Peru is one of the most biodiverse nations on earth, home to one-tenth of the Amazon rainforest and other ecosystems. But its species are sought by collectors around the world and there is a thriving domestic trade in wildlife which together forms one of the country’s most profitable illicit economies running parallel to its impressively […]
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Land reclamation in Malaysia puts endangered turtle at risk
Melaka – The expanse of sand stretches hundreds of meters in both directions, featureless and flat, its dusty monotony alleviated only by the excavators, trucks and dredgers that dump sand and rocks into the sea and smooth out the newly-created land. Billboards surrounding one site tout an aspirational dream of stylish apartments, luxury hotels and […]
Innovative technology creates safe haven for rhinos
An innovative new technology might be able to protect rhinos like never before. Unveiled last week, the new system integrates a set of technologies — Wi-Fi, thermal cameras, biometrics, closed-circuit televisions, and sensors — to create a security network across an entire game reserve. What makes it so promising is that it helps rangers react earlier, […]
International trade in African grey parrots banned
At a conservation meeting in South Africa last month, countries voted to ban all international commercial trade in wild-caught African grey parrots by including the species in the Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Captive-bred birds will be allowed to be traded, but only […]
It’s a bear, it’s a cat; no, it’s a binturong and it’s threatened
It has been said that the binturong is part bear, part cat, and has a monkey’s tail. Indeed, it does seem a bit like a composite animal, with parts gathered from here and there. But truly, it is in a class by itself — or at least, a genus all its very own. The binturong (Arctictis […]
More than 300 reindeer killed by lightning in Norway
A lightning strike killed more than 300 reindeer in Norway’s Hardangervidda region last Friday. At their last count, officials of the Norwegian Environment Agency reported the death of a herd of 323 reindeer of both sexes, including 70 calves. Five reindeer were severely injured in the storm and had to be euthanized. Lightning strikes have killed […]
The biologist terrifying the US Forest Service, timber and forest fire-fighting industries
Monica Bond is a wildlife biologist who has spent the past 15 years becoming an expert on spotted owls and forest fires. Earlier this month, she published a paper summarizing all existing science about what happens to spotted owls when forests burn, in the hope of averting a major US forest management policy mistake. The […]
Big city living doesn’t stop peregrine falcons from mating for life
As humans encroach more and more on their habitat, some peregrine falcons have become city-dwellers: at least 25 pairs now nest on man-made structures like skyscrapers and bridges in Chicago, for instance. In their natural habitat, where they build their nests on isolated cliff ledges, peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) mate for life. But like any […]