In 2016, when biologists in Mexico reviewed their photo traps from Cozumel, a Mexican island in the Caribbean, they were surprised to see an ocelot, a wildcat considered endangered in the country. But curiosity soon turned to alarm: ocelots are effective predators of endemic species on the island, which have no experience or natural defense […]
Tag: carnivores
Huge carnivores are roaming the streets of this Ethiopian city. What they’re doing could be saving people $100,000 USD per year
Climate change has an unlikely new ally. In Ethiopia, urban scavengers, such as hyenas and hooded vultures, are preventing over a thousand tonnes of carbon emissions every year, just by eating rotten meat. The findings are reported in Ecological Solutions and Evidence. Scavenging animals are a common feature of large Ethiopian cities, where they live in the […]
Predators in peril: Protected areas cover just a fraction of global carnivore ranges
Slinking beneath the greenery of the Amazon is a cat whose territory far exceeds its stature. Despite weighing less than the average housecat, scientists say the northern tiger cat (Leopardus tigrinus) stalks a territory of up to 50 square kilometers (around 20 square miles). And this small, spotted feline is not alone — carnivores around […]
Watch dramatic BBC footage shows desperate, ravenous leopard mother risking death for her cubs, high in the treetops
In Botswana’s wild Okavango Delta, leopards love to feast on large ungulates, such as antelope and zebra. The Delta is usually home to a rich array of flora and fauna, attracting huge populations of elephants, hippopotamuses, crocodiles, buffalo and antelope from across the region. The abundance of prey makes it a prime location for Africa’s […]
Study busts big bad myth that wolves are growing fearless of humans
After years of being hunting to near-extinction, wolves are making a comeback in some of their historical ranges in Europe and North America. With their return comes a growing concern that the predators are moving too close to human settlements, becoming bolder and less fearful of people. Researchers set out to see if that’s true, […]
Zoo Worker Killed by Escaped Captive Leopard in Jerusalem
According to a report from BBC News, a tragic incident unfolded at Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo when a leopard escaped its enclosure and fatally attacked 36-year-old Uriel Nuri, head of the zoo’s carnivores team. The attack occurred during a behind-the-scenes tour for visitors, who remained safe behind protective glass. Despite immediate medical attention, Nuri later died […]
Rare Colocolo Cat Captured on Trail Cam in Chile Sauntering up as if on a Catwalk (Watch)
A conservation nonprofit in Chile has delighted South American ecologists with the daytime camera trap footage of a Pampas cat, an extremely rare, non-endangered, and little-understood small wildcat species. Named after the characteristic South American environment they thrive in, the “Colocolo,” to use the local name, looks like a small lynx, or large house cat. […]
Reintroducing Wolves to Scottish Highlands Could Boost Woodlands, Study Finds
The reintroduction of wolves to the Scottish Highlands could help expand native woodlands, which could in turn absorb and sequester one million additional tons of carbon dioxide annually, according to a new study. The research, led by scientists at the University of Leeds, modeled wolves’ potential impact in four areas of Scottish Wild Land, where […]