For three decades, Phil Mather has harvested olives from feral trees around South Australia. Mather, a landscape gardener, began hand-picking the fruit and pressing it into oil in his early 20s. It’s a seasonal pastime that has turned into a business in the past eight years. “This year I have produced over 1,500 litres, which […]
Tag: invasive species
Should invasive animal species, which have cost UK economy more than £5bn over past 50 years, be culled?
Alien invaders in the shape of animals and plants have cost the UK more than £5billion over the past 50 years, researchers estimate. The grey squirrel, European rabbit and Japanese knotweed are among the newcomers placing a financial strain on the economy. And they warn that the cost ‑ one of the highest in Europe […]
Florida seeks solution to invasive reptile problem – Should Florida’s invasive reptiles be culled?
From Key West’s high-summer Hemingway Days, in which bearded hopefuls vie for the title of best Papa lookalike, to the annual hunt for the elusive (and imaginary) skunk ape, Florida is renowned for its calendar of curiosities. Now another bizarre date has been added to the list: tag your reptile day. Owners of tegus, a […]
Petition: 31 Species Declared Extinct in Latest IUCN Red List Update
The International for Conservation of Nature updated its red list this week and includes 31 newly extinct species. There was some good news in the released report as well, however. The European Bison is showing signs of recovering and is no longer listed as “Vulnerable.” The report highlights the success that conservation efforts have had […]
Can a 2,000ft fence save Hawaii’s rare native birds from destruction?
Before the first Polynesian settlers arrived roughly 1,500 years ago, the Hawaiian Islands were ruled from the sky. Not a single land-dwelling reptile or mammal called the archipelago home – just winged insects, one variety of bat, and a truly vast array of birds. While Hawaii is still flush with life today, many of those […]
Brumby population to be culled in Victoria after Federal Court dismisses heritage concerns
The culling of feral horses in Victoria’s Alpine National Park will go ahead after the Federal Court ruled that alpine brumbies should not be protected. The Australian Brumby Alliance Inc tried to stop Parks Victoria from actioning its plan to cull the feral horses, which it claimed would impact on the park’s heritage value. But […]
Poison-laden drones to patrol New Zealand wilderness on the hunt for invasive pests
A large rat scampers across a shady forest floor in search of its latest meal of Kiwi chicks, one of New Zealand’s endangered native birds. But the rodent is in the sights of another predator – a mammoth drone carrying hundreds of kilograms of deadly poison. This scene could soon be playing out across New […]
‘Intense’ human pressure is widespread among terrestrial vertebrates, study finds
A new study assessing the cumulative impacts of human activities on wildlife found that the vast majority of terrestrial species are facing “intense” pressure due to humanity’s footprint across the globe. A research team led by Christropher O’Bryan of Australia’s University of Queensland looked at human pressures across the ranges of 20,529 terrestrial vertebrates and […]
