A dangerous harmful algal bloom is wreaking havoc along Southern California‘s coastline, poisoning marine animals and alarming environmental experts. According to The Weather Channel’s Jan Wesner Childs, at least 140 sea lions have been rescued since February 20, and sick dolphins and birds are also being found on the beaches. This marks the fourth year […]
In the hills of Italy, wolves returned from the brink. Then the poisonings began
High on a mountain pass near the town of Cocullo in central Italy lay six black sacks. Inside were nine wolves, including a pregnant female and seven youngsters – an entire pack. They had eaten slabs of poisoned veal left out a few days earlier, dying over the hours that followed, snarls of pain fixed […]
State of Birds Report Shows Shorebird Numbers Are Still Declining
Migratory shorebirds travel thousands of miles between wintering and breeding grounds. For years, scientists, ornithologists, and ordinary birders have been concerned about habitat loss along established flyways. Analysis of shorebird migration data reveals negative population trends for the vast majority of the species studied, with many species having lost significant portions of their populations. The […]
Locals debunk myths linking endangered pink river dolphins to ‘love perfumes’
A colonial-era myth about endangered pink river dolphins in the Amazon has led to a false belief that perfumes or pusangas made from their body parts are potent love potions. According to a recent Mongabay documentary, the myth has created a market for the perfumes, further endangering the dolphins. The film, released in February, follows […]
‘Lovely gentle dinosaurs’: Brisbane 2032 Olympic rowing may be held in saltwater crocodile habitat
After 82 years of a life devoted to saltwater crocodiles, John Lever still fondly recalls the first “saltie” he ever caught on Rockhampton’s Fitzroy River, about 500km north of Brisbane. The year was 1982, the crocodile was a three-metre long female and she’d just eaten “a lovely labrador dog” from a market garden in the […]
Trump administration cuts to NOAA threaten efforts to save sea lions from toxic plankton
Federal research and funding plays a crucial role in enabling scientists to monitor ocean conditions — including the domoic acid outbreak that is now killing hundreds of marine mammals up and down the California coast. “Everything we do — all that data we collect — it couldn’t be done without the federal government,” said Clarissa […]
Famous bonobo Kanzi, known for smarts & gaming, dies at age 44
Kanzi, the world’s most celebrated bonobo who learned to communicate and play Minecraft with humans, died last week in Iowa, U.S., at the age of 44. Ape Initiative, a research organization in the city of Des Moines dedicated to the study and conservation of endangered bonobos (Pan paniscus) and where Kanzi lived since 2004, said […]
The Wings of Spring
The wings of spring I see in trees the wings of spring Soon green will cover everything Life in its newest, Brightest light A season of renewal And sheer delight.