Your report on the river otter’s return to New York City’s Bronx River after a century’s absence (19 August) is genuinely wonderful news – proof that patient ecological restoration works. But it sits uneasily alongside a fact rarely mentioned: New York state still permits the trapping and killing of hundreds of river otters every year, […]
Tag: fur trade
Rodent for dinner? California officials urge residents to eat invasive nutria
Wildlife officials are encouraging California residents to add a rodent to their daily diet as part of efforts to control the invasive species‘ population. The nutria, a large, semi-aquatic rodent native to South America, is threatening the state’s ecosystems by destroying habitats and outcompeting native wildlife. The nutria’s harmful impacts have prompted wildlife officials to […]
WWF helping facilitate trade in polar bear fur, investigation reveals
The wildlife charity WWF has been maintaining policies that work to support the trade in polar bear fur at the same time as using images of the bears to raise money, it can be revealed. Polar bears are severely affected by the loss of Arctic sea ice, which makes seeking prey harder and forces the […]
Study of more than 600 animal and plant species finds genetic diversity has declined globally
Genetic diversity in animals and plants has declined globally over the past three decades, an analysis of more than 600 species has found. The research, published in the journal Nature, found declines in two-thirds of the populations studied, but noted that urgent conservation efforts could halt or even reverse genetic diversity losses. Dozens of scientists […]