A court in Indonesia has sentenced a man to 12 years in prison for poaching six critically endangered Javan rhinos, in what’s been hailed as the harshest punishment handed down for wildlife crime to date. Poaching carries a maximum sentence of five years under Indonesian law, and prosecutors had sought this figure in the case […]
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Australian state fails on koala conservation while relying on faulty offset schemes, experts say
In the leadup to his election as Premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns promised the establishment of a Great Koala National Park in the Australian state as part of the Labor government’s agenda to protect the endangered koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). One year later, the park is still not established and native woodland logging is […]
Mysterious, at risk, understudied flat-headed cat lacks conservation focus
Unceremoniously named for its distinctively shaped skull, the flat-headed cat is up for consideration as one of the world’s most endangered and elusive felines. Weighing in at less than the size of a domestic cat, this diminutive species roams semiaquatic and wetland habitat in Sumatra, Borneo, the Malay Peninsula and southern Thailand. To navigate their […]
Rewilding efforts throw a lifeline to Brazil’s most trafficked endangered bird
As the door of the wire enclosure is unlatched, a small coal-black bird hops forward. For a moment, it perches at the threshold and cocks its head quizzically at its newfound liberty, then flits into the undergrowth of the surrounding savanna. Within just a few minutes, its mate, a chestnut-brown female, follows suit. These two […]
Elusive jaguarundi inspires biologists to share data across Latin America
The jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi) seems to lack distinction, at least to human eyes. It doesn’t have spots or stripes. It’s not an exceptional climber. It’s not endangered, or endemic to any one region. At 4-7 kilograms (9-16 pounds), it’s neither the biggest cat in the Americas, nor the smallest, nor even the biggest of the […]
Poachers claim to have killed one-third of all Javan rhinos, Indonesian police say
A staggering 26 Javan rhinos may have been killed in Indonesia’s Ujung Kulon National Park since 2019, according to local law enforcement. Once roaming much of Southeast Asia, Javan rhinos (Rhinoceros sondaicus) today survive in a single park in Java and are one of the most endangered large mammals on Earth. If the death toll […]
Otter-preneurs: Female sea otters lead the way in tool use for survival
In California’s Monterey Bay, where the vast Pacific Ocean meets lush kelp forests, sea otters, especially the females, are becoming more resourceful. These charismatic marine mammals, known for their playful nature and voracious appetites, are facing new challenges and using tools to overcome them. For generations, southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) have relied on […]
Green credentials of electric vehicles come under fire
Global new electric car sales rose 35% in 2023, to nearly 14 million vehicles, with almost all purchased in China, the U.S. and Europe. This was a 35% increase over 2022, and six times higher than in 2018. Although that momentum is faltering this year, as the industry adapts to a mass market, EVs continue […]