Although SeaWorld ended its orca-breeding program, this does nothing to help animals like Corky who will continue to swim in circles inside tiny tanks for decades until they die. The company must empty its tanks and release these long-suffering animals into seaside sanctuaries, where they can have some semblance of a natural life. The only […]
Killer whales amaze Seattle onlookers with rarely seen bird hunt
A pod of orcas swam close to shore and amazed onlookers in Seattle by treating the whale watchers to the rare sight of the apex predators hunting a bird. The pod of Bigg’s killer whales visited Elliott Bay and were seemingly on a hunt underwater just off Seattle’s maritime industrial docks. The pod exited the […]
US influencer draws backlash for stealing baby wombat from mum
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is the latest to criticise a US influencer whose video of her taking a wild baby wombat away from its distressed mother has angered conservationists. Albanese suggested that the woman, Sam Jones, tries doing so with animals that “can actually fight back”: “Take a baby crocodile from its mother and […]
Superb Lyrebirds ‘Farm’ Their Invertebrate Prey, Ornithologists Discover
The superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae), a ground-dwelling species of moist eucalypt forests in south-eastern Australia, engineers micro-habitats to host and fatten its prey — worms, centipedes and spiders — before returning later to feast, according to new research. “The superb lyrebird is a large ground-dwelling passerine bird, widespread in wet forests of eastern Australia and […]
Rodent for dinner? California officials urge residents to eat invasive nutria
Wildlife officials are encouraging California residents to add a rodent to their daily diet as part of efforts to control the invasive species‘ population. The nutria, a large, semi-aquatic rodent native to South America, is threatening the state’s ecosystems by destroying habitats and outcompeting native wildlife. The nutria’s harmful impacts have prompted wildlife officials to […]
Spain’s rewilding of Iberian lynx at risk after lobbying by hunters and farmers
Only last year it was hailed as a conservation success story: the Iberian lynx, which had been close to extinction, had sprung back to life thanks to a two-decade-long effort to expand the population. Now, however, that progress is at risk after several regional governments in Spain acceded to pressure from farmers and hunters to […]
The Hidden Costs of Oil Spills: Urgent Action Needed
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010 remains one of the most catastrophic environmental disasters in history, releasing over 4.1 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Located just 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana, the spill had devastating effects on coastal ecosystems, impacting the shores of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. […]
Promise to phase out lead from UK game shooting has failed, study finds
A voluntary promise to phase out toxic lead shot in the UK has failed, meaning wildlife and human health are being put at risk, a study has found. The vow, made in February 2020 by the UK’s nine leading game shooting and rural organisations, aimed to benefit wildlife and the environment and keep toxic lead […]