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.
Conservation groups say a more comprehensive U.S. effort will enhance the country’s ability to persuade other nations to work more aggressively to curtail the illegal ivory trade. (Credit: Gavin Shire, USFWS)
Fighting Wildlife Crime: New US Strategy Broadens Scope
(National Geographic)
President Barack Obama’s new national strategy to combat illegal wildlife trafficking around the globe is intended to be far more sweeping than curbing the poaching of African elephants. It is also aimed at combating organized crime in unstable African countries. “Record high demand for wildlife products, coupled with inadequate preventative measures and weak institutions, has resulted in an explosion of illicit trade in wildlife in recent years,” Obama said. More
NEWS FROM NORTH AMERICA
Yellowstone Bison Slaughter Begins
(The Associated Press via ABC News)
Yellowstone National Park has transferred 20 bison to a Montana Indian tribe for slaughter, marking the first such action this winter under a plan to drastically reduce the size of the largest genetically pure bison population in the U.S. The transfer was first disclosed by the Buffalo Field Campaign, a wildlife advocacy group, and confirmed by park officials. Five more bison that had been captured were to be turned over to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for use in an experimental animal contraception program, said park spokesman Al Nash. More
3 Louisiana Men, Business Indicted on Charges of Smuggling Deer into Mississippi
(The Sun Herald)
A federal grand jury has indicted a Louisiana business and three associates on charges alleging they conspired to import white-tailed deer from other states into wildlife enclosures in two counties for the breeding and killing of trophy bucks. Omni Pinnacle LLC, Brian R. Reine, Ronald W. Reine and Bruce A. Swilley Jr. are set for trial March 17 in U.S. District Court in Gulfport, Miss. They were arraigned and released on unsecured bonds of $25,000 each. More
Wildlife Officials Mull Quotas for World’s Last Unregulated Polar Bear Hunt
(The Canadian Press via Edmonton Journal)
Public hearings have begun in the tiny community of Inukjuak in Quebec’s arctic region to discuss putting quotas on the world’s last unregulated polar bear hunt. Scientists say climate change is starting to affect the health of the south Hudson Bay population, and voluntary limits on the hunt should be reduced — especially as Canada’s management policies come under increasing international scrutiny. But the aboriginal communities in Quebec, Ontario and Nunavut that hunt that population of bears aren’t willing to reduce their take. More
Cities Could Be Wildlife Refuges of the Future
(Christian Science Monitor)
Mention the word wildlife to a city dweller and images of animals and birds in remote natural surroundings will probably come to mind — not in an empty parking lot around the corner. But research shows that cities can in fact support wildlife biodiversity, and this can have major implications for conservation efforts. On a crowded planet, protecting species in their natural habitat is proving increasingly difficult. More
WILDLIFE HEALTH AND DISEASE NEWS
Fungal Disease is Killing Swans in Washington State
(The Bellingham Herald)
A fungal disease is being blamed for the deaths of trumpeter swans spending the winter on Whatcom County’s Wiser Lake in the state of Washington. Martha Jordan, wildlife biologist and chairwoman of Washington Swan Stewards, said the big white birds have been congregating on the lake by the thousands this winter. The birds prefer to spend the night afloat in the lake closest to their food supply, and this year, that appears to mean Wiser Lake. More
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Photos: Mass Turtle Hatching Produces Over 200,000 Babies
(Mongabay)
Biologists recently documented one of nature’s least-known, big events. On the banks of the Purus River in the Brazilian Amazon, researchers witnessed the mass-hatching of an estimated 210,000 giant South American river turtles (Podocnemis expansa). The giant South American river turtle, or Arrau, is the world’s largest side-necked turtle and can grow up to 80 centimeters long (nearly three feet). More
Global Wildlife Protection Effort Nets Traffickers in Africa, Asia
(All Africa)
Law enforcement officers from 28 countries Feb. 11 announced completion of a groundbreaking, global operation to combat wildlife poaching and trafficking. Code named Operation Cobra II, the monthlong operation and capacity-building activity promoted cross-border law enforcement cooperation and drew praise from the conservation community for its impressive results, including more than 400 arrests of wildlife criminals and 350 major wildlife seizures across Africa and Asia. More
Zoo Official on Marius the Giraffe: Conservation Isn’t Always Clean
(CNN)
Outrage over the recent killing of a healthy giraffe at a Danish zoo misses a crucial point, an official argued. “Conservation is not always simple. It’s not always clean,” said Lesley Dickie, executive director of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, a European body governing 345 institutions. “I’m afraid that when we have limited space in zoos — and it’s limited because of problems in the wild, of course, and more and more animals need our help — then we sometimes have to make these really tough decisions.” More