Study ranks marine mammals’ risks from Arctic shipping – “Even going right over the North Pole may be passable within a matter of decades”

By Heather McFarland 2 July 2018 (UAF News) – Bowhead whales are the marine mammals most vulnerable to disruption from increased ship traffic in waters off Alaska, a new study has concluded. Across the Arctic, narwhals are the most vulnerable.The study is the first to assess the vulnerability of the seven marine mammal species that […]

About 300 endangered sea turtles found dead off Mexican coast, trapped in fishing nets

By Jose Cortes, Ana Isabel Martinez, and Julia Love; Editing by Sandra Maler 28 August 2018 SANTA MARIA COLOTEPEC, Mexico (Reuters) – About 300 endangered sea turtles were found dead off the southern coast of Mexico on Tuesday, trapped in fishing nets, shortly after more than 100 dead turtles were recovered.Fishermen in the southern state […]

Why poison is a growing threat to Africa’s wildlife – Deadly chemicals are now a weapon of choice for those who see lions, elephants, and other wild animals as threats to livestock and property

By Edwin Dobb 4 August 2018 (National Geographic) – Two male lions had been killing cattle and goats for weeks. The Maasai herdsmen in Kenya’s Osewan region had seen enough.Solve the problem by Christmas, the Maasai told the Kenya Wildlife Service in late December last year, or we’ll solve it for you. “We know how […]

“Devastating” dolphin loss in Florida red tide disaster – More than 100 tons of dead sea creatures have been shoveled up from smelly, deserted beaches

16 August 2018 (AFP) – A state of emergency has been declared in Florida as the worst red tide in a decade blackens the ocean water, killing dolphins, sea turtles and fish at a relentless pace. More than 100 tons of dead sea creatures have been shoveled up from smelly, deserted beaches in tourist areas […]

Red tide is devastating Florida’s sea life. Are humans to blame?

By Maya Wei-Haas 8 August 2018(National Geographic) – The first thing you notice is the smell. It’s not a scent, exactly, but a tingling in the nose that quickly spreads to the throat and burns the lungs. But then you see the carcasses. Thousands of sea creatures now litter many of southern Florida’s typically picturesque […]

Mother orca still carrying her dead calf, 16 days later – “I am absolutely shocked and heartbroken”

By Lynda V. Mapes 8 August 2018 (The Seattle Times) – Tahlequah, the mother orca also known as J35, was spotted Wednesday afternoon, still carrying her dead infant calf for the 16th straight day.“I am absolutely shocked and heartbroken,’’ said Deborah Giles, research scientist for University of Washington Center for Conservation Biology and research director […]

Russia security service demands endangered species protection for brown bears after poaching reduces population by 36 percent in 2 years – WWF and Russian Ministry of Nature dispute numbers

25 July 2018 (The Siberian Times) – The brown bears are one of Russia’s great symbols but they are under great threat, according to the FSB, the Federal Security Service. The agency is calling for the bears to be labelled a strategically important resource and given far greater protection under the law. Between 2015 and […]

“Lots of good news” but much more needs to be done for the planet, says UN environment chief

6 August 2018 (UN News) – Calling 2017 “the first year in human history” that more electricity was generated globally from the sun, than oil, gas and coal combined, Erik Solheim, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has told UN news that “we are on track” but “we really need to speed up”.Southern […]

95 percent of all lemur species face high risk of extinction, experts say – “This is, without a doubt, the highest percentage of threat for any large group of mammals and for any large group of vertebrates”

2 August 2018 (Mongabay) – Together with other leading primate conservationists, Russell Mittermeier, Chief Conservation Officer for the NGO Global Wildlife Conservation and recently announced winner of the 2018 Indianapolis Prize, is sounding the alarm about the plight of lemurs.Mittermeier, who also serves as chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Primate Specialist Group, […]

A mother orca’s dead calf and the grief felt around the world

By Lynda V. Mapes 2 August 2018 (The Seattle Times) – Is it her grief … or ours? As she carried her dead calf for the ninth straight day, Tahlequah the mother orca whale has captured the world’s attention. People have responded to her plight with poems. Paintings. Songs. Cascades of phone calls, emails and […]

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