Dugong deaths way up off Queensland coast

By John R. Platt13 August 2011 More dugongs (Dugong dugon) have died in Australia this year than in all of 2010. At least 90 of the marine mammals, close relatives of manatees, have starved to death off the coast of Queensland after floods destroyed the area’s sea grass, the dugong’s main source of food. Another […]

Elephant and rhino poaching ‘is driven by China’s economic boom’

The ivory trade has doubled in Guangzhou and Fuzhou, a study has found, adding to fears for Africa’s elephant and rhino populations By Greg Neale and James Burton, The Observer14 August 2011 Elephant poaching in Africa and Asia is being fuelled by China’s economic boom, according to a study of the ivory trade. Authors of […]

Dole destroying forest in national park for banana plantation – ‘If there is no forest left, there will be no elephants’

[UPDATE: Dole responds to allegations it is illegally growing bananas in national park] By Jeremy Hance, www.mongabay.com14 August 2011 Dole Food Company, a US-based corporation famous for its tropical fruit products, is allegedly destroying rainforest in Somawathiya National Park in Sri Lanka for a banana plantation, reports local press. The 4,700 hectare (11,600 acre) plantation, […]

Sri Lanka elephant census boycotted by conservationists – Young elephants to be captured for domestication

By Bharatha Mallawarachi in Colombo10 August 2011 Wildlife groups will boycott Sri Lanka’s first census of elephants because they fear the count is a smokescreen for capturing and domesticating the animals. The Wildlife Department said it will go ahead with the count from tomorrow to gather information on the population and help prepare conservation policies. […]

Deer, pronghorn numbers in severe decline in Colorado, Wyoming as demands on public lands rise

August 10 (NWF) – Populations trends are declining for mule deer and pronghorn antelope herds on both sides of the Colorado-Wyoming border and herds may not be able to fully recover unless federal and state agencies act to protect core habitats, according to a report released today by the National Wildlife Federation. “We are seeing […]

January floods in Queensland still take toll on marine life

By Frances Adcock4 August 2011 People living on the Queensland coast are being warned to expect more marine deaths because of flooding earlier this year. The president of the Wide Bay Conservation Council, Roger Currie, says the scale of the events has affected seagrass beds from Rockhampton to the Gold Coast. He says the habitat […]

Drought-hit bears head for Texas urban areas

By Benjamin Wermund; Editing by Karen Brooks and Jerry Norton29 July 2011 MARFA, Texas (Reuters) – A historic Texas drought is driving bears into urban areas searching for food and water, the latest in a series of bizarre wildlife stories to come out of the deadly hot and dry weather across the nation. Authorities have […]

Arctic scientist who exposed climate threat to polar bear is suspended as decision on offshore drilling in the Arctic looms

By Suzanne Goldenberg, US environment correspondent, www.guardian.co.uk28 July 2011 It was seen as one of the most distressing effects of climate change ever recorded: polar bears dying of exhaustion after being stranded between melting patches of Arctic sea ice. But now the government scientist who first warned of the threat to polar bears in a […]

Pasture land completely depleted in Kenya drought – ‘The cows are trying to eat sand’

MANDERA/WAJIR, 28 July 2011 (IRIN) – In his village, Kiliwehiri in northeastern Kenya, Abdullah Mohamed is known as “that mentally disturbed man”. “It is difficult to be normal after you have watched your entire life’s savings get wiped out before your eyes,” said Ibrahim Abdi, assistant chief of the village. “We are Somalis, we look […]

Kansas drought devastating to wildlife – ‘Everything is affected’

WICHITA, July 23 (AP)  — The drought that has hit sections of Kansas this year has also affected wildlife that relies on rivers, streams and rain to survive. “It’s too dry for everything from the little things to the big things, which eat the little things,” said Don Distler, a biologist who manages Wichita State University’s […]

Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial