare meat allergy that can develop after a Lone Star tick bite. According to CBS News, researchers connected the 2024 death of a forty seven year old camper to a delayed anaphylactic reaction triggered by eating beef. […]
Against all odds: 5 incredible animal survival stories from around the world, including the three-legged lion that swam across a crocodile-infested river
We’ve all heard of survival of the fittest. But sometimes, the competition is only with yourself – and animals can survive in even the most challenging circumstances. From a stowaway frog discovered in a Surrey supermarket to a miniature dachshund lost in the Australian wilderness for over 500 days, these stories prove that wildlife is […]
For sharks on the brink of extinction, CITES Appendix II isn’t protective enough (commentary)
Sharks are some of the most threatened animals on Earth, with approximately one-third of all species assessed as threatened with extinction on the IUCN Red List. These animals are not only older than dinosaurs, but older than trees, and yet they face a very real risk of extinction within our lifetimes. Their number one threat […]
A lawsuit challenges an Alaska program that allows killing bears as a way to rebuild a caribou herd
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Conservation groups sued Monday over a state program in Alaska that authorizes killing brown bears and black bears as a way to increase the size of a once-significant caribou herd in the southwest part of the state. The groups allege the program lacks a scientific basis and is unconstitutional. The lawsuit […]
Easterly winds and clear skies are cue for charismatic waxwings to cross to UK
By November in the UK, autumn bird migration is more or less over. Our summer visitors, such as warblers, chats and flycatchers, are far to the south in Africa. Meanwhile, many winter visitors – mostly waders and wildfowl – have arrived from their breeding grounds to the north and east. Nevertheless, as the British Trust […]