Giraffes, with their iconic long necks and unmistakable, beautifully patterned coats, are facing extinction. There are currently fewer than 69,000 mature individuals remaining in the wild today. And the threats of habitat loss and illegal hunting for bushmeat are only exacerbated by demand for giraffe trophies and other products traded internationally. The U.S. is partly […]
Tag: endangered species act
Motherless grizzly cubs in danger on North Fork Highway
At least two bears were killed in vehicle collisions on the North Fork Highway over the weekend as visitors continue to flood into Yellowstone National Park. And the lives of two young cubs, now alone in the Shoshone National Forest, hang in the balance. A grizzly bear sow was struck and killed Friday and a […]
Pepé Le New: Meet the acrobatic spotted skunks of North America
The familiar striped skunk of North America (think of the cartoon Pepé Le Pew) has a lesser-known cousin: the spotted skunk. These polka-dotted relatives are smaller, about the size of a fat squirrel, and do impressive handstands to warn predators before they launch their stinky spray. And now, this skunk group has a few more […]
Wolf Populations Drop as More States Allow Hunting
Gray wolves once roamed the entire North American continent, from the scrubby deserts of Mexico to the boreal forests of Alaska. But by the 1950s decades of overhunting and habitat loss had nearly extirpated the species in the contiguous United States. In a remarkable conservation success story, the 1973 Endangered Species Act (ESA) helped push […]
For the First Time in History California has Two Packs of Wolves with Pups
A new report shows that for the first time in a century, California has at least two packs of wolves, reported World Animal News. Two of California’s existing wolf families have given birth to 12 pups. Amaroq Weiss, senior West Coast wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, said, “We’re over the moon knowing […]
Opinion: Cruelty toward wolves is erasing conservation efforts. It’s time to reinstate their protections.
“Wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains are recovered and no longer warrant Endangered Species Act protections.” I don’t know how many times I said that during my 22-year career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Certainly dozens of times, and increasingly so during my tenure as the service’s director from 2011 to 2017. And […]
Melting ice imperils 98 percent of Emperor penguin colonies by 2100
WASHINGTON — With climate change threatening the sea ice habitat of Emperor penguins, the US Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday announced a proposal to list the species as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. “The lifecycle of Emperor penguins is tied to having stable sea ice, which they need to breed, to feed and […]
Petition: List Monarch Butterflies as Threatened Under the Endangered Species Act
Monarch butterflies are such a beautiful species. Aside from being lovely to look at it, Monarch butterflies also play an important role in our environment. They are vital pollinators and food sources for other creatures. These small insects play a big role in keeping a balanced ecosystem. Sadly, the population of Monarch butterflies is on […]