All chimpanzees are now listed as endangered by the United States, a ruling meant to better protect those apes in captivity, the government announced Friday. The decision, which goes into effect September 14, follows a 2013 proposal by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to toss out the legal distinction between wild and captive chimpanzees. […]
Tag: threatened
Earth enters new extinction phase
The Earth has entered a new period of extinction, a study by three US universities has concluded, and humans could be among the first casualties. The report, led by the universities of Stanford, Princeton and Berkeley, said vertebrates were disappearing at a rate 114 times faster than normal. The findings echo those in a report […]
Pictures: Black Rhinos Back in Tribal Africa After 25-Year Absence
Black rhinos were killed off from Samburu country by poachers, but now the community is bringing them back. Black rhinos are once again roaming the vast rangelands of the Samburu people in northern Kenya, thanks to relocation efforts by the community and conservationists. The animals had once been a common sight in the semi-arid region, […]
Zambia lifts hunting ban on big cats
Nine months after Zambia lifted its general trophy hunting ban—including on elephants—the country has now lifted its ban on hunting African lions (Panthera leo) and leopards (Panthera pardus). The Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) lifted the ban after surveying its big cat populations and setting new regulations. During the announcement the country’s Minister of Tourism and […]
12 Extraordinary Pictures Show Animals Headed for Extinction
On Endangered Species Day, there are thousands of species that may not be around for long. The term “endangered species” usually brings to mind charismatic animals—fluffy pandas and majestic tigers. But there are thousands of lesser-known species that are in greater danger of disappearing. These animals, categorized as “critically endangered” by the International Union for […]
Why would anyone want to shoot a sea otter?
Every time he hunts, Peter Williams sends a silent message to his prey before he squeezes the trigger: “Please give me your life. I’ll eat some of your meat, and I’ll make something beautiful out of your hide.” On a cold afternoon in mid-January, Williams, who is 33, was kneeling on the barnacle- and birdshit-encrusted […]
At home with the world’s last male northern white rhinoceros
Mohamed Doyo seems to have a dream job. Every evening, he patrols the Kenyan savannah, glimpsing lions chasing down darting Thomson’s gazelles, hearing the calls of red-chested cuckoos and, when there is a full moon, seeing the majestic, snow-capped peaks of Mount Kenya in the distance. But Doyo can scarcely stop to admire the extraordinary […]
Recently rediscovered hummingbird faces extinction
The blue-bearded helmetcrest (Oxypogon cyanolaemus) is a spectacular hummingbird. It is aptly named for the blue streak of feathers on its chin and a pointed crest on its head resembling a knight’s helmet. Equally spectacular to the species’ physical appearance is its physical disappearance and reappearance. No one had seen a single living blue-bearded helmetcrest […]