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.
Deforestation in Madagascar. Between 2000 and 2012, the world lost 230 million hectares of trees according to data from Google and the University of Maryland. (Credit: Jonathan Talbot, World Resources Institute)
New Online Tool Tracks Tree Loss in ‘Near Real Time’
(BBC)
A new global monitoring system has been launched that promises “near real time” information on deforestation around the world. Global Forest Watch is backed by Google and over 40 business and campaigning groups. It uses information from hundreds of millions of satellite images as well as data from people on the ground. Businesses have welcomed the new database as it could help them prove that their products are sustainable. More
NEWS FROM NORTH AMERICA
Canadian Court Finds ‘Enormous Systemic Problem’ in Enforcement of Species at Risk Act
(The Canadian Press via Global Post)
A Federal Court judge in Canada has ruled that the environment minister and the fisheries minister both broke the law by failing to enforce the Species at Risk Act. In a case covering four species that Justice Anne Mactavish calls “the tip of the iceberg,” the court found there’s a major systemic problem in the two ministries charged with protecting endangered and threatened wildlife. More
Mexico, US, Canada to Work on Monarch Butterflies
(The Associated Press via KRIV-TV)
Mexico, the United States and Canada have agreed to form a working group on the conservation of Monarch butterflies, whose numbers fell to record lows this year at their wintering grounds in central Mexico. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto announced the decision at the end of a one-day summit with U.S. President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. More
Banff Bears Use Trans-Canada Wildlife Crossings to Find Mates
(CBC)
Grizzly and black bears are looking for love on both sides of the Trans-Canada Highway, and using wildlife crossings to rendezvous with members of the opposite sex, a new study confirms. Scientists had previously been concerned that the highway, which is fenced on both sides through Banff National Park, might block animals from breeding with others of their species on the other side of the highway. That, in turn, could lead to isolation and inbreeding. More
Beyond Black Eye, Bison Hunt Near Yellowstone Benefits CSKT, Other Tribes
(Missoulian)
In the 1980s, bison hunting in Montana — begun in response to a disease some of the animals carry that threatens cattle — turned into a public relations nightmare. “It was kind of like a firing line on the boundary” of Yellowstone National Park, says Tom McDonald, manager of Fish, Wildlife, Recreation and Conservation for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. “It gave the state a black eye.” More
A Snowy-Owl Bonanza, Thanks to a Little, Stubby-Legged Arctic Rodent: The Lemming
(The Washington Post)
For the lowly Arctic lemming, life is cruel. On the wide-open tundra, they are nature’s carryout meal, the Lay’s potato chip of an unforgiving habitat — no predator can eat just one. In a flash before death, often the last things a lemming sees are the deadly talons of a majestic snowy owl. A mass sacrifice of this rodent with stubby legs probably gave rise to what scientists are calling the largest snowy-owl irruption in at least a half-century. More
A Crazy Ant Invader Uses Acid to Its Advantage
(The New York Times)
The crazy ant, the latest ant to invade North America, is having remarkable success at replacing its predecessor, the red fire ant, former king of the invaders. Part of the reason, according to research at the University of Texas, is that the newcomer can detoxify fire ant venom in a way not seen before in other insects or animals. The crazy ant uses its own venom to neutralize that of the fire ant, which is deadly to many other ants and gives the fire ant its notorious sting. More
500,000 Cranes Headed for Nebraska in One of Earth’s Greatest Migrations
(Smithsonian)
Nature got it right with the cranes. They have been around since the Eocene, which ended 34 million years ago. They are among the world’s oldest living birds and one of the planet’s most successful life-forms, having outlasted millions of species (99 percent of species that ever existed are now extinct). The particularly successful sandhill crane of North America has not changed appreciably in 10 million years. There are 15 Gruidae species. More
WILDLIFE HEALTH AND DISEASE NEWS
Honey Production Down in Canada as Problems Continue to Plague Bees
(The Epoch Times)
The future of Canada’s honey production is continuing to be examined by the Senate’s agricultural committee following massive bee deaths in Ontario and Quebec thought to be tied to the use of the pesticide neonicotinoid. “The acute incidences of honeybee mortality in Quebec and Ontario continues to concern scientists, beekeepers, farmers, and regulatory bodies alike,” Mark Wales, a board member of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, told senators. More
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Tourism Best Hope for Critically Endangered Lemurs
(BBC)
Madagascar’s lemurs — the world’s most threatened primate — could be saved from extinction by eco-tourism, conservationists say. The big-eyed fluffy creatures are unique to the island but their numbers have declined dramatically in recent years. Now researchers have unveiled a survival plan that combines tourism with increased conservation efforts. More
Tiger Population Grows in India, As Does Fear After Attacks
(The New York Times)
No one has lived long enough to describe the tiger in detail, but some things about her are known. She traverses great stretches of land in a day and is comfortable wandering deep into human territory. After killing her first three or four people, she began to eat her victims — starting rump-first, one expert said, as she would a deer. Though it is impossible to say with certainty whether the same tiger is at fault, last weekend brought the 10th death in six weeks widely attributed to the “man-eater.” More
Paper-Made ‘Panda Army’ Invades Taipei to Promote Wildlife Conservation
(China Post)
A display featuring 600 paper giant pandas took place yesterday in downtown Taipei as a warm-up for an upcoming outdoor exhibition in which 1,600 pandas and 200 Formosan black bears made from recycled paper will be showcased to raise awareness of wildlife conservation. The paper pandas, to the joy of pedestrians, made an appearance in the early afternoon near the Daan Forest Park, their second stop since arriving in Taiwan the previous day, according to the Taipei city government. More
