While many consider wildlife poaching to be a problem that only happens abroad, the practice often occurs closer to home. Take Oregon, for instance. In the past two years, at least eight wolves have died of poaching or “mysterious circumstances” in the state, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. Now, the U.S. Fish and […]
It was disappointing to say the least when it was announced earlier this summer that Yellowstone National Park’s iconic grizzly bears would be stripped of protection under the Endangered Species Act. But now, in an effort to get protection restored,multiple tribal and conservation organizations are taking the government to court. In the U.S., there was […]
On August 7, footage surfaced in international media of brown bears “besieging” a Romanian village. The clip shows the animals scavenging for food in trash bins, walking through the town, and running past bewildered pedestrians. Unfortunately, images like these can invoke fear among the public and play very well into the hands of those who […]
You think you’ve seen it all, but then you realize you really haven’t. In the Florida Keys, a routine traffic stop led police to discover something deeply disturbing: Two men had captured and hogtied three endangered Key deer. On July 2, 2017, the men stuffed two of the deer in the back seat and one […]
To see how far we’ve come in restoring grizzly bear populations in and around Yellowstone National Park, consider: There are five times more grizzlies now than there were in 1975, when they were first protected under the Endangered Species Act. The area grizzlies roam has increased by half. And conflicts with bears attracted to landowners’ […]
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service currently is considering the most significant wildlife issue of our time: removal of Endangered Species Act protections from Yellowstone’s grizzly bear population. This action will trigger a trophy hunting season in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. Habitat and food sources for Yellowstone’s grizzlies are being profoundly impacted by climate change. […]
Despite their stature as the tallest land animal on earth, and status as one of the most iconic and beloved species in the world, giraffes have been quietly disappearing from the landscape at an alarming rate. Now, however, there’s hope the U.S. will act to ensure their survival by protecting them as an endangered species. […]
Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) and Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) have introduced legislation that is an extreme and irresponsible attack on your public lands and the wildlife they support. This bill has the Orwellian title of the “Greater Sage Grouse Protection and Recovery Act,” (S.273, H.R.527). These bills would do the opposite of what their titles […]
Once nearly extinct, gray wolves have rebounded in recent years under the Endangered Species Act. In Wisconsin, their numbers grew to around 900 in 2016—a 16 percent increase over the previous year. To James Holte of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, this is not good news. “As wolf populations continue to increase, interactions between farmers, their […]
Federal authorities are taking most humpback whales off the endangered species list, saying they have recovered enough in the last 40 years to warrant being removed. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) said on Monday that nine of the 14 distinct populations of humpbacks would be removed, while four distinct populations remain listed as endangered […]
One of the most frustrating elements for me of the toxic political climate today is how little facts seem to matter anymore in public discourse. It’s become a common belief that the Endangered Species Act hasn’t worked because, since its passage in 1973, only a handful of species have recovered enough to be de-listed. Just […]
In 1716, exactly three hundred years ago, Bostonians were the first Americans to lay eyes upon an African lion. George Washington was yet to be born and the concept of our nation was still 60 years away. According to the Boston News Letter, “All persons having the Curiosity of seeing the noble and Royal Beast […]
In the movie When Harry Met Sally, Sally Albright orders a piece of pie in a restaurant saying, “I’d like the pie heated and I don’t want the ice cream on top, I want it on the side, and I’d like strawberry instead of vanilla if you have it, if not then no ice cream […]
