Air pollution filters help scientists produce first UK wildlife survey using eDNA

Air pollution filters help scientists produce first UK wildlife survey using eDNA

As the UK’s Big Butterfly Count reaches more than 100,000 submissions, an international group of scientists have produced the first national survey of biodiversity using an entirely different approach. Instead of looking for species by eye, they took advantage of the samplers around the UK that constantly measure toxic metal particles in the air, and […]

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The Forest Service Gets a Slap on Their Prairie Dog Killing Plan

The Forest Service Gets a Slap on Their Prairie Dog Killing Plan

On the Thunder Basin National Grassland of northeastern Wyoming, the livestock industry has been pursuing an aggressive campaign to expand poisoning and shooting of prairie dogs. And in 2020, the Forest Service gave them a plan amendment that radically expanded prairie dog killing, and eliminated a special designation of a Black-footed Ferret Reintroduction Area to […]

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Vaccinations Work Better Than Culling for Bovine Tuberculosis in Badgers, Study Finds

Vaccinations Work Better Than Culling for Bovine Tuberculosis in Badgers, Study Finds

Rather than culling animals amidst major disease outbreaks, a new study has found a potentially more effective alternative: vaccinations. At least that’s what researchers confirmed for curbing bovine tuberculosis in badgers in research recently published in the journal People and Nature. The findings are promising for not only protecting badgers but also cattle, which have […]

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UK Government Issues Badger Cull Licenses Despite Scientific Opposition

UK Government Issues Badger Cull Licenses Despite Scientific Opposition

The UK government has recently issued 17 new badger cull licenses, disregarding the advice of Dr. Peter Brotherton, the scientific advisor from Natural England. Leaked documents revealed by the Guardian show that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is continuing the cull to manage bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle, despite Brotherton’s assertion […]

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