The following clips reflect recent wildlife-related news coverage in the media. The Wildlife Society does not independently verify any statements or assertions in these articles. The statements expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect official TWS policy unless so stated. Likewise, products mentioned herein are not endorsed by The Wildlife Society unless so stated.
A Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) looks on at a Massachusetts zoo. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife decision to expand protections for the species in the Southern Rockies and parts of New England, but not designate critical habitat, means there will be less stringent reviews of human activities that could affect their habitat. (Credit: Eric Kilby)
Lynx Protections Expanded, But New Habitat Denied
(The Associated Press via ABC News)
Canada lynx gained federal protections in New Mexico, but U.S. wildlife officials again declined to designate critical habitat for the elusive animal in the Southern Rockies, parts of New England and other areas considered non-essential to their survival. The two-part finding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service means the forest-dwelling wild cat will be protected as threatened throughout the lower 48 states. More
U.S. NEWS
Scientists: Ozone Layer is Recovering, But Greenhouse Gases Are on the Rise
(The Associated Press via WLS-TV)
Earth’s protective ozone layer is beginning to recover, largely because of the phase-out since the 1980s of certain chemicals used in refrigerants and aerosol cans, a U.N. scientific panel reported in a rare piece of good news about the health of the planet. Scientists said the development demonstrates that when the world comes together, it can counteract a brewing ecological crisis. More
Sweeping New Rule for Alaska’s Predator Control
(High Country News)
When Jim Stratton, deputy vice president for the National Parks Conservation Association, heard that the National Park Service had announced a sweeping new rule banning the manipulation of predators and prey in Alaska’s national preserves, his reaction was — to put it mildly — unfettered joy. “This is totally exciting news,” he says. “I’ve only been working this for 10 years. Game on.” More
Sage Grouse Plan ‘Something We Can Live With’
(The Montana Standard)
A state plan to prevent the sage grouse from being listed under the Endangered Species Act is being met favorably by politicians and environmentalists in southwest Montana. Gov. Steve Bullock unveiled that state’s proposal for managing the bird, a species that’s pitted environmentalists, landowners and energy companies against each other across the West. More
Florida FWC Could Cut Lagoon Algae Monitoring
(Florida Today)
Potential budget cuts next year would severely curtail or end a state investigation into what killed so many Indian River Lagoon manatees, dolphins and pelicans, according to Florida’s top wildlife agency. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission lists a possible 50 percent cut to the agency’s harmful algae bloom monitoring program, according to a budget report. More
US to Spend $328 Million on Conservation Easements
(The Associated Press via The Des Moines Register)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced $328 million in funding to protect and restore farmlands, grasslands and wetlands across the country. The initiative, using money provided in the new five-year farm bill, will buy conservation easements from farmers to protect the environment, help wildlife populations and promote outdoor recreation, the USDA said. More
Florida Votes to Ban Breeding of Lionfish
(WFOR-TV)
Florida wildlife officials have banned the breeding of lionfish in the state as a last ditch effort to eradicate the invasive species. Lionfish are a non-native, invasive species of fish that have no natural predators in the Atlantic. Experts have stated the fish is a menace to the native wildlife. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted to ban the breeding of lionfish in captivity, which takes effect in December. More
Groups Seek Protection for Monarch Butterfly
(St. Louis Post-Dispatch via The Columbian)
A coalition of environmental and food-safety groups is asking the Fish and Wildlife Service to grant endangered species protection to the monarch butterfly, whose U.S. population, the groups say, last year fell to 90 percent below its 20-year average. In a petition asking for the designation, the petitioners blamed Monsanto Co.’s Roundup herbicide and Roundup Ready crops for much of the decline. More
Diversified Farming Practices Might Preserve Evolutionary Diversity of Wildlife
(Phys.org)
As humans transform the planet to meet our needs, all sorts of wildlife continue to be pushed aside, including many species that play key roles in Earth’s life-support systems. In particular, the transformation of forests into agricultural lands has dramatically reduced biodiversity around the world. A new study shows that evolutionarily distinct species suffer most heavily in intensively farmed areas. More
NEWS FROM CANADA
Report: Canada Leads World in Forest Decline
(Postmedia News via Canada.com)
The world’s virgin forests are being lost at an increasing rate and the largest portion of the degradation is in Canada, according to a new report. No longer is Brazil the main villain in the struggle to stop forest destruction. “Canada is the number one in the world for the total area of the loss of intact forest landscapes since 2000,” Peter Lee, of Forest Watch Canada, said in an interview. More
Ottawa’s New Aquaculture Rules Would Permit Harmful Dumping
(CBC News)
Canada’s federal government is proposing new aquaculture regulations that would permit the dumping of harmful substances on the ocean bottom beneath fish farms. Ottawa says the proposed rules resolve a contradiction — some say an impediment — to the growth of the industry in Canada. “We are providing more clarity to Canadians on how we manage the sector,” says Eric Gilbert, director general of aquaculture for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. More
WILDLIFE HEALTH AND DISEASE NEWS
How Pollutant Risk is Affected by Different Insect Stages
(Environmental News Network)
The food chain is a hierarchical series of organisms that are interrelated in their feeding habits. The chain starts when the smallest being like an insect is fed upon a larger prey species, which in turn feeds an even larger species. So if a species among the lower ranks of the chain has accumulated toxins such as pesticides or other organic chemicals, there is potential for these toxic substances to affect the species that prey upon them. More
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Giant Spinosaurus Was Bigger Than T. Rex — And First Dinosaur Known to Swim
(National Geographic)
The biggest and the baddest among meat-eating dinosaurs, Spinosaurus may have also been the first dinosaur to take to the water, swimming in North Africa’s rivers some 97 million years ago, researchers reported. Floating like a crocodile to stalk prey, the 50-foot-long predator bore a massive sail on its back that would have risen from the water like a shark’s fin. More
Mozambique Cracks Ivory Poaching Ring
(Phys.org)
Wildlife campaigners in Mozambique say police have cracked an ivory poaching ring believed to be responsible for the deaths of at least 39 elephants. The Wildlife Conservation Society said six suspects were arrested in Niassa National Reserve at the weekend, in what is seen as a major breakthrough in the anti-poaching fight. More
World’s rarest frogs saved from extinction and released in the Caribbean
(Wildlife Extra)
One of the world’s rarest frogs, the mountain chicken frog, bred as part of an international project to save the species from extinction, has been successfully returned to its Caribbean home ahead of the global day to highlight the plight of their species. Fifty one Critically Endangered mountain chicken frogs were released back onto Montserrat this summer. More
Badger Culling Resumes For Second Year in UK
(BBC)
A second year of badger culling has begun in parts of England (Gloucestershire and Somerset) in a bid to tackle bovine TB. Last year, 1,800 badgers were killed in the pilot areas of west Gloucestershire and west Somerset. Just under 1,000 are due to be killed this year. The government insists culling is necessary but protesters argue shooting is not “effective or humane”. More
