The future of Chinese white dolphins — also called pink dolphins — in Hong Kong waters could be severely imperiled. Proposed expansion of the Hong Kong airport and ongoing construction of a new bridge from Hong Kong to Macau could be a “nail in the coffin” for the dolphins, conservationists say. “We think that if […]
Tag: threatened
POLL: Could a referendum to ban ivory sales be a model for other countries?
Voters in Washington state sent a strong message to the world on November 3 when they passed the country’s first ever comprehensive state ban on commerce in endangered animal species. The Washington Animal Trafficking Initiative 1401 (I-1401) prohibits the purchase, sale, and distribution of ten endangered species groups and their parts. It includes not only […]
Fatu Hiva Monarch on the brink of extinction
The Fatu Hiva Monarch is not as well-known as its cousin, the Tahiti Monarch, but i’s existence is even more threatened. It lives on Fatu Hiva, a remote island which is part of the Marquesas Archipelago, 1500 km from Tahiti. There are now just 25 adults left in the world and as few as 5 […]
Volcano Could Mean Extinction for the Rocket Frog
Biologists near Quito, Ecuador are rushing to evacuate a critically endangered frog species before a volcanic eruption wipes it out. The small, chocolate-striped rocket frog—Hyloxalus (Colostethus) jacobuspetersi—was once common around Quito, even in pastures and backyards (it adapts well to peopled landscapes). Now, for unclear reasons, there is just one population left. Fewer than 100 […]
Banned pesticides pose a greater risk to bees than thought, EU experts warn
Three pesticides banned in Europe for their potential to damage bee populations could pose an even greater threat than was thought, according to a new assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa). Already proscribed for seed treatments and soil applications, the Efsa analysis says that clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam also pose a ‘high risk’ […]
POLL: Should sharks be culled if they are a danger to surfers?
A push from surfers in northern NSW for a shark cull has sparked an angry response from an animal rights group. It comes after nearly 200 locals, including Ballina’s mayor, local businesses, surfers, fishermen and police met earlier in the week in Lennox Head to discuss the spate of shark attacks and sightings in the […]
Will Humans Survive the Sixth Great Extinction?
In the last half-billion years, life on Earth has been nearly wiped out five times—by such things as climate change, an intense ice age, volcanoes, and that space rock that smashed into the Gulf of Mexico 65 million years ago, obliterating the dinosaurs and a bunch of other species. These events are known as the […]
Vaquita porpoise going extinct right before our eyes
If you’ve never heard of the vaquita, then picture a porpoise about the size of a small human with black-lined, expressive eyes and a rounded mouth. The smallest members of the porpoise family, vaquitas are today found only in the waters of Mexico’s northern Gulf of California – and pretty soon, you won’t find them […]