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 […]
Tag: invasive species
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 […]
PETA is Calling to End 2020 Python Bowl Where Citizens are Trained to Hunt and Kill Snakes Inhumanely
PETA is calling for the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee to cancel the 2020 Python Bowl, where people have been asked to hunt pythons in Florida’s Everglades area. Pythons are an invasive species in the Florida Everglades. To encourage Floridians to capture as many pythons as possible, the group promoting the event is offering $2000 […]
‘The most intellectual creature to ever walk Earth is destroying its only home’
During my years studying chimpanzees in Gombe national park in Tanzania I experienced the magic of the rainforest. I learned how all life is interconnected, how each species, no matter how insignificant it may seem, has a role to play in the rich tapestry of life – known today as biodiversity. Even the loss of […]
POLL: Should US Wildlife “Killing” Services Be Disbanded?
From foxes and falcons to otters and owls, the USDA program is doing away with wildlife in droves. Wow. Who knew that the Wildlife Services branch of the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHS) was so busy? I stumbled across their “Program Data Report G – 2017” and honestly, it stopped me in […]
POLL: Should Florida’s invasive iguanas be killed off?
Florida is struggling with a fast-increasing population of invasive green iguanas that began as a small group of released and escaped pets. Thriving in the warm sunshine and humid climate, experts believe hundreds of thousands of nonnative iguanas now call the Sunshine State “home.” There, state conservation officials claim they threaten the wellbeing of native […]
