Lions put a damper on the number of young giraffes that survive to maturity, according to a new study, raising concerns about a species that has recently slipped into decline. “It is thought that lions preferentially target giraffe calves in the wild, and there is anecdotal evidence of this,” biologist Zoe Muller said in a […]
Tag: Predation
POLL: Should outdoor cats be prevented from killing birds?
More than 1 million native Australian birds are killed across the country by cats every day, new research shows. The study, published in the journal Biological Conversation, estimates feral cats kill 316 million birds a year, while pet cats kill 61 million birds annually. More than 99% are native. “Everyone knows that cats kill birds, […]
POLL: Should we prevent our cats from killing birds?
The only sure way to prevent pet cats from killing birds is to keep them inside or to walk them outdoors on a leash. These methods are encouraged by veterinarians, animal welfare groups and environmentalists. Yet, less than half of the estimated 73 million cats in the United States live indoors according to the National […]
Piping Plovers Here and There
In June 2013 during my Conservation Big Year, when I still needed to see an endangered Roseate Tern, I learned that I had a good chance of seeing one or more feeding at Popham Beach State Park in Maine. Sure enough, I saw one there—the only Roseate Tern I saw all year—but that listing conquest […]
The most beautiful crocodile photos we’ve ever seen
Photographer and dive instructor Ricardo Castilo might have been looking for sharks when he dipped into the cold, clear waters of Cuba’s Gardens of the Queen National Marine Park, but what he got was a toothy predator of a different sort: a 12-foot (3 metre) crocodile. The huge reptilian wasn’t showing any signs of aggression, […]
Norway landmark ruling sees five jailed over wolf hunting
Five men have been sentenced to prison in Norway for organising an illegal wolf hunt, in the country’s first prosecution of such a case. The group’s ringleader was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison, while four others were ordered to serve between six months and a year. They all denied the charges. […]
Amazonian bird chick mimics toxic caterpillar to avoid being eaten
In a study published in the January 2015 issue of The American Naturalist, Gustavo A. Londoño, Duván Garcia, and Manuel Sánchez Martínez report a novel nesting strategy observed in a tropical lowland bird that inhabits an area with very high losses to nest predators. How can tropical birds cope with the high rates of nest […]
Could sleeper sharks be preying on protected Steller sea lions?
Pacific sleeper sharks, a large, slow-moving species thought of as primarily a scavenger or predator of fish, may be preying on something a bit larger – protected Steller sea lions in the Gulf of Alaska. A new study found the first indirect evidence that this cold-blooded shark that can grow to a length of more […]