West Africa’s leopards now officially endangered after 50% population crash

West Africa’s leopards now officially endangered after 50% population crash

There are only about 350 mature leopards left in West Africa, according to the latest regional assessment by the IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority. Leopards (Panthera pardus) in West Africa are thought to be genetically isolated from those in Central Africa, with little or no interbreeding between populations. They’re found in 11 countries: Benin, […]

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Orange-bellied parrots have swelled back from imminent extinction – but now they face a new threat

Orange-bellied parrots have swelled back from imminent extinction – but now they face a new threat

One of Australia’s most critically endangered bird species has started arriving at Melaleuca, in Tasmania’s south-western world heritage area. By late this week, six orange-bellied parrots had turned up at the remote outpost to breed, having made the weeks-long flight from the mainland, across Bass Strait and down the state’s wild west coast. Relatively little […]

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The bird that eats itself to survive: During its epic migration it consumes its internal organs – including its kidneys – which then regenerate

The bird that eats itself to survive: During its epic migration it consumes its internal organs – including its kidneys – which then regenerate

It takes guts to migrate long distances – literally, if you’re a bar-tailed godwit Limosa lapponica baueri. This crow-sized shorebird burns not just flab, but even some innards to fuel its marathon migrations. Each autumn, the godwit flies from its breeding grounds in Alaska and Siberia to Australia or New Zealand to spend the winter. […]

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Locally Extinct for a Century, Bay Scallops Thriving Again on Virginia Shore of Chesapeake Bay

Locally Extinct for a Century, Bay Scallops Thriving Again on Virginia Shore of Chesapeake Bay

Bay scallops are making an incredible resurgence in coastal bays along Virginia’s Eastern Shore, according to a new survey. The exponential population growth is the result of decades of dedicated seagrass restoration efforts that allowed scientists to reintroduce the species to its former home. Locally extinct since the 1930s due to habitat loss, bay scallops […]

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Thirty belugas in Canada face being euthanised. Can they be saved?

Thirty belugas in Canada face being euthanised. Can they be saved?

For decades, Marineland was a destination for Canadian children and their parents who wanted an up-close look at ocean-life near Niagara Falls. But behind the aquatic-themed roller coasters and dolphin performances was a dark history of documented mistreatment of animals and lingering financial problems. Ontario’s Animal Welfare Services has conducted multiple investigations over the past […]

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It took just 60 years for the red fox, one of Australia’s most devastating predators, to colonise the continent

It took just 60 years for the red fox, one of Australia’s most devastating predators, to colonise the continent

To a newly arrived red fox, the abundant rolling grasslands and swamps of Wadawurrung Country, around what is now called Port Phillip Bay in Victoria, must have seemed like a predator’s paradise. This landscape was filled with small native marsupials and birds, and free of European wolves or bears that usually kept fox numbers in […]

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