Known only by his identity code, ID#35 was the last individual of a doomed subpopulation of freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris). He was the sole occupant of a deep pool in the Mekong River that spans the border between Cambodia and Laos, and fought for several weeks against lacerations to his tail from entanglement in […]
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Where is the threshold of environmental change that biodiversity can withstand before it is destabilized and collapses planetwide?
Biodiversity. When you hear this word, what do you picture? Iconic animals like African elephants, gray wolves and humpback whales? Or multicolored coral species that make up a reef system? Or bacteria and microbes that regulate nutrients in the soil, or oxygen-releasing phytoplankton that live in the ocean’s sunlit zones? While biodiversity does embrace all […]
The Namibian Government exported 22 wild-caught elephants to the United Arab Emirates in March
The export of 22 wild-caught elephants from Namibia to the United Arab Emirates in March has raised concerns over their welfare and stoked criticism of how Namibia manages its wildlife. Fifty-seven elephants were sold at auction in 2021 to private buyers, and 37 have already been captured. Fifteen of those were moved to a private […]
Elephants dying after eating plastic trash on open garbage dumps
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — The issue of trash-foraging elephants in Sri Lanka was brought to national attention thanks to a tweet by Hollywood icon Leonardo DiCaprio. Local conservationists, on the other hand, have long been warning about the problem, which they claim is caused by “short-sighted, politically motivated” planning that continues to harm elephants and […]
Tapir populations threatened by slow reproductive rates and fragmented habitats
In Brazil, calling someone a tapir is considered a derogatory term. However, there are several reasons why it should be seen as a praise. Tapirus terrestris, South America’s largest native land mammal and one of the planet’s most efficient supporters of biodiversity, is one of the most important, underappreciated, and persecuted species. The tapir, like […]
Uganda fails to enforce laws against wildlife crime by allowing bailed Ivory traffickers to disappear
Authorities in Uganda intercepted a shipment of roughly 4 tons of elephant ivory and pangolin scales from the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo on its way to the city, Kampala, in January 2019. What has happened in the three years since then reveals flaws in the country’s enforcement of wildlife-crime legislation. The Uganda Revenue Authority […]
Newly installed rope bridges help sloths move between the trees
Anna Baltodano and Michael Chizkov search for sloths every morning from their terrace. Slow-moving and with fur the color of tree branches, the animals blend in among monkeys, iguanas, and toucans in the trees where they sleep, eat, and move — ever so slowly. The woodland that once surrounded the couple’s terrace has been chipped […]
Macaques monkeys increasingly coming into conflict with humans in Indonesia
BATAM, Indonesia – The Indonesian city of BATAM is a popular tourist destination. On an October day, the huts along Mirota Beach were packed with visitors who were taking advantage of the beautiful white dunes, clear waters, and peaceful attitudes. The peace was broken when a group of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) arrived on the beach […]