Category: Habitat loss

Red deer on the Danish border: Amateur hunters frame themselves as the only solution to a crisis of their own making.

Adapted from original article written by Wild Beim Wild Editorial Staff Originally published by Wild Beim Wild, 30 November 2025 In North Frisia, amateur hunters are sounding the alarm. Large numbers of red deer from Denmark are crossing the border, easily scaling the 4-foot (1.2-meter) wild boar fence and appearing in the forests of Schleswig-Holstein. The list of complaints is familiar: more wildlife collisions, allegedly massive forest damage, and financial losses for forest owners. This is the summary of a recent article based on a report published by Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) and circulated by various hunting-related websites. What is striking in this portrayal is that red deer appear as a natural disaster that must be combated by humans through heroic hunting efforts. What is almost completely ignored is that this very system of hobby hunting is what has created the problems in the first place. The crux of the NDR story lies in a sentence that hunting-related platforms openly repeat: The problem isn’t the red deer, but the hunting system in Denmark. Unlike in Germany, the country has no officially mandated culling quotas. Instead, the following applies: The main targets of hunting are animals that yield trophies, namely deer with antlers. For wealthy customers, the shooting of red deer is apparently worth up to 5,000 euros (around $5,825 / £4,385) per animal. Forest owners can earn more from trophy hunting than from selling timber. The biological consequence is obvious. If the focus is primarily on male animals and females are largely spared, the offspring population increases. Red deer hinds are the true driving force behind the population. Those who protect them while simultaneously creating attractive hunting conditions through baiting and feeding are orchestrating overpopulation. According to the cited report, the red deer population in Denmark has grown from approximately 4,000 to more than 40,000 animals in about twenty years. This is not a natural phenomenon, but the result of a system geared towards maximum hunting yield. North Frisia: Extermination, return, and now the next hysteria In North Frisia, Germany, there were practically no red deer left until 2004. Historically, red deer were largely eradicated in Schleswig-Holstein, as even hunting associations acknowledge. Animals are migrating back in. Large herds cross the border at night, navigate the artificial wild boar fence, and seek out new habitats. Instead of understanding this development as a belated correction of man-made degradation of the landscape, a threat scenario is once again being constructed. Foresters complain about bark browsing, and smaller forest areas are said to be 80 percent devalued. This has been known for years: The greatest risks to the forest come from recreational hunting, climate stress, monocultures and industrial use. Damage from browsing by ungulates is also a factor, but is primarily a management problem for forestry and recreational hunting. Those who have relied on spruce plantations and hunting-friendly structures for decades should not be surprised when wild animals use these unstable systems, making the damage wreaked on these ecosystems visible. Red deer need migration corridors, not bullets Red deer are a species accustomed to semi-open landscapes. Originally, they migrated over large distances between different seasonal habitats. Today, this natural mobility is massively restricted: Highways, railway lines and canals fragment habitats. Settlements and intensive agriculture are taking away space from wild animals. Green bridges and wildlife corridors are the rare exception rather than the standard. Schleswig-Holstein, Germany’s northernmost state, is a prime example of how much red deer suffer from this fragmentation. Genetic studies and reports from hunting associations document severe inbreeding problems: shortened lower jaws, malformations, and a depleted gene pool. It is a bitter irony that the very associations that have been warning for years about inbreeding and genetic impoverishment nevertheless call for higher hunting quotas at every opportunity, while confining wild animals to small, managed hunting units. Political response: More shootdowns instead of less disruption According to the widely circulated NDR report, a decree is planned in Schleswig-Holstein to regulate the management of migrating red deer, and is scheduled to take effect in April 2026. One goal is to intensify culling and clarify the legal situation. At the same time, the plans contain a seemingly positive aspect: Immigrant deer from Denmark are intended to help improve the genetic diversity of German red deer populations. The aim is to protect middle-aged deer so that they can continue to migrate south to reproduce. What sounds like foresight at first glance is, on closer inspection, yet another attempt to neatly categorize wild animals into a hunting management scheme. Individual animals are allowed to survive as free gene donors, while the vast majority continue to be declared “pests” and shot. Forest damage as a constant pretext When amateur hunters are portrayed in the media as “raising the alarm about red deer,” the narrative usually conveys a picture in which stags and hinds bear the primary responsibility for forest problems. These same individuals conveniently omit that: The forest in northern Germany has been weakened by years of intensive forestry, clear-cutting, hobby hunting and monotonous stands. Extreme climatic events put additional pressure on trees. Stable, near-natural mixed forests with richly structured vegetation are significantly more resilient to browsing by wild animals than artificial timber plantations. Red deer are more of a symptom than a cause in this system. Where species-rich, near-natural forests are lacking and hunting alters the animals’ structures and behavior, damage becomes visible, which then serves as ammunition for even more hunting. Shifting responsibility: The hunting industry as profiteer The situation in Denmark, with its high-priced trophy hunting, is not an exotic anomaly, but rather a glimpse into where recreational hunting, primarily serving economic interests, can lead. The animals always pay the price. When the numbers rise, “damage” is complained about and higher culling quotas are demanded. In the end, recreational hunting presents itself as an indispensable force for maintaining order, “solving” problems it has created itself. The current debate in North Frisia fits seamlessly into this pattern. What a modern red deer policy would

15 elephants rescued after being orphaned – now drought threatens them

During this season of giving, 15 orphaned elephants are dearly hoping you’ll spare them a thought… The Jabulani herd is a tight-knit herd of rescued elephants who have found comfort, solace and safety in each other – and in our partner, Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development (HERD).  Each elephant has survived the devastating trauma of losing their mother – some even witnessing their mothers’ brutal slaughter. Now, these orphans are safe from poachers – but they desperately need food. As climate change and relentless drought strip their landscape of natural vegetation, 15 orphaned elephants desperately need a reliable food source. Relentless drought conditions in Limpopo have left the land bone-dry, and a herd of rescued elephants is struggling to find enough food. Credit: HERD In South Africa’s Limpopo Province, years of erratic rainfall and prolonged dry spells have left precious wildlife struggling to survive.   For the Jabulani herd, the situation is especially dire. These are semi-wild elephants, some orphaned by poaching or snaring in South Africa, and others saved from being culled in Zimbabwe.  As rescued animals, they would not survive being released into the wild. They rely fully on the HERD sanctuary for food, but our partner is battling the effects of drought. As drought conditions worsen each year and natural vegetation diminishes, there is simply not enough food in the semi-wild environment to sustain the elephants.  Today, we need your help to feed 15 orphaned elephants who are relying on your kindness. Amid worsening drought and diminishing natural vegetation, HERD’s bana grass plantation is critical in sustaining the elephants. Their current crop is finished and they must replant as soon as possible. Credit: HERD Our partner has created a three-hectare bana grass plantation – a sustainable, nutrient-rich, fast-growing and highly drought-tolerant crop. This bana grass has been the perfect buffer against the dry, harsh conditions in Limpopo – BUT it has reached the end of its lifecycle. We must replant the crops to keep the elephants fed right away. Replanting now, at the start of Limpopo’s rainy season, gives the grass the best possible chance to thrive and provide enough food for the elephants for the next five years. Together, we can replant the bana grass and help secure enough food for an orphaned elephant herd for the next half-decade. Credit: HERD It costs $75 (£58) to replant one row of Bana grass. If we can raise $6,300 (£4,800), we can fully restore the plantation and guarantee a steady food supply for the entire herd for FIVE YEARS.  This is your chance to make a lasting difference for precious elephants in Africa who have lost their homes and their families. The first 25 donors to give $250 (£190) or more will earn the title of Bana Grass Guardian! You will receive a personalized digital plaque – a lasting tribute to your generosity and symbol of hope for the elephants’ future that YOU helped plant. Please email info@animalsurvival.org once you have made your donation, with the name you would like on your digital plaque. Please donate generously today to help us give 15 rescued orphaned elephants in South Africa the food and safe future they need.

Colombia bans all new oil and mining projects in its Amazon

Article written by Shanna Hanbury Originally published by Mongabay, 18 November 2025 Colombia will no longer approve new oil or large-scale mining projects in its Amazon biome, which covers 42% of the nation’s territory, according to a Nov. 13 statement by its environment ministry. Acting Environment Minister Irene Vélez Torres said the entire Colombian Amazon will be made a reserve for renewable natural resources. She made the announcement at a meeting of ministers with the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization during COP30, the U.N. climate summit taking place in Belém, Brazil. “This declaration is an ethical and scientific commitment. It seeks to prevent forest degradation, river contamination, and biodiversity loss that threatens the continent’s climate balance,” Vélez said. She also called on other Amazonian nations to adopt similar protections, highlighting that Colombia controls just 7% of the Amazon biome. Across the Amazon, 871 oil and gas blocks cover an area roughly twice the size of France; 68% of the blocks are still in the study or bidding phases. “We do this not only as an act of environmental sovereignty but also as a fraternal call to the other countries that share the Amazon biome, because the Amazon does not know borders, and its care requires us to move forward together,” Vélez added. Brazil, which controls nearly 60% of the Amazon, has moved in the opposite direction over the past year, despite successfully cracking down on deforestation. The nation auctioned off several oil blocks near Indigenous lands and approved drilling for an offshore site at the mouth of the Amazon River. Peru is courting foreign oil companies to restart production at Lot 192, a huge Amazonian crude oil site in in the north of the country. The Ecuadorian government is planning to auction off 49 oil and gas projects worth more than $47 billion, despite protests. In Colombia, 43 oil blocks and 286 mining requests haven’t yet broken ground. The new measure, the ministry says, will prevent these projects from going forward. “Their activation could put the climate balance of the continent at risk,” the environment ministry wrote in a statement. At another COP30 event, Vélez criticized a mechanism that allows corporations to sue governments for losses caused by environmental policies, saying it infringes on state sovereignty. Such a system, she noted, makes it difficult for a nation to outlaw existing extractive industries without facing significant penalties. “Future generations must be able to find nature in a healthy state, the way we have known it,” María Soledad Hernández, coordinator of the sustainability program with the Colombia-based Amazonian Institute for Scientific Research, said in a video statement. “Talking about conservation does not mean talking about not making use of it. Talking about conservation means being sustainable, being responsible, and having activities that are balanced and in harmony with nature,” she added.

More than half of world’s bird species in decline, as leaders meet on extinction crisis

Article written by Patrick Greenfield Originally published by The Guardian, 10 October 2025 Biodiversity losses are growing, the IUCN reports as summit opens, but green turtle’s recovery ‘reminds us conservation works.’ More than half of all bird species are in decline, according to a new global assessment, with deforestation driving sharp falls in populations across the planet. On the eve of a key biodiversity summit in the UAE, scientists have issued a fresh warning about the health of bird populations, with 61% of assessed species now recording declines in their numbers. From Schlegel’s asity in Madagascar to the tail-bobbing northern nightingale-wren in Central America, many bird species have lost habitat to expanding agriculture and human development. Just nine years ago, 44% of assessed bird species had declining populations, according to the red list of endangered species from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Dr. Ian Burfield, BirdLife’s global science coordinator, who helped oversee the assessment, said, “That three in five of the world’s bird species have declining populations shows how deep the biodiversity crisis has become and how urgent it is that governments take the actions they have committed to under multiple conventions and agreements.” It comes as hundreds of conservationists gather in Abu Dhabi on Friday for the IUCN’s congress, where the fate of many of the world’s most at-risk wildlife species will be discussed. In the face of global headwinds on environmental action, scientists are urging governments to deliver on recent pledges to better protect nature. Birds play an important role in ecosystems, helping to pollinate flowers, disperse seeds, and control pests. Hornbills – which are found across the tropics – can spread up to 12,700 large seeds a day in a square kilometer. Credit: Chris Strickland/Alamy Dr Malin Rivers, head of conservation prioritization at the Botanic Gardens Conservation International, said: “The fates of birds and trees are intertwined: trees depend on birds for regeneration, and birds depend on trees for survival.” The green sea turtle’s recovery “reminds us that conservation works,” said the IUCN director general, Dr. Grethel Aguilar. Once classified as endangered, it is now viewed as a species of least concern due to conservation efforts. The turtles’ numbers have grown by 28% since the 1970s thanks to greater protection for nest sites in Ascension Island, Brazil, Mexico, and Hawaii. Roderic Mast, co-chair of IUCN’s species survival commission marine turtle specialist group, said the green turtle’s recovery was “a powerful example of what coordinated global conservation over decades can achieve to stabilize and even restore populations of long-lived marine species.” But there was bad news for Arctic seals, which scientists warn are drifting closer to extinction due to global heating. The loss of sea ice has seen population numbers for bearded and harp seals fall sharply. Thinning sea ice means that the Arctic seals are finding it more difficult to find areas to rest and breed. They are a critical prey species for polar bears, which researchers fear will also be affected by the loss. Dr. Kit Kovacs, Svalbard program leader at the Norwegian Polar Institute, said, “Each year in Svalbard, the retreating sea ice reveals how threatened Arctic seals have become, making it harder for them to breed, rest and feed. “Their plight is a stark reminder that climate change is not a distant problem – it has been unfolding for decades and is having impacts here and now.”     Banner credit: Doug McCutcheon/Alamy

Baby giant tortoises thrive in Seychelles after first successful artificial incubation

Article written by Jonathan Watts Originally published by The Guardian, 10 October 2025 Exclusive: Trial that has produced 13 hatchlings could help other threatened species avoid extinction The slow-motion pitter-patter of tiny giant tortoise feet has been worryingly rare in recent years, but that looks set to change thanks to the first successful hatching of the species with artificial incubation. One week after the intervention, the 13 babies are building up their strength on a diet of banana slices and leafy greens in Seychelles, which is home to one of the last remaining populations of the tortoise. The researchers said the successful trial could help to stave off an extinction crisis for other threatened species. As new members of one of the biggest and longest-lived reptile species in the world, the Aldabra giant tortoise, they could eventually reach a weight of about 250 kg (39 st) and live more than 100 years. The hatchlings are the survivors from 18 eggs that were taken from a single nest on Cousin Island by local conservationists. Credit: Chris Tagg/Nature Seychelles The hatchlings are the survivors from 18 eggs taken from a single nest on Cousin Island by local conservationists after scientists used a groundbreaking technique to analyze whether the failed tortoise eggs were fertilized and capable of developing. “This is a huge leap,” said Alessia Lavigne, a Seychelloise based at the University of Sheffield, in England, who was the lead author of a recent study related to the project. “It shows what conservation can do.” The study examined the reproduction rates of five turtle and tortoise species, which revealed that 75% of undeveloped eggs had been fertilized but contained embryos that died at an early stage. Those findings cast new light on why the Aldabra giant tortoise, which is classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, appears to have very low hatching success in wild nests. The failure rate is considered more likely to be due to environmental factors than to any genetic trait of the tortoises. A baby Aldabra giant tortoise. It could eventually reach a weight of about 250kg. Credit: Chris Tagg/Nature Seychelles Giant tortoises were wiped out from most other Indian Ocean islands in the 19th century as a result of hunting by sailors, but the population on the Aldabra group of islands in Seychelles was saved thanks to their isolation. They, along with 400 other endemic species and the extraordinary colours of the landscape, were the reason why the atoll was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. As a hedge against extinction, some individuals were moved to other islands, including Cousin, in the hope that they could establish backup populations in the event of new threats. This has proved prescient because at least one island is being developed as a luxury tourist resort, funded with Qatari money, as the Guardian revealed last year. Lavigne said the rarity of juvenile sightings on many islands suggests reproduction rates may be low. The incubation of fertilized eggs, which is being trialed in collaboration with Nature Seychelles, can help to bolster numbers if there is a crisis. But the priority for research will be how to improve the conditions of wild nests. “It’s wonderful that these eggs have been shown to be viable, but artificially incubating eggs is not a long-term solution,” said Nicola Hemmings of the University of Sheffield’s School of Biosciences. “We now need to identify the variables that are impacting survival in the natural nest environment and then see if there are ways to improve them.”

Israel war emergency: Animals have no protection as bombs fall

A deadly escalation in the bloody conflict in the Middle East is putting countless animal lives at risk. As Israel and Iran launch relentless attacks, animals are caught in the bloody crossfire. Wild animals are dying as missiles rain down around them, we have a way to protect them. With your help, we WILL. A rescued deer receives round-the-clock care at our partner sanctuary, but all rescued animals are vulnerable to missile strikes without a secure bomb shelter. Credit: TIBS Hundreds of missiles have been fired at Israel from Iran in the past week. The Iron Dome defense system that once kept Israel safe has been breached – now, cities are filled with the sound of warning alarms and sirens, urging people to take cover in bomb shelters. BUT – when the sirens go off, there is nowhere for the animals at our partner shelter to flee to.  Together, we can give them the safety they need to survive this horrific war. With the Iron Dome breached, a fortified bomb shelter is the ONLY way to protect animals rescued from war as missiles fall. Credit: TIBS Amid the chaos, destruction and terror, we are doing everything we can to help – but we must act fast. Our partner, The Israeli Bat Sanctuary (TIBS), was initially established to help bats in need. Over the years, it has expanded to help all kinds of wild animals, including foxes, porcupines, deer, jackals, mongooses, birds of prey, and any others needing life-saving assistance.  TIBS was the first animal rescue team on the scene after the October 7 attacks, rescuing 500 animals from suffering and death. Today, it is the only safe haven for wild animals outside Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, offering 24-hour rescue, rehabilitation and long-term care. But while the animals have been rescued from death, they are still not safe – not until we can install a bomb shelter to save them from the destruction raining from above. Wild animals are being forgotten as war rages on, like this baby jackal found malnourished and on death’s door. Credit: TIBS A few days ago, bombs fell just three miles (five kilometers) from the sanctuary. The next attack could land a direct hit – and we must act fast to protect the animals before this happens. This rescued porcupine is one of the many animals who are at risk without the protection of a bomb shelter. Credit: TIBS The closest thing TIBS currently has to a bomb shelter is an old walk-in fridge with flimsy polystyrene walls. Every time the sirens blare, the TIBS team moves animals into the old fridge, staying by their side throughout the chaos. If bombs land anywhere near this ineffective shelter, the animals – and the dedicated staff who refuse to leave their side – could be blown to pieces. There is a quick and effective solution that we can implement immediately: A fortified bomb shelter with eight-inch-thick (20cm) concrete walls, which can withstand a missile strike landing as close as six feet (2m) away. The bomb shelter is ready to be purchased and installed – all we need now are the funds. When warning sirens sound, animals are moved to a walk-in fridge offering little protection (L). The team urgently needs a fortified bomb shelter (R) to keep its animals safe. Credit: TIBS The sanctuary receives no government funding and survives solely on the support of volunteers and public donations. Now more than ever, they are financially stretched and cannot afford this crucial protection for their animals. We must act quickly to raise the funds needed to protect animals saved from war. Our partner has sworn to protect them no matter what – and with your help, we can help keep that promise. Please donate right away and help us give these animals the protection they deserve.

Hunters killed their mothers. Now, they need our help.

Today, I am sincerely hoping I can count on your compassion for animals.   A really sad situation is unfolding in South Africa, and hundreds of little orphaned wild animals desperately need your help.   Credit: Friends of Free Wildlife   These tiny, precious creatures are sick, injured and alone in the world, and without support from kind people like you, they stand little chance of surviving.   Why are there so many orphaned wild animals in need right now?   During the height of summer in South Africa, temperatures soar – and, even worse for wild animals, rampant wildfires break out. Their moms get killed in these fires, and they are left alone, often injured and starving.   Many die. The lucky ones end up with our partner, Friends of Free Wildlife (FFW).   But our partner is at breaking point – there are just SO many animals in critical need.   Credit: Friends of Free Wildlife   When we visited recently, we saw first-hand how overwhelmed the little sanctuary is.   In January alone, FFW took in 463 animals – that’s an average of 15 little souls every day, all requiring varying levels of critical medical care, as well as food and safe shelter.   Some of these little creatures – like tiny buck who are barely walking yet – have been orphaned because hunters shot their mothers. Others lost their families to deadly fires.   There are SO many hungry mouths to feed. So many broken legs, burn wounds and empty bellies. To make matters worse, a critically important volunteer recently and suddenly passed away. These deaths are not only devastating for the FFW family, but for the countless little creatures counting on the staff for their daily needs.   How can you help?   During storms, baby genets fall out of trees when their nests are destroyed. Credit: Friends of Free Wildlife   You can help by sharing this story with all your friends and family, and by making a donation – every amount makes a difference!   It costs our partner around $2,000 (£1,605) a month to feed, treat and take care of all the animals. If we can cover a month’s worth of food, shelter and treatment, it would relieve a massive amount of pressure for our partner, enabling them to give injured, orphaned animals the best possible care.    It may be a small organization, but it is doing truly BIG things for the vulnerable and endangered wildlife of South Africa, and you and I can help them do so much more.   This baby steenbok, who should still be nursing from its mother, was found orphaned, starving and alone. Credit: Friends of Free Wildlife   Will you help? The animals would be so grateful.  

Pricey dam project 7 years in the making finished by beavers for free

Article written by Hilary Hanson Originally published by Huffpost (Feb 8, 2025) “Beavers always know best,” said an environmental official in the Czech Republic, where the animals commandeered construction. When a long-planned infrastructure project in the Czech Republic hit a snag, beavers took the reins. Beavers have no regard for human laws, so even if they’d known that the construction of a dam in the nation’s Brdy region had stalled due to permitting complications, they wouldn’t have cared. According to Radio Prague International, environmentalists had planned a dam in an area where, years ago, the military had built a drainage system. The new dam was intended to stop the drainage and create a wetland to revitalize the local ecosystem. The project had been in the planning stages for seven years and was slated to cost the equivalent of $1.2 million, according to National Geographic. But as officials hashed out the details of securing the necessary permits, a local beaver colony took matters into its own paws, building a natural dam in the perfect location to create a thriving wetland for free. “Beavers always know best,” Jaroslav Obermajer of the Czech Nature and Landscape Protection Agency told RPI. “The places where they build dams are always chosen just right—better than when we design it on paper.” The Czech broadcasting station characterized the beaver dam as being built “practically overnight.” But Gerhard Schwab, a beaver expert in Bavaria, told National Geographic it probably wasn’t literally overnight. He believes it took more than a few weeks, but people didn’t notice until it was done. Humans across the world are increasingly embracing the benefits of beaver structural engineering. In 2023, California introduced a policy aimed at restoring the animals in areas where their presence—and the dams they build—can create a healthy ecosystem for other animals, replenish groundwater, and even provide wildfire protection.

Please help us rush 5,000 displaced endangered tortoises to safety in Madagascar and save their lives.

Over ten thousand critically endangered tortoises are fighting for their lives after two devastating cyclones destroyed their sanctuary in Madagascar. Over 800 have already drowned. Even more tragic, all were initially rescued from the horrific illegal trade. Rescuers are continuing to search for survivors and have so far recovered several thousand, all struggling to swim in the fast-rising waters. Desperate tortoises attempting to swim to safety as cyclone destroys their sanctuary. Credit: TSA Our priority now is to relocate the survivors to safety as quickly as possible. Please help now.   We MUST save critically endangered tortoises from a devastating cyclone in Madagascar.   Our partner in Madagascar, Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA), runs two critical sanctuaries for rescued tortoises. Tropical cyclone Dikeledi has completely destroyed one of these, displacing the 12,000 fragile tortoises in its care and claiming the lives of hundreds. A second cyclone, bringing heavy rains and flooding, has obliterated any chance of rebuilding the sanctuary for the moment.   Rescuers wade through floodwaters to save displaced, critically endangered tortoises. Credit: TSA Juvenile tortoises exposed to extreme weather conditions are at risk of pneumonia and dying. Please help us get them critical care, FAST.   Thousands of radiated and spider tortoises have been recovered and search-and-rescue efforts continue. Five thousand of those recovered are juveniles, and their prolonged exposure to the floodwaters has put them at acute risk of pneumonia. They require urgent, specialized care to survive, and to receive this, they MUST be relocated to TSA’s remaining sanctuary, roughly 234 miles (375 kilometers) away.   Credit: TSA Please help us raise $3,000 to hire a transport vehicle and get the sick, struggling tortoises to safety.   These little creatures have already survived so much. Each has been saved from the horrors of the illegal wildlife trade, which sees them stolen from the wild to be eaten, or shipped in abhorrent conditions to be “pets” – mostly in Asia, but also in Europe and America.   Critically endangered tortoises are poached in their thousands every year, and illegally smuggled in horrendous conditions. Credit: TSA   Often during transportation, tortoises are tightly packed, starved and their shells broken, and countless die on route to their final destination. Madagascar’s radiated tortoises are especially sought-after as “pets,” and their populations have plummeted 75% since the early 2000s, rendering them critically endangered. The International Union for Conservation Nature (IUCN) predicts the species could be extinct by as soon as 2050.   Credit: TSA   Once abundant in Madagascar, tortoise populations have declined alarmingly over the past 20 years. All four local species are now critically endangered.   We have a chance right now to help save 5,000 of these severely compromised and critically endangered animals. Will you help them? Please, donate right away and help us save their lives – and give hope to their entire species.

NGOs and fishermen call for urgent action to end bottom trawling in marine protected areas

Article written by Rosie Frost Originally published by Euro News (Feb 5, 2025) There is growing public support for marine protection across Europe as 73 percent of people support a ban on bottom trawling. French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis are being urged to take action against destructive fishing practices in Europe’s protected marine areas. Bottom trawling involves dragging heavy nets along the seabed. Previous research has shown that not only does this fishing practice damage marine habitats, it’s also a leading contributor of CO2 emissions – from both fossil fuel consumption by vessels and by disturbing sediment at the bottom of the sea. A newly launched campaign, Protect Our Catch, sent open letters to the two European politicians on Wednesday urging them to take action. The campaign has been backed by fishermen and hundreds of thousands of citizen activists and is supported by a number of leading ocean advocates including BLOOM, Blue Marine Foundation, Empesca’t, Environmental Justice Foundation, Oceana, Only One, Seas At Risk, and Tara Ocean Foundation. Why are campaigners targeting the French president? President Macron said in 2022 that the world must “set ambitious goals for biodiversity and especially for the ocean.” Yet campaigners argue that France has so far failed to make any “meaningful progress” on banning destructive fishing practices in its protected areas. It says that this threatens the country’s claim to be a steward of the ocean. “Today, France is responding to the climate, social, and environmental emergency with inaction and deception,” says Claire Nouvian, founder and general director of the non-profit BLOOM. “President Macron must rise to the challenge and respond to the challenges we face by creating genuine marine protected areas, free from industrial infrastructure and activities such as trawling, by excluding mega-trawlers from our territorial waters in order to protect ecosystems and coastal fishers, and by advocating for a treaty and legislation on the non-proliferation of fossil fuels.” The open letter reminds the French president that, as the country prepared to host the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice this June, “the eyes of the world turn to you, not just as the national leader of the world’s second-largest maritime power but as a global champion for the ocean that you could be.” It urges Macron to ensure strict protections that follow IUCN standards in at least 10 percent of French waters and to ban fishing practices like bottom trawling in the country’s marine protected areas (MPAs). “By leveraging these mechanisms, France will ensure true protection in its national MPAs and protection for 10 percent of its waters,” it reads. Campaigners urge the EU to enforce existing regulations At the same time, EU leadership in the Parliament and Commission—including Commissioner Kadis—is being urged to double down on the enforcement of existing EU regulations, especially the Habitats Directive, to prevent destructive fishing practices. “Most European ‘Marine Protected Areas’ are just lines on a map, paper parks that do nothing to stop the ongoing destruction of vital habitats,” adds Steve Trent, Environmental Justice Foundation CEO and founder. “The laws are clear, and the science is unequivocal. Bottom trawling is incompatible with marine protected areas, and we urgently need action to ban it.” The open letter to Commissioner Kadis says the EU has proven “time and again” that it can set an example in ocean protection. “Over the past year alone, the EU has galvanized support for a ban on deep-sea mining, led efforts to ratify the High Seas Treaty, and championed protection for Antarctica.” It calls for the Commission to enforce the Habitats Directive—legislation that aims to protect over 1,000 species. The letter says it should ensure marine protected areas are truly protected through the upcoming release of the EU Ocean Pact. It also adds that the EU should ensure a fully implemented Marine Action Plan to phase out bottom trawling with a just transition to low-impact fisheries. The campaign group points out that public support for marine protection is growing across Europe. Polls show that 90 percent of people believe protected areas are essential for preserving marine biodiversity, and 73 percent would support a ban on bottom trawling in marine protected areas. Protecting marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of fishermen Nearly 80 percent of the EU’s coastal seabed has now been physically disturbed—primarily because of bottom trawling, according to the European Environment Agency. A quarter of the EU’s coastal area is thought to have lost its natural seabed habitats. The two open letters add that no immediate action on destructive fishing practices will have devastating consequences not just for the biodiversity of our marine ecosystems and the fight against climate change but also for small-scale fishermen. “As small-scale fishers, we rely on traditional, low-impact methods that respect the ocean and our culture,” says Isaac Moya, a fisherman in Catalunya and co-founder of sustainable fisheries collective Empesca’t. “However, industrial and bottom trawling in marine protected areas threaten our future. To ensure the continuity of our profession, it is essential to protect and promote artisanal fishing.” Federico Gelmi, a low-impact fisher from Pantelleria, Italy, adds that bottom trawling is “incompatible” with sustainable fishing. “The science is clear, and the fishing tells the same story. We need to protect our ocean if we are to continue fishing.”

UK Crackdown on illegal hunting amid alarming increase in hare ‘lamping’ and baiting of foxes and badgers

Article written by Ralph Riegel Originally published by archive.today (Jan 22, 2025) Gardaí have launched a crackdown on illegal hunting amid indications of an alarming increase in hare ­“lamping” and the baiting of both ­badgers and foxes. Animal welfare groups fear gangs from cities and towns are now operating illegal hunting rings, often with dogs “blooded” to hunt hares, rabbits, badgers and foxes. Such hunts also feature related ­gambling operations. Searches have been carried out in Kerry, Tipperary, Clare and Cork over recent weeks as gardaí targeted ­areas linked to the operations of illegal hunters by confidential intelligence. A number of checkpoints have been mounted across Tipperary over recent days, with gardaí supported by officers from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). The checkpoints were set up in areas where gardaí had obtained information from local residents about suspicious ­activity in forestry and fields late at night. That followed checkpoints being mounted across Cork, Kerry and Clare over previous weeks in a crackdown on suspected illegal hunting. Last October, gardaí detected a group of men in north Kerry engaged in suspected lamping—the hunting of hares with the assistance of powerful spotlights. The lights are used to dazzle the ­animal, which, while stunned, is either killed or captured by the hunters. If captured unharmed, the animal can then be sold for illegal hunting, where it is torn apart by dogs. A number of dogs were also found with the men. NPWS officials expressed concern at the practice of groups travelling from cities and towns to rural areas to target animals, some of which are protected species. Animal welfare officials admitted that illegal hunting is also being ­promoted in vile social media videos. In some cases, video footage of hunts is shared within groups, encouraging others to join in the illegal activity. Gardaí have monitored those associated with illegal hunts and believe trips are organised to designated rural areas where hunts can be conducted. In one case, the blooding or ­training of a dog to hunt and kill is videoed. In another, a group recorded a hare being torn apart by dogs and betting about which dog would secure the kill. Equipment, including night-vision goggles and large spotlights, has been seized by gardaí and the NPWS in recent weeks. Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan said there were 43 prosecutions for wildlife crime in 2023, far fewer than might be expected in a country of Ireland’s size. “A wildlife crime can include a ­number of different things, like illegal burning and cutting down hedgerows outside of the period that is permissible,” Ms. Boylan said. “It involves illegal deer hunting, illegal hunting of hares with dogs and also more horrific things like using glue traps to collect songbirds. “There is a wide range of crimes that fall under the Wildlife Act.” Gardaí have appealed for anyone living in rural areas to contact them if they notice suspicious activity late at night or in the early hours of the morning that they think might be illegal hunting. Officers said they are particularly urging landowners who may notice suspicious activity to contact them.

Alaska to resume ‘barbaric’ shooting of bears and wolves from helicopters

Article written by Tom Perkins Originally published by The Guardian (Jan 20, 2025) A renewed program would allow hunters to eliminate up to 80% of the animals on 20,000 acres of state land Alaska is set to resume the aerial gunning of bears and wolves as a population control measure aimed at boosting caribou and moose herd numbers, even as the state’s own evaluation of the practice cast doubt on its effectiveness. The renewed program would allow hunters to eliminate up to 80% of the animals on 20,000 acres (8,000 hectares) of state land. Environmental groups opposed to what they label a “barbaric” practice of shooting wildlife from helicopters is more about sport than scientific practice, in part because hunters want caribou populations to increase because they are trophy animals. “Alaska’s practice of indiscriminately strafing predators is both inhumane and inane,” said Rick Steiner, a former University of Alaska-Fairbanks ecologist now with Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (Peer), which opposes the practice. “There is no scientific evidence that this carnage will boost populations of moose and caribou, and there is a growing body of evidence that it disrupts a healthy predator/prey balance in the wild.” The report comes after the Biden administration effectively upheld Trump era rules that allowed for other inhumane hunting practices on federal lands in Alaska, like killing cubs in dens. Alaska’s “intensive management” allows Alaskan game agents to kill any brown bear, black bear, or wolf on some state lands. Nearly 100 bears, including 20 cubs, were killed by helicopter in 2023. The latest program would allow aerial hunters to kill 80% of wolves (until the population is reduced to 35), 80% of black bears (until the population is reduced to 700), and 60% of brown bears (until the population is reduced to 375). Though the practice’s supporters say eliminating the predators helps boost sagging caribou populations, an October state report that examined predator kill practices came to a different conclusion. “The goal of the project was to increase caribou calf survival by removing all bears and wolves from the calving grounds,” the report reads. “Data does not exist to evaluate whether the goal was achieved.” The largest factors in caribou herd decline were “disease, nutrition, and winter severity,” the report states. About 65% died from starvation or dehydration. Critics say the state also notes that it doesn’t know the practices’ full impact on bear populations because it did not estimate brown bear numbers before allowing the kills. More than half of the brown bears killed in 2024 were adult females, raising further questions about the population’s ability to rebound. Meanwhile, the state refuses to allow photographs of the slaughter, independent observers to be present, or to subject the program to scientific review by the federal government. The practice has had other consequences: the National Park Service has ended a more than 20-year study of wolf behavior in the nearby Yukon-Charley national preserve because the resident wolf population has fallen so low. Meanwhile, it has reduced tourism in the area because the ability of visitors to view intact wolf packs inside adjacent Denali National Park, one of the state’s major tourist draws, has plummeted. The state has said the hunting program raises revenue from hunters, but critics called it the “epitome of pound foolish.” “The amount of tourist dollars from people seeking to view these predators in the wild dwarfs any incremental increase in hunting fee revenue the state hopes to realize,” said Peer executive director Tim Whitehouse.

In the aftermath of savage Los Angeles fires, animals still need life-saving care.

Intense fires are still raging in Los Angeles and extreme winds forecasted for today and tomorrow pose a deadly new threat to wildlife. Rescuers are being overwhelmed by the number of wild bird and animal victims and these creatures badly need your help. A mountain lion in Los Angeles seeks refuge from the burning landscape. Credit: Jason Klassi/Getty “Tragically, many wildlife are impacted by wildfires and lose their lives. But for those that can be rescued, our staff is trained and ready to triage and treat burn and smoke inhalant victims.” – Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center LosAngeles’ wildfires are catastrophic for wildlife. Owls, opossums, coyotes, bobcats, rabbits and mountain lions all need immediate emergency care. Our partner, Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center of Orange County (WWCC), is taking in as many as it can, but it needs help. The animals arrive in terrible conditions, and as the fires continue to rage, more are pouring in all the time. Your donation will help cover the cost of critical care, including X-rays to check for broken bones, veterinary wipe-downs to remove toxic soot, burn wound treatment, skin grafts, emergency oxygen, and surgery for the severely injured. Deer surveying the charred, barren wasteland that remains of their home in the Palisades. Credit: Apu Gomes/Getty The fires, among the most destructive in Los Angeles’ history, have razed 40,300 acres (16,300 hectares) of land so far – an area larger than the city of Paris.  Experts believe the disaster has been exacerbated by global warming, as climate-related extreme events increase in frequency and intensity across the globe.  Search and rescue missions are underway for injured wildlife seared by fire. Our partner works tirelessly to help wild animals caught in natural disasters. Credit: WWCC Imagine the terror of these helpless creatures as fires blaze around them, with no hope of escape. It is the stuff of nightmares. Our team is ready to find and triage survivors, stabilize them and give them critical care – but they need our help to save them. Your donation today will help save wild animals caught in LA’s cataclysmic fires. Credit: WWCC It is a deeply distressing situation, but we know that with your help today, we can bring comfort and hope to animals who have lost everything.  Please, open your heart to the tragic wild animals of Los Angeles, and donate any amount you can right away.

‘The forest will survive’: the volunteers saving Kharkiv’s war-charred woodland

Article written by Luke Harding Originally published by The Guardian (Dec 31, 2024) Despite fighting going on just miles away, some Ukrainians are looking to the future—by planting sturdy English oaks Yuriy Bengus, a biologist, surveyed a scene of destruction. The Zhuravli forest, on the northern edge of Ukraine’s second city, Kharkiv, was a blackened mess. Rooks cawed from burned pine trees and hopped between stumps. A dead bird lay in an abandoned military dugout. War was down the road. From somewhere to the north of Kharkiv came a muffled boom. Bengus plunged his spade into the sandy earth. “From an ecological point of view, oaks are most suitable,” he said. His assistant, Yulia Kucherevska, a 16-year-old volunteer, reached into a plastic bag, pulling out three acorns that she tossed into a shallow hole. The pair moved on to the next spot and threw in three more. Behind them, a No. 16 tram rattled past. In spring 2022, Russian troops had tried to seize Kharkiv, home to a million people. The city’s defenders dug trenches in the forest and blocked the road—now named Invincible Street and previously called Hero of Labour Alley—with concrete blocks and tank traps. Meeting fierce resistance, the Russians pulled back. Ever since, the Russian army has been bombing Kharkiv, using ballistic and other missiles. The forest is near the city’s most pummeled district—Saltivka, its high-rise blocks gutted shells—and a hydropark, a park based around a body of water. On 17 September, a Russian warplane hit the green site with an aerial bomb. Four firefighters tackling an existing fire were injured, with one losing an arm. The blaze swallowed up four acres of woodland, killing animals and scaring away coots on the water nearby. Bengus, along with a group of volunteers, is now attempting to restore the forest. Why bother, given that Russian forces might come back and with fighting continuing a mere 12 miles away? “The oaks will take 25 years to reach maturity. But I’m certain the forest will survive. I’m more optimistic now than before. Where we are standing will be Ukraine,” he said. He added, “Russia has been trying to destroy us for hundreds of years, in particular our language and culture. But we always come back to life as a people and a nation. They can bomb us, of course, but I don’t think they can take over Kharkiv.” He continued, “We have a different mentality. Russians obey power. Our government listens to us.” The biologist’s ambitious plan is to replace the charred trees with English oaks, Quercus robur, which are native to Ukraine and Europe. A virulent root fungus has already wiped out many of Kharkiv’s Scots pines, causing them to shed their orange bark. “Oaks encourage biodiversity. They help mycelium growth and are good for insects and birds,” he said. After Bengus posted about the forest on his Facebook page, he was inundated with offers of help. Children from a neighbourhood school, lycee number 23, collected 50 kg of acorns. A scientist in Kyiv sent a box belonging to a pyramid-shaped oak variety. The students put the acorns in water, rejecting any that floated to the top—healthy ones will sink. Kucherevska, who studies at the school, visits the forest three times a week after classes before it gets dark. “It’s fun. I come here with my friends,” she said, adding, “If there’s an air raid alert, my parents won’t let me go.” So far, she has buried “around 40,000 acorns.” Not all would survive, but this meant many new trees, she said. She and her biology teacher, Anna Bozhko, joined a digging party earlier this week, along with Bengus and his wife, Lyudmila. Bozhko made a note of where saplings would sprout. What about the risk from bombs? “We’ve got used to it. We’ve adapted. I refuse to be terrified. Everyone is doing what they do. In our case, that’s planting oaks. I believe Kharkiv has a future,” she said. Beyond the city, the situation is grim. Both sides build fortifications in wooded frontline areas and use trees to conceal armoured vehicles and firing positions. In May, the Russians launched a cross-border attack on the city of Vovchansk, now a wreck, in Kharkiv oblast. They are closing in on Kupiansk—seized by Russians at the start of the full-scale invasion, liberated, and in danger of being captured again. Russian airstrikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and cities on Christmas Day left half a million people in the Kharkiv region without heating. Yevhen Vasylenko, the spokesperson for Kharkiv’s regional emergency department, said more than 300 forest fires had been recorded in 2024, the worst year ever. He said Russian shelling was often the cause, with the dense mining of forests adding to the problem. One fire in September ripped through the village of Studenok, near the city of Izium, burning down 236 houses and forcing 200 people to flee. It went on for a week. “We can’t use helicopters to extinguish fires from the air because of the war. It’s impossible. And you can’t walk in the forest because of mines. We use sappers to put the fire out,” Vasylenko said. He added, “I don’t think anyone has experience working in a situation when you can be shelled and attacked by drones or can step on a mine at any time. It’s very hard.” The Studenok fire destroyed 4,000 acres of forest, located between Kharkiv and the war-torn Donetsk region, he said. Smoke made it difficult for people to breathe. Firefighters saved residents and, where possible, rescued rabbits, hedgehogs and turtles. Ducks and many dogs died. “The problem is Russia wants to destroy our country. They are ruining our ecosystem as well,” he said. After seeding new oak trees, Begnus went back to his flat in Kharkiv and collected more acorns from the local park. He pointed to trees he had planted back in the 1980s next to his high-rise block: an exotic ginkgo and a towering white fir. “The neighbours on the first floor are not happy

‘Like a giant bird box’: the volunteers building huge snowdrifts for Finland’s pregnant seals

Article written by Samuel Bloch Originally published by The Guardian (Dec 16, 2024) As warmer winters melt the snow drifts that endangered Saimaa ringed seals use to raise their young, humans are giving them a helping hand Eight hours shovelling snow in -20C might not sound like the ideal day out, but a committed team of volunteers in Finland are working dawn to dusk building enormous snow drifts for one of the world’s most endangered seals. The Saimaa ringed seal was once common around Lake Saimaa in the southeast of the country, but only 495 of them remain. The seals make “snow caves” inside snow drifts where they raise their young and protect them from the elements and predators such as red foxes—but as the climate warms, the snow is disappearing. To save these rare seals, 300 volunteers spend days shovelling snow into piles 7 m long and 1.5 m high around the edge of the frozen lake. Last winter they made 200, and the seal population is growing as a result. “It’s kind of a snow cave,” says Vincent Biard, a PhD student and volunteer from the University of Eastern Finland. “The seals come from under and dig into the snow drifts to create a cave where they can give birth and raise their young.” Volunteers meet at first light and work until dusk. They get around on foot or skis, dragging their equipment with them over a distance of 10 km. Biard describes the day as “kind of fun” and adds, “You actually have an impact, which is nice. If we don’t do it, then they would just go extinct quite quickly.” More than 300 pups have been born in artificial snowdrifts since they started making them in 2014. “We are on a rising growth curve, so things still look pretty nice,” says Jari Ilmonen, coordinator of Our Saimaa Seal Life, which is an EU-funded program. “We are doing what we can, so we have to have hope and positive thoughts.” Saimaa seals are less than 1.5 meters long, and each one has a unique fur pattern—individual to each animal, like human fingerprints. In the late 1980s, their population dwindled to its lowest point, with fewer than 200 left, driven by hunting and deaths caused by fish traps. Accidental deaths in fishing nets remain a challenge. Now, the seals are fully protected, but the threat of the climate emergency looms large. Between 1925 and 2002, the maximum thickness of the ice decreased by 1.5 cm a decade. In mild winters, the ice caves can collapse, leaving the pups exposed, with up to 30% of them dying. Human-made snow drifts are larger and “more durable than natural snow drifts,” says Ilmonen. “By the first half of February, most of the natural ones had melted away, but the manmade ones prevailed.” In the future, ice cover is expected to disappear before the pupping season has ended. There have already been some winters where there has not been enough snow to create an artificial drift. In some cases the seals have been known to breed elsewhere, but with no snow, “just a few would hang on,” says Ilmonen. However, scientists from the University of Eastern Finland are working on plan B. They are creating artificial dens, or nest boxes, that mimic the real thing, with preliminary research showing the seals use them for resting, giving birth, and nursing their young. The nest boxes could be used in ice-free winters, researchers say. Biard says: “The long-term perspective is we don’t know if snow drifts are going to be sufficient. So the team is developing artificial nest boxes, similar to what you put in the garden for the birds.” There are about 40 dens on the lake, where three pups have already been born, but Ilmonen wants to get more out there. “If you think that there are maybe 500 seals and maybe 100 pups born each year, you’d need a lot of the boxes,” he says.

Collapsing wildlife populations near ‘points of no return’, report warns

Article written by Patrick Greenfield Originally published by The Guardian (Oct 10, 2024) As average population falls reach 95% in some regions, experts call for urgent action but insist ‘nature can recover’ Global wildlife populations have plunged by an average of 73% in 50 years, a new scientific assessment has found, as humans continue to push ecosystems to the brink of collapse. Latin America and the Caribbean recorded the steepest average declines in recorded wildlife populations, with a 95% fall, according to the WWF and the Zoological Society of London’s (ZSL) biennial Living Planet report. They were followed by Africa with 76%, and Asia and the Pacific at 60%. Europe and North America recorded comparatively lower falls of 35% and 39%, respectively, since 1970. Scientists said this was explained by much larger declines in wildlife populations in Europe and North America before 1970 that were now being replicated in other parts of the world. They warned that the loss could quicken in future years as global warming accelerates, triggered by tipping points in the Amazon rainforest, Arctic and marine ecosystems, which could have catastrophic consequences for nature and human society. Matthew Gould, ZSL’s chief executive, said the report’s message was clear: “We are dangerously close to tipping points for nature loss and climate change. But we know nature can recover, given the opportunity, and that we still have the chance to act.” The figures, known as the Living Planet Index, are made up of almost 35,000 population trends from 5,495 mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, and reptile species around the world and have become one of the leading indicators of the global state of wildlife populations. In recent years, the metric has faced criticism for potentially overestimating wildlife declines. The index is weighted in favour of data from Africa and Latin America, which have suffered larger declines but have far less reliable information about populations. This has had the effect of driving a dramatic top line of global collapse despite information from Europe and North America showing less dramatic falls. Hannah Wauchope, an ecology lecturer at Edinburgh University, said: “The weighting of the Living Planet Index is imperfect, but until we have systematic sampling of biodiversity worldwide, some form of weighting will be necessary. What we do know is that as habitat destruction and other threats to biodiversity continue, there will continue to be declines.” Critics question the mathematical soundness of the index’s approach but acknowledge that other indicators also show major declines in the state of many wildlife populations around the world. In a critique of the index published by Springer Nature in June, scientists said it “suffers from several mathematical and statistical issues, leading to a bias towards an apparent decrease even for balanced populations”. They continued: “This does not mean that in reality there is no overall decrease in vertebrate populations [but the] current phase of the Anthropocene [epoch] is characterised by more complex changes than … simple disappearance.” The IUCN’s Red List, which has assessed the health of more than 160,000 plant and animal species, has found that almost a third are at risk of extinction. Of those assessed, 41% of amphibians, 26% of mammals and 34% of conifer trees are at risk of disappearing. The index has been published days ahead of the COP16 biodiversity summit in Cali, Colombia, where countries will meet for the first time since agreeing on a set of international targets to halt the freefall of life on Earth. Governments have never met a single biodiversity target in the history of UN agreements and scientists are urging world leaders to make sure this decade is different. Susana Muhamad, COP16 president and Colombia’s environment minister, said: “We must listen to science and take action to avoid collapse. “Globally, we are reaching points of no return and irreversibly affecting the planet’s life-support systems. We are seeing the effects of deforestation and the transformation of natural ecosystems, intensive land use and climate change. “The world is witnessing the mass bleaching of coral reefs, the loss of tropical forests, the collapse of polar ice caps and serious changes to the water cycle—the foundation of life on our planet,” she said. Land-use change was the most important driver of the fall in wildlife populations as agricultural frontiers expanded, often at the expense of ecosystems such as tropical rainforests. Mike Barrett, director of science and conservation at WWF-UK, said countries such as the UK were driving the destruction by continuing to import food and livestock feed grown on previously wild ecosystems. “The data that we’ve got shows that the loss was driven by a fragmentation of natural habitats. What we are seeing through the figures is an indicator of a more profound change that is going on in our natural ecosystems… they are losing their resilience to external shocks and change. We are now superimposing climate change on these already degraded habitats,” said Barrett. “I have been involved in writing these reports for 10 years, and in writing this one, it was difficult. I was shocked,” he said.

Deforestation ‘roaring back’ despite 140-country vow to end destruction

Article written by Damian Carrington Originally published by The Guardian (Oct 8, 2024) Demand for beef, soy, palm oil and nickel hindering efforts to halt demolition by 2030, global report finds The destruction of global forests increased in 2023, and is higher than when 140 countries promised three years ago to halt deforestation by the end of the decade, an analysis shows. The rising demolition of the forests puts ambitions to halt the climate crisis and stem the huge worldwide losses of wildlife even further from reach, the researchers warn. Almost 6.4 million hectares (16 million acres) of forest were razed in 2023, according to the report. Even more forest (62.6 million hectares) was degraded as road building, logging and forest fires took their toll. There were spikes in deforestation in Indonesia and Bolivia, driven by political changes and continued demand for commodities including beef, soy, palm oil, paper and nickel in rich countries. The researchers said attempts at voluntary cuts on deforestation were not working and strong regulation and more funding for forest protection were needed. The report highlighted a bright spot in the Brazilian Amazon, where President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s new government cut deforestation by 62% in its first year. “The bottom line is that, globally, deforestation has gotten worse, not better, since the beginning of the decade,” said Ivan Palmegiani, a consultant at the research group Climate Focus and lead author of the report. “We’re only six years away from a critical global deadline to end deforestation, and forests continue to be chopped down, degraded, and set ablaze at alarming rates,” he said. “Righting the course is possible if all countries make it a priority, and especially if industrialised countries seriously reconsider their excessive consumption levels and support forest countries.” Erin D. Matson, a senior consultant at Climate Focus and co-author of the report, said: “When the right conditions are in place, countries see major progress. The next year, if economic or political conditions change, forest loss can come roaring back. We’re seeing this effect in the spiking deforestation in Indonesia and Bolivia. Ultimately, to meet global forest protection targets, we must make forest protection immune to political and economic whims.” Most countries backed the 2030 zero deforestation pledge at the UN COP26 climate summit in 2021. A coalition of research and civil society organizations produced the 2024 forest declaration assessment, which used a baseline of the typical deforestation between 2018 and 2020 to assess progress towards the goal. It found progress was significantly off track, with the level of deforestation in 2023 almost 50% higher than steady progress towards zero would require. Matson said: “Indonesia’s deforestation alone spiked by 57% in one year. This was in large part attributable to surging global demand for things like paper and mined metals like nickel. “But it’s also clear that the Indonesian government took its foot off the gas. It experienced the steepest drop in deforestation of any tropical country from 2015-17 and 2020-22, so we have to hope that this setback is only temporary.” In 2023, Indonesia produced half the world’s nickel, a metal used in many green technologies. “Brazil gives us an example of positive progress [in the Amazon], but deforestation in the Cerrado [tropical savanna] increased 68% year over year,” she said. Forest fires have also wreaked havoc on the nation, which the climate crisis is making more likely and intense. The report found that about 45 million hectares have burned in the past five years. Other countries that made progress towards the 2030 deforestation target included Australia, Colombia, Paraguay, Venezuela and Vietnam. Outside the tropics, temperate forests in North America and Latin America recorded the greatest absolute levels of deforestation. The researchers said funding for forest protection, strengthening the land rights of Indigenous people and reducing demand for commodities produced via deforestation were needed. The EU has proposed ambitious regulations that would ban the sales of products linked to deforestation, such as coffee, chocolate, leather and furniture. However, on 3 October, the European Commission proposed a one-year delay “to phase in the system” after protests from countries including Australia, Brazil, Indonesia and Ivory Coast. Matson said: “It’s unfortunate that political pressures are largely responsible for this pushback. We can’t rely on voluntary efforts; they have made very little progress over the last decade.”

Paralyzed animals lose all their food in devastating fire.

A crucial wildlife sanctuary in South Africa has been devastated by a wildfire that raged for five days and destroyed 80% of its haven for hundreds of animals. Credit (top and bottom): Bambelela Wildlife Sanctuary This sanctuary, which rescues, rehabilitates and, when possible, releases animals like zebras, monkeys, giraffes, warthogs and antelope back into the wild, now desperately needs our help. Paralyzed, injured and orphaned wild animals miraculously survived the devastating fire – but now, they have no food. Please, help right away. The dedicated team at Bambelela Wildlife Sanctuary in Bela Bela, a town in the Limpopo province of South Africa, risked their lives to fight the fire and protect the 200 rescued animals in their care. Without their intervention, many would have been entirely helpless against the raging fire. Some of the animals have been paralyzed after being hit by cars, others have lost limbs due to abuse or vehicular collisions, and others still have lost their sight due to abuse or old age. Despite orders from firefighters to evacuate, the team stayed behind, trying to stop the flames from reaching the animal enclosures and the injured, paralyzed, orphaned, elderly and blind animals inside. An injured monkey being rescued. Credit: Bambelela Wildlife Sanctuary Sadly, the fire spread too fast, forcing the sanctuary to release the animals onto the reserve to save them from being trapped and killed by the flames or smoke. Most animals have been recovered safely, but three monkeys are still missing. The team is searching for them, and we are hopeful they will be found. We don’t know what caused the fire, but we do know that it destroyed the sanctuary’s grazing areas. Bambelela desperately needs help to feed its 200 animals for the next month while the sanctuary works to recover from the disaster. Credit: BBFPA Right now, Bambelela’s biggest priorities are finding the missing animals and keeping bellies full. Their greatest need is food, as the disaster destroyed all the natural food sources their animals rely on. 80% of this critical wildlife sanctuary’s land has been destroyed by flames that burned more than 32 feet (10 meters) high. Please, will you help feed these vulnerable animals? Credit: Bambelela Wildlife Sanctuary If we can raise $2,080 (roughly £1,600), we can feed all 200 animals for a month, relieving the pressure on the sanctuary as they rush to repair and rebuild what they can. Your support will be a saving grace for animals who have experienced yet another horrendous trauma after lives of hardship, captivity and severe abuse. Please will you help feed the animals of Bambelela Wildlife Sanctuary, and be their guardian angel in their greatest time of need?

Humans to push further into wildlife habitats across more than 50% of land by 2070

Article written by Olivia Lee Originally published by The Guardian (Aug 21, 2024) Sharing increasingly crowded spaces could result in greater risk of pandemics, human and animal conflicts and loss of nature, say researchers Over the next 50 years, people will push further into wildlife habitats across more than half the land on Earth, scientists have found, threatening biodiversity and increasing the chance of future pandemics. Humans have already transformed or occupied between 70% and 75% of the world’s land. Research published in Science Advances on Wednesday found the overlap between human and wildlife populations is expected to increase across 57% of the Earth’s land by 2070, driven by human population growth. “You have places such as forests where there are virtually no people, where we will start to see some more human presence and activities, and interactions with wildlife,” said Neil Carter, the principal investigator of the study and an associate professor of environment and sustainability at the University of Michigan in the US. “People are increasing their pressures and negative impacts on… species, which is something that we’ve seen already for many years. It is part of the cause of the biodiversity-loss crisis that we’re in,” he said. As humans and animals share increasingly crowded landscapes, the bigger overlap could result in higher potential for disease transmission, biodiversity loss, animals being killed by people and wildlife eating livestock and crops, the researchers said. Biodiversity loss is the leading driver of infectious disease outbreaks. About 75% of emerging diseases in humans are zoonotic, meaning they can be passed from animals to humans, and many diseases concerning global health authorities – including Covid-19, mpox, avian flu and swine flu – likely originated in wildlife. Understanding where people and wildlife will overlap is key to preventing “the acceleration of viral spillover from wildlife”, said Kim Gruetzmacher, a wildlife conservation veterinarian and researcher, who was not involved in the study. “The vast majority – up to 75% – of emerging infectious diseases (which can lead to epidemics and pandemics) stem from non-human animals, the majority of which originate in wildlife,” Gruetzmacher said. “It is not the wildlife itself which poses a risk, but our behaviour and specific contact with it.” To forecast future overlap between humans and wildlife, researchers at the University of Michigan compared estimates of where people are likely to inhabit land with the spatial distribution areas of more than 22,000 species. The expansion of human and animal overlap will be most concentrated in regions where human population density is already high, such as India and China, they found. Agricultural and forest areas in Africa and South America will also experience substantial increases of overlap. However, in some regions the human-wildlife overlap was projected to reduce, including across more than 20% of land in Europe. The research can guide policymakers “to avoid the human and wildlife conflicts and focus more on the conservation of species richness,” said Deqiang Ma, the lead author of the study and a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan Institute for Global Change Biology. Rob Cooke, an ecological modeller at the UK centre for Ecology and Hydrology, who was not involved in the study, said it gave a “broad picture overview of what’s happening and what could change”, but more research was needed into “what kinds of species and how are we going to interact, and what kind of repercussions does it have”.

Lions in Kenya are being killed – simply for being lions.

There are few safe spaces left for lions in southern Kenya – and those that remain are steadily disappearing.   Human settlements are rapidly encroaching on critical lion habitats, and the consequences for wild animals are devastating.     As climate change wreaks havoc on Kenya’s natural environments, the lions’ food sources are disappearing too. Hungry lions are forced to venture ever closer to humans in a search for food and, following their instincts, prey on livestock.   Villagers are killing them in retaliation.   Hungry lions eat livestock to fill their empty bellies – and they’re paying for it with their lives. It is a sad fact that around the world, humans and animals are competing for ever-diminishing land and resources. Tragically, the animals always lose.   Outside the Amboseli National Park in southern Kenya, the situation is particularly dire. Lions are killed using spears or poison, either in retaliation for eating livestock or, even worse, as a pre-emptive measure before the lions kill a single domestic animal.   Recently, seven lions were killed by villagers in a single attack. Every week, lions and other wild animals, including leopards, cheetahs and hyenas – all critical to the healthy functioning of ecosystems and edging ever closer to extinction – are wiped out for being seen as a threat to livestock.   We have a solution that will help save the few remaining lions.     Livestock in Kenya is usually kept in traditional African enclosures called ‘bomas.’ These enclosures keep the domesticated animals in, but are easily breached by predators.   Our partner, Lion Lights, has developed a cost-effective solution that has seen impressive results. The expert team installs specialized “deterrent” devices on bomas – durable, solar-powered LED lights that flash and blink at regular intervals, scaring predators away.   This not only protects livestock from attacks, but removes the excuse farmers have long used to slaughter lions and other critical predators.     The solution is remarkably effective.   Two long-term projects in Kenya have proven the effectiveness of the lights – one of which has been running for ten years, and another which was installed three years ago.   Since the lights were installed, the slaughter of lions and other predators has been reduced by around 80% – and in some cases, been eradicated altogether.   Only around 200 lions remain in the Amboseli region. Please, help protect them before it is too late!   With your generous support, we plan on covering an expansive area of roughly 1.5 acres (over 65,000 square feet or 6,000 square meters) with these advanced deterrent lights.   For every $135 we raise (approximately £105), we can protect an entire boma and its livestock — as well as all the lions and other predators in that area.   Over time, we hope to equip all 300 of the area’s bomas with these lights, helping to put an end to the retaliatory killing of lions and other crucial predators once and for all.   These lights will not only protect lions, but a multitude of other important predators. It is tragic that lions are killed simply for following their natural instincts.   We CAN stop the slaughter, but ONLY with YOUR help.   With your support today, we can implement this proven, highly-effective solution to keep wild animals safe.   Lions are extinct in 26 African countries. Don’t let Kenya become the 27th! Please, donate generously to ASI right now.

Over a fifth of Greece’s wildlife are critically endangered

Article written by Matthew Norman Originally published by greekreporter.com (May 21, 2024) More than a fifth of the 11,500 endangered animal, plant, and fungi species in Greece are “critically endangered” and thus are under threat of extinction, a re-evaluation of the country’s Red List has found. The Environment Ministry published the revised list to commemorate European Natura 2000 Day, the anniversary of the creation in 1992 of what is now the world’s largest coordinated network of protected areas, which in the present day includes more than 27,000 sites. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has evaluated the species on Greece’s Red List using its criteria. The local Red List, tied to the IUCN’s Red List, operates as an openly accessible database, allowing access to scientific information about flora and fauna. Globally, 28 percent of the species evaluated by the IUCN are under threat, and in Greece, that percentage is 21.5 percent. Some 18.7 percent of plants, 22.6 percent of animals, and 34.8 percent of fungi on the list are under threat of extinction. When it comes to specifics, 28.3 percent of birds, 31.3 percent of mammals, 13.3 percent of reptiles, 34.6 percent of amphibians, and 21.5 percent of invertebrates on the list are threatened with extinction. The griffon vulture, the smallest of four vulture species found in Greece and Europe, is one of the “critically endangered” species. As a result of certain protection and conservation measures being implemented, some endangered species previously threatened with extinction have been recategorized as low risk. Examples of this positive transition include the Caretta caretta sea turtle and the lesser kestrel. In a separate announcement, the Hellenic Ornithological Society has said that two vultures that wintered this year on Mount Parnitha, near Athens, have mated and nested there—the first confirmed breeding of the species in the area since the 1970s. Fauna of Greece, including the endangered The fauna in Greece is incredibly diverse, with many different species. The mountainous regions of the country, especially the forests, play host to bears, wild cats, brown squirrels, jackals, wolves, foxes, deer, and lynxes. A rare species of wild goat, known as kri-kri, inhabits the mountainous regions of Crete. There are 116 species of mammals in Greece, and 57 of them belong to endangered species, such as the Brown Bears of Epirus. For the protection of brown bears, wolves, snakes, and other endangered species, many environmental organizations have been established, such as Arcturos, that work on the preservation of wildlife and the natural environment. Around 422 bird species are recorded in Greece, and about 70 percent of them are migratory birds. On the way from northern to southern countries, many birds stop in lakes or river deltas for a few weeks, creating a rare ecosystem.

Two endangered black-footed ferrets cloned from frozen tissue samples

Article written by Gloria Oladipo Originally published by The Guardian (Apr 18, 2024) Noreen and Antonia, born last May, are among first cloned offspring of a native endangered species in North America Two more black-footed ferrets have been successfully cloned in an attempt to save the endangered species, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced. The national agency shared news about the births of ferrets Noreen and Antonia, who were both born last May. Both ferrets were cloned using tissue samples collected in 1988 from a female ferret named Willa. The 2020 birth of a black-footed ferret – using the same genetic material that produced Noreen and Antonia – signified the first cloning of a native endangered species, the USFWS reported. The cloning of black-footed ferrets represents a significant milestone in the continued fight to save the gravely endangered species. The black-footed ferret – known for the black markings on its tail, feet and eyes – has been categorized as endangered since the 1960s, according to the USFWS. Agricultural expansion, the prairie dog and other factors led to a sharp decline in the ferret’s population, which was anywhere from 500,000 to 1 million in the 1800s. The species was presumed extinct in 1979, when the last black-footed ferret died in captivity. But a small population of ferrets was discovered in 1981 by a Wyoming cattle rancher. Conservationists quickly captured the wild ferrets and launched the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program, breeding the rare mammal in captivity to increase its population. Willa was among the few ferrets who were initially captured. Unfortunately, the female ferret did not have any living descendants. But scientists collected her genes and tissue samples – freezing the precious cells at the Frozen Zoo in San Diego, California. The cryobank hosts more than 10,000 “living cell cultures, oocytes, sperm, and embryos” from nearly 1,000 species, according to the zoo’s website. Elizabeth Ann, a female ferret born in 2020, was the first clone using Willa’s genes. But Elizabeth Ann, who lives at the National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center in northern Colorado, also did not have descendants. Handlers working with Elizabeth Ann said the female ferret was not interested in any potential mates. “She didn’t like the males, and she didn’t even let them into her tunnel,” Ben Novak, lead scientist with the conservation non-profit Revive & Restore, said to the Washington Post. “She bit one of them on the nose.” Scientists are also unable to breed Elizabeth Ann due to an issue with her reproductive organs not caused by her initial cloning, CBS News reported. Therefore, the latest ferrets were cloned after scientists inseminated a domestic ferret, the Post reported. Noreen was born and also resides at the National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center. Antonia lives at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Virginia. The national agency confirmed that Noreen and Antonia are both “healthy and continue to reach expected developmental and behavioral milestones”. Both ferrets will be used for breeding when they reach reproductive age.

Give today, and we will MATCH your donation.

Today, we are imploring you to consider the plight of fragile, helpless flying foxes in Seychelles – animals with bodies barely bigger than your palm – who are maligned, hunted, ripped from their families, and needlessly slaughtered for gruesome “traditional” foods. Flying foxes need YOU today – and if you help right away, your gift will be DOUBLED. Read on… Widely misunderstood and ruthlessly hunted for their flesh, flying foxes are in deep peril. Right now, they are dying in their droves across the island of Mahé in the Seychelles. Credit: Protect Paradise Seychelles They are desperate for YOUR help. Using the poor excuse of “tradition,” flying foxes are caught and killed for “bat curry,” a dish with no place in a society with an abundance of ethical food sources. Hunters string crude fishing lines and hooks high up in trees, and when the unsuspecting flying creatures forage for fruit, they get trapped in these barbaric contraptions. Helpless babies die still clinging to their mothers or fall from their mothers’ bodies to die slowly on the ground. Animals not killed outright by the nets are butchered with knives. Those who don’t partake in this culinary catastrophe are often disinterested in halting this brutal practice, as the animals are seen as little better than pests. Credit: Anna Buckley To make matters exponentially worse, this is far from the only threat facing the species on Mahé. A growing human population means fewer food sources and increasing environmental threats. Their habitats are destroyed, fruit trees are replaced by urban blight or harvested for human consumption, and bright city lights leave them disorientated, lost and prone to accidents. Frequently, they fly into power lines, killing them or leaving them fatally injured.The rampant killing of helpless flying foxes is heartbreaking. Please show these gentle, sweet flying foxes that YOU care! Also known as fruit bats, flying foxes are intelligent, social creatures who often live in family groups. Pups are totally reliant on their mothers as infants when they weigh less than a small apple and stay with their mothers for up to one year. There is a glimmer of hope for these mammals: your matched donation today, and our dedicated partner on the ground, Protect Paradise Seychelles (PPS). This hardworking organization rescues orphaned, injured and displaced flying foxes, among many other species, and helps to save as many lives as they can. They need extra support NOW, because it is “orphan season.” Credit: Protect Paradise Seychelles A very kind donor has pledged to MATCH your donation to flying foxes today, empowering you to make EVEN MORE of a difference! A generous-hearted ASI donor with a special interest in flying foxes has pledged to MATCH every donation made towards these special mammals, up to a total of $4,000 (roughly £3,160). That means whatever you donate will effectively be DOUBLED, so your contribution will go twice as far! As PPS’ rehabilitation center fills with injured, orphaned souls needing help during the species’ birthing season, this compassionate pledge – combined with your donations – has the power to help save so many more lives! Credit: Protect Paradise Seychelles PPS desperately needs an X-ray machine to accurately diagnose and treat injuries. It will make a LIFE-SAVING DIFFERENCE to flying foxes, and your MATCHED DONATION will help us provide it! Failing to protect flying foxes could have devastating consequences for life on Earth. These winged mammals disperse seeds and pollinate flowers to sustain forests and promote healthy growth. In turn, forests support thousands of species of fauna and flora, and are crucial in combating climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the air. Without forests, the impact of dramatically changing weather events would become even more severe, turning rains into floods and dry spells into droughts. Our very life on Earth depends on healthy forests – and forests depend on creatures like flying foxes. We know you care about our beautiful planet and every wild animal that calls it home. We know that you won’t let these helpless little creatures down! Please donate as much as you can now. Every donation up to $4,000 (roughly £3,160) will be MATCHED! That means the time to give is right now.

GOOD NEWS UPDATE: Giraffe relocation success!

Article written by Shannon Edwards Remember the four giraffes living in unsuitable conditions on a small piece of land in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province? We have an update you’ve been waiting for!  Last week, little calf Mallow was successfully relocated to a beautiful private game reserve nearby. Thanks to your generosity, we covered the full cost of her capture and move.  Our wildlife veterinarian and game capture specialist on the ground orchestrated Mallow’s relocation with expert precision and meticulous care. Now, the little calf has enough food and space to roam freely and is thriving with her new herd – all thanks to your support. While the three adult giraffes unfortunately cannot be moved due to the significant risk of injury or death, the compassionate couple who owns the original property has opened their hearts to the animals, and is prepared to allow them to live out the rest of their days there. We will continue to support their care, providing supplementary feed and implementing a tick management program. Our wildlife vet will also ensure the giraffe bull receives regular contraception to prevent more calves from being born into unsuitable conditions.  It is disappointing that we could not relocate the giraffes as a family, but our priority is ALWAYS the animals’ safety. The good news is that you have given Mallow a chance at a long and happy life. Thank you for making this possible. 

Hedgehogs are in terrible trouble.

With fewer and fewer safe spaces for hedgehogs in Attica, Greece, their habitats are disappearing before their eyes. They are in terrible and increasing danger. These small, helpless creatures, weighing no more than 2.2 pounds (one kilogram), are battling in rural and urban areas outside Athens. They cannot withstand the effects of climate change, rampant habitat loss, pesticides, and an increasing human population – not without YOUR help. Credit: ANIMA Adorable baby hedgehogs and pregnant mothers caught in garden fencing, poisoned by pesticides, and dying from mange – please help us save these fragile creatures! Image for illustrative purposes only. Credit: Pam Clutterbuck Recently, our partner in Greece, ANIMA (Wildlife Rehabilitation Association), was called to the aid of a pregnant hedgehog caught in garden fencing in a suburban area. ANIMA managed to rescue her, but the stress of her ordeal caused her to have a miscarriage. There are many more tragic cases. Of five hedgehogs they received one weekend, four struggling with mange, all sadly died. Quasimodo, meanwhile, has neurological issues which he may have been born with and which cause him to have fits. He requires dedicated medical care and sleeps on heating pads. Fragile Quasimodo has neurological challenges and requires ongoing veterinary care.  Credit: ANIMA Armadillo was discovered by kind people in a rural part of Attica. Due to mange, he had lost all his quills and was completely naked. He is treated with baby oil and kept on heating pads to aid his slow recovery. This may look like an avocado but, horrifically, it is Armadillo the hedgehog, with severe mange. Credit: ANIMA Helpless hedgehogs are mowed down by vehicles, die stuck in fencing, or get killed when they inadvertently ingest pesticides or chemicals. Please, help us save these defenseless creatures. ANIMA rescues and cares for around 300 hedgehogs every year of the northern white-breasted variety. This is a high number of hedgehogs by Greek standards, and the figures are only increasing as the effects of climate change and human activity worsen. Image for illustrative purposes only. Climate change and human activity have destroyed hedgehogs’ ecosystems and homes. Without our help today, countless more will die helpless and alone. Please, help now! Credit: ANIMA It costs around $120 (£95) per month to treat, feed, care for and shelter a rescued hedgehog. These fragile little animals require heating in winter and specialized care when they are affected by mange. Once healthy, hedgehogs are released into ANIMA’s protected areas outside the city, usually southwest of Attica, where the habitat is better suited to their survival. For every $120 (roughly £95) you donate, you can support a hedgehog’s treatment and care for a month. Can hedgehogs count on you today? At ASI, we believe every animal deserves to live and thrive – and as a concerned custodian of our planet, we know you agree. Please, help us support these little creatures in big trouble right now. Donate to Animal Survival International today.

Woman who welcomed eight foxes into her home now uses them as therapy animals to help domestic abuse survivors

Article written by Molly Powell Originally published by Independent UK (Feb 5, 2024) At the end of 2022, Nicole began using her foxes as therapy foxes. A woman who rescued eight foxes from fur farms that now sleep in a twin-size bed in her home now uses them as therapy foxes in women’s shelters and youth rehabilitation programmes and claims many “resonate” with the foxes’ “story of survival”. Nicole Navarro, 43, who works part-time on a tourist boat and lives in Key Largo, Florida, with her eight foxes, Libby, Louie, Reef, Kai, Coral, Jasper, Ridley and Penny, began rescuing the animals in 2020 after she got laid off in the pandemic. Nicole says all of her foxes were “deemed undesirable” by fur farmers, as they had “some sort of physical defect”, such as missing tails or toes, but claims this is what “ended up saving their lives”. Nicole’s foxes have 24/7 access to a room in her house, with luxuries such as air conditioning and a bed, as well as a huge enclosure outside with “enrichment activities”, and Nicole spends most of her days off playing with them, and feeding them their diet of chicken, duck, rabbit and turkey, which costs 800 dollars (£625) a month. At the end of 2022, Nicole began using them as therapy foxes, where she puts them in a harness, allows people to stroke them and tells the foxes’ stories of going from being bred to kill to living a happy life, which she finds “extremely rewarding” as she has “experienced intense trauma” in her past. Credit: Collect/PA Real Life Nicole said: “When I take the foxes to the sessions, I find that the people really resonate with the foxes’ story of survival. “Often these people are victims of domestic abuse and in a way, have been in a similar position.” Nicole first fell in love with foxes in 2018 when she was volunteering at the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office in Key West, Florida, which had an animal farm. She explained: “In 2018, two foxes were surrendered and even though I had a lot of experience with different species of animals throughout my life, I grew up on a very large horse farm in western Pennsylvania, I had never had up close personal experience with foxes. “And I just sort of became completely infatuated with the species and then started learning more about their backgrounds – most foxes here in the United States can be traced back to fur farming and it’s illegal to capture, obviously, wild animals out of the wild and turn them into pets.” From then on, Nicole started contacting fox rescue centres throughout America about potentially rescuing them in the future, and in March 2020, one of her contacts asked her if she was ready to take some foxes that were being surrendered from a fur farm. Nicole thinks her foxes have improved her mental health. Credit: Collect/PA Real Life She said: “I quickly scrambled to raise money because at that time, the Florida Keys completely shut down since we’re tourism based so I got laid off, and it became a bit of a lockdown project.” Two months later, she welcomed Louie and Libby, foxes from a fur farm, into her home and since then, she has adopted another six foxes. She said: “All of the foxes were deemed undesirable meaning the fur farmer would not have been able to kill them and sell them because they had some sort of physical defect. “So some of the foxes I have don’t have tails, some of them are harmed by their mother at a very young age so they’re missing parts of their tail and Reef is even missing some toes. “So all the foxes I have here have some sort of thing that was deemed imperfect by the farmer, but it’s actually what ended up saving their lives.” Nicole keeps them all in two large enclosures outside and they even have 24/7 access to a room in her house. Nicole first encountered foxes when she was volunteering at an animal farm. Credit: Collect/PA Real Life She said: “They have a twin-size bed that they sleep on and there’s no electrical wires or anything they can chew on or harm themselves with. “It gets pretty warm here so the room is air conditioned… and they all have outdoor enclosures with ramps and platforms and enrichment activities, toys and tunnels. “So they are really given everything they need to use the natural instincts they have – they’re not domestic in any way, shape or form.” Nicole explained her daily-routine to look after her furry friends, saying: “I get up fairly early and I do a spot clean of the enclosures. “I feed them a little breakfast – they eat rabbit, duck, chicken, turkey, I do offer them fruits and vegetables, but they rarely go for it. “I sit back there with them, I interact with them, I play with them.” At the end of 2022, Nicole began using her foxes as therapy foxes. Nicole started rescuing her foxes in lockdown. Credit: Collect/PA Real Life She said: “I reached out to a women’s holistic trauma recovery programme and just sort of proposed the idea of bringing a fox to meet the women and sharing the foxes’ stories of survival – going from certain deaths to living on an island in Florida. “When I take one of my foxes into the sessions, I put him in a harness and a little leash, but I don’t train him on a leash. “I tell his story and then welcome people to pet him or play with him, but it’s amazing, as soon as I put the harness on him his personality changes – he’s so calm and relaxed and we’ve never had any issues with him.” From there, Nicole has expanded her sessions. She said: “The Florida Keys Children’s Shelter saw what we were doing with the women and asked if they could start bringing children here to meet the

Developers in England will be forced to create habitats for wildlife—here’s how it works

Article written by Natalie Duffus and Sophus zu Ermgassen Originally published by Phys.org (Feb 16, 2024) England’s new environmental policy, biodiversity net gain, went live on February 12. Most new developments—everything from a few houses to large solar farms or new roads and railways—will now have to provide a 10% net gain in biodiversity, maintained for at least 30 years. The idea is that, instead of driving a loss of habitats for wildlife, developments will now contribute to a recovery. The new policy will be rolled out to small sites in April 2024 and nationally significant infrastructure projects in 2025. Scotland and Wales are considering adopting similar policies. It’s an exciting moment—we are academics who assess policies like these, and we recognize that this is one of the world’s most ambitious ecological compensation policies. But our research has nonetheless identified flaws and loopholes. It will be important to get the nuts and bolts right to ensure the policy delivers real benefits, and that gains are not just made on paper. What does a ‘biodiversity net gain’ actually mean? The policy is designed so that the improvement is measurable using the statutory biodiversity metric. This is a calculation tool which assigns numerical values (“units”) to habitats based on their size, type and ecological condition. A small lawn might be one unit, while a small patch of woodland could be 16 units. Before the bulldozers arrive, developers will need to take stock of the units provided by their on-site habitats. When the work is completed, there will need to be at least 10% more units than there were to begin with. This should be achieved, firstly, by avoiding damage to the existing habitats as much as possible. But some harms are inevitable, and these will need to be compensated for—both by improving the quality of the remaining habitats, and by creating new habitats. Habitats created in the same local authority as the damaged sites are awarded more units, reflecting a preference for keeping biodiversity local to the habitats and people affected by the development. In practice, this means the net gain rules generally promote more grassland, ponds, hedgerows and other natural habitats within developments. When on-site habitats are not enough to meet the 10% requirement, then off-site gains (“offsets”) can be purchased. It is hoped that the developers’ demand for offsets will drive investment into landowners and habitat banks to do large nature recovery projects. This could allow, for example, the creation of wildflower meadows to offset the environmental harm caused by a new housing development. Researchers have learned a lot about the outcomes of biodiversity net gain from studying councils such as West Oxfordshire and Cornwall, where equivalent commitments were adopted early. But based on this experience, academics and ecologists are still concerned about several key gaps in the policy. Is it delivering for wildlife? A key concern is that the metric used to score biodiversity may not work in the best interests of wildlife—particularly insects. The metric is intended to be a practical proxy for biodiversity, by assessing and scoring different habitat features. However, it assigns a low score to grasslands with nettles, ragwort, thistles and diverse mosaics of scrub and bare earth, which support a wealth of insect species. Under the net gain policy, these habitats are penalized in favor of tidy grasslands that may have plenty of flowers but lack the other components necessary to sustain flourishing insect populations. Not only will habitats potentially be worse for wildlife, but they will also be smaller, as our team’s recent research found that biodiversity net gain was associated with a reduction in the area of open greenspace. This is because the metric allows large “poor” quality habitats to be traded for small “good” ones. We also found the metric is so flexible that most large developments can meet their entire 10% commitment within the development footprint. This reduces the demand for offsets, and hence the private investment that could be going into large nature recovery projects. How will it be enforced? Biodiversity net gain also allows developers to effectively trade existing habitats for promised future habitats. This is a big risk. For this trading system to work, it needs to be well monitored and governed, or else developers will have little incentive to actually create those new habitats. Habitats promised on site—new ponds, lawns and so on—are at particular risk, as there are limited mechanisms to tackle non-compliance. Our team has previously estimated that a quarter of habitat units promised under net gain regulations could be unmonitored and effectively unenforced. In response to these challenges, the government has increased funding and powers for local planning authorities. However, there are still concerns that this won’t be enough to monitor habitats for 30 years and act against noncompliance. There are also challenges with ensuring that habitats in the built environment have benefits for wildlife. This includes residential gardens and public-use grasslands which count towards the net gain requirement. Both will be well used by people and pets, reducing their wildlife value. For gardens, it is not yet clear how their wildlife value will be maintained and not lost to artificial grass, decking or concrete slabs. As developers and planners get used to biodiversity net gain, we hope to see these gaps addressed in further policy tweaks. Biodiversity net gain is an exciting, ambitious policy, and we want it to achieve its full potential.

Greenland losing 30m tonnes of ice an hour, study reveals

Article written by Damian Carrington Originally published by The Guardian (Thu, Jan 17, 2024) Total is 20% higher than thought and may have implications for collapse of globally important north Atlantic ocean currents The Greenland ice cap is losing an average of 30m tonnes of ice an hour due to the climate crisis, a study has revealed, which is 20% more than was previously thought. Some scientists are concerned that this additional source of freshwater pouring into the north Atlantic might mean a collapse of the ocean currents called the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (Amoc) is closer to being triggered, with severe consequences for humanity. Major ice loss from Greenland as a result of global heating has been recorded for decades. The techniques employed to date, such as measuring the height of the ice sheet or its weight via gravity data, are good at determining the losses that end up in the ocean and drive up sea level. However, they cannot account for the retreat of glaciers that already lie mostly below sea level in the narrow fjords around the island. In the study, satellite photos were analysed by scientists to determine the end position of Greenland’s many glaciers every month from 1985 to 2022. This showed large and widespread shortening and in total amounted to a trillion tonnes of lost ice. Greenland has lost a trillion tonnes of ice since 1985 from glacier retreat alone Mass of Greeland ice sheet relative to mass in 2022, billion tonnes “The changes around Greenland are tremendous and they’re happening everywhere – almost every glacier has retreated over the past few decades,” said Dr Chad Greene, at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the US, who led the research. “It makes sense that if you dump freshwater on to the north Atlantic Ocean, then you certainly get a weakening of the Amoc, though I don’t have an intuition for how much weakening.” The Amoc was already known to be at its weakest in 1,600 years and in 2021 researchers spotted warning signs of a tipping point. A recent study suggested the collapse could happen as soon as 2025 in the worst-case scenario. A significant part of the Greenland ice sheet itself is also thought by scientists to be close to a tipping point of irreversible melting, with ice equivalent to 1-2 metres of sea level rise probably already expected. The study, published in the journal Nature, used artificial intelligence techniques to map more than 235,000 glacier end positions over the 38-year period, at a resolution of 120 metres. This showed the Greenland ice sheet had lost an area of about 5,000 sq km of ice at its margins since 1985, equivalent to a trillion tonnes of ice. The most recent update from a project that collates all the other measurements of Greenland’s ice found that 221bn tonnes of ice had been lost every year since 2003. The new study adds another 43bn tonnes a year, making the total loss about 30m tonnes an hour on average. The scientists said: “There is some concern that any small source of freshwater may serve as a ‘tipping point’ that could trigger a full-scale collapse of the Amoc, disrupting global weather patterns, ecosystems and global food security. Yet freshwater from the glacier retreat of Greenland is not included in oceanographic models at present.” The influx of less dense freshwater into the sea slows the usual process of heavier salty water sinking in the polar region and driving the Amoc.  Prof Tim Lenton, at the University of Exeter, UK, and not part of the study, said: “This additional freshwater input to the north Atlantic is a concern, particularly for the formation of deep water in the Labrador and Irminger Seas within the subpolar gyre, as other evidence suggests these are the regions most prone to being tipped into an ‘off’, or collapsed state.” “That would be like a partial Amoc collapse, but unfolding faster and having profound impacts on the UK, western Europe, parts of North America, and the Sahel region, where the west African monsoon could be severely disrupted,” he said. “Whether this previously unaccounted source is enough freshwater to make a difference depends on how close we are to that subpolar gyre tipping point. Recent models suggest it could be close already at the present level of global warming.” However, Prof Andrew Shepherd, at the University of Northumbria, UK, said: “Although there was a step-change in glacier retreat at the turn of the century, it’s reassuring to see that the pace of ice loss has been steady since then and is still well below the levels needed to disturb the Amoc.” The discovery of the extra ice loss is also important for calculating the Earth’s energy imbalance, ie how much extra solar heat the Earth is trapping due to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, said Greene. “It takes a lot of energy to melt 1tn tonnes of ice. So if we want very precise energy balanced models for the Earth, this has to be accounted for.” The glaciers analysed in the study were mostly below sea level already, so the lost ice was replaced by sea water and did not affect sea level directly. But Greene said: “It almost certainly has an indirect effect, by allowing glaciers to speed up. These narrow fjords are the bottleneck, so if you start carving away at the edges of the ice, it’s like removing the plug in the drain.” Greene and colleagues also analysed the extent of Antarctic ice shelves over time in a study published in 2022. It found that the total lost from the ice shelves since 1997 was doubled to about 12tn tonnes when the shrinking areal extent of the shelves was accounted for and added to the thinning of the shelves.

‘Astounding’ ocean temperatures in 2023 intensified extreme weather, data shows

Adapted from article written by Damian Carrington Originally published by The Guardian (Thu, Jan 11, 2024) Record levels of heat were absorbed last year by Earth’s seas, which have been warming year-on-year for the past decade “Astounding” ocean temperatures in 2023 supercharged “freak” weather around the world as the climate crisis continued to intensify, new data has revealed. The oceans absorb 90% of the heat trapped by the carbon emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, making it the clearest indicator of global heating. Record levels of heat were taken up by the oceans in 2023, scientists said, and the data showed that for the past decade the oceans have been hotter every year than the year before. The heat also led to record levels of stratification in the oceans, where warm water ponding on the surface reduces the mixing with deeper waters. This cuts the amount of oxygen in the oceans, threatening marine life, and also reduces the amount of carbon dioxide and heat the seas can take up in the future. “We’re already facing the consequences and they will get far worse if we don’t take action,” said Prof John Abraham, at the University of St Thomas in Minnesota. “But we can solve this problem today with wind, solar, hydro and energy conservation. Once people realise that, it’s very empowering.” Credit: Thoko Chikondi/AP In 2023, an additional 15 zettajoules of heat was taken up by the oceans, compared with 2022. By comparison, humanity uses about half a zettajoule of energy a year to fuel the entire global economy. In total, the oceans absorbed 287 zettajoules in 2023. These figures are based on data from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. A separate dataset from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found a similar increase and identical trend over time. The ocean surface temperatures in 2023 were “off the charts”, the researchers said. The primary cause was another year of record carbon emissions, assisted by El Niño. Over the whole year, the average temperature was 0.1C above 2022, but in the second half of 2023 the temperature was an “astounding” 0.3C higher. The scientists said the record level of stratification and reduced oxygen in the ocean would have “severe consequences” for ocean plant and animal life. Marine heatwaves struck across the oceans in 2023. A separate report, by the consortium Global Water Monitor (GWM), found some of the worst disasters of 2023 were due to unusually strong cyclones bringing extreme rainfall to Mozambique and Malawi, Myanmar, Greece, Libya, New Zealand and Australia. Prof Albert Van Dijk of GWM said: “We saw cyclones behave in unexpected and deadly ways. The longest-lived cyclone ever recorded battered south-eastern Africa for weeks. Warmer sea temperatures fuelled those freak behaviours, and we can expect to see more of these extreme events going forward.” Abraham said a rapid end to the burning of coal, oil and gas was needed: “If we don’t bend the trajectory of climate change downwards, then we are going to experience more extreme weather, more climate disruption, more climate refugees, more loss of agricultural productivity. We’re going to have costs in dollars and lives from a problem that we could have avoided. And, generally, those least responsible are going to suffer the most, which is a tremendous injustice.”

Digitized records from wildlife centers show the most common ways that humans harm wild animals

Article written by Tara K. Miller and Richard B. Primack Originally published by The Conversation (Wed, Nov 22, 2023) At hundreds of wildlife rehabilitation centers across the U.S., people can learn about wild animals and birds at close range. These sites, which may be run by nonprofits or universities, often feature engaging exhibits, including “ambassador” animals that can’t be released – an owl with a damaged wing, for example, or a fox that was found as a kit and became accustomed to being fed by humans. What’s less visible are the patients – sick and injured wild animals that have been admitted for treatment. Each year, people bring hundreds of thousands of sick and injured wild animals to wildlife rehab centers. Someone may find an injured squirrel on the side of the road or notice a robin in their backyard that can’t fly, and then call the center to pick up an animal in distress. We study ecology and biology, and recently used newly digitized records from wildlife rehabilitation centers to identify the human activities that are most harmful to wildlife. In the largest study of its kind, we reviewed 674,320 records, mostly from 2011 to 2019, from 94 centers to paint a comprehensive picture of threats affecting over 1,000 species across much of the U.S. and Canada. Our findings, published in the journal Biological Conservation, point to some strategies for reducing harm to wildlife, especially injuries caused by cars.  Tracking the toll Humans are responsible for the deaths and injuries of billions of animals every year. Bats and birds fly into buildings, power lines and wind turbines. Domestic cats and dogs kill backyard birds and animals. Development, farming and industry alter or destroy wild animals’ habitats and expose wildlife to toxic substances like lead and pesticides. Extreme weather events linked to climate change, such as flooding and wildfires, can be devastating for wildlife. Most Americans support protecting threatened and endangered species, and recognize that human activities can harm wildlife. But it is surprisingly difficult to determine which activities are most harmful to wildlife and identify effective solutions. Information from wildlife rehab centers across the U.S. can help fill in that picture. When an animal is brought into one of these centers, a rehabilitator assesses its condition, documents the cause of injury or illness if it can be determined, and then prepares a treatment plan. Wildlife rehabbers may be veterinarians, veterinary technicians or other staff or volunteers who are certified by state agencies to treat wildlife. They follow professional codes and standards, and sometimes publish research in peer-reviewed journals. A growing data pool Until recently, most wildlife rehab records existed only in binders and file cabinets. As a result, studies drawing on these records typically used materials from a single location or focused on a particular species, such as bald eagles or foxes. Recently, though, rehab centers have digitized hundreds of thousands of case records. Shareable digital records can improve wildlife conservation and public health. For example, the Wildlife Center of Virginia has worked with government agencies and other rehab centers to establish the WILD-ONe database as a tool for assessing trends in wildlife health. This will be an exciting area of research as more records are digitized and shared. Threats vary by species Using this trove of data, we have been exploring patterns of wildlife health across North America. In our study, we identified key threats affecting wildlife by region and for iconic and endangered species. Overall, 12% of the animals brought to rehab centers during this period were harmed by vehicle collisions – the single largest cause of injury. For great horned owls, which are common across the U.S., cars were the most common cause of admission – possibly because the owls commonly forage at the same height as vehicles, and may feed on road kill. Other threats reflect various animals’ habitats and life patterns. Window collisions were the most common injury for the big brown bat, another species found in many habitats across the U.S. Fishing incidents were the main reason for admission of endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, which are found in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic coast. Toxic substances and infectious diseases represented just 3.4% of cases, but were important for some species. Bald eagles, for example, were the species most commonly brought to centers with lead poisoning. Eagles and other raptors consume lead ammunition inadvertently when they feed on carcasses left in the wild by hunters. In southern Florida, hurricanes and floods resulted in spikes in the numbers of animals brought to rehab centers, reflecting the impact of climate-driven extreme weather events on wildlife health. About one-third of animals in the cases we reviewed were successfully released back to the wild, though this varied greatly among species. For example, 68% of brown pelicans were released, but only 20% of bald eagles. Unfortunately, some 60% of the animals died from their injuries or illnesses, or had to be humanely euthanized because they were unable to recover. Spotlighting solutions Our results spotlight steps that can help conserve wildlife in the face of these threats. For example, transportation departments can build more road crossings for wildlife, such as bridges and underpasses, to help animals avoid being hit by cars. Wildlife management agencies can ban or limit use of ammunition and fishing gear that contain lead to reduce lead poisoning. And governments can incorporate wildlife into disaster management plans to account for surges in wildlife rescues after extreme weather events. People can also make changes on their own. They can drive more slowly and pay closer attention to wildlife crossing roads, switch their fishing and hunting gear to nonlead alternatives, and put decals or other visual indicators on windows to reduce bat and bird collisions with the glass. To learn more about animals in your area and ways to protect them, you can visit or call your local wildlife rehab center. You can also donate to these centers, which we believe do great work, and are often underfunded. The scale of threats facing wild animals can seem overwhelming, but wildlife rehabbers show that helping one injured animal at a time can

Brazilian semi-arid biome could lose over 90% of mammal species by 2060

Article written by André Julião Originally published by Phys.org (Thu, Jan 11, 2023) The foreseeable effects of climate change on the Caatinga, the semi-arid shrubland and thorn forest biome in Brazil’s Northeast region, will be catastrophic for most terrestrial mammal species that live there. A study reported in the journal Global Change Biology by researchers in Brazil affiliated with the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), the Federal University of (UFPB) and the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) forecasts species loss for 91.6% of species assemblages in the Caatinga and habitat loss for 87% by 2060. “This is the best-case scenario, which assumes humanity keeps the promises made in the Paris Agreement, cuts greenhouse gas emissions, and slows the pace of global warming forecasted for the decades ahead,” said Mário Ribeiro de Moura, corresponding author of the article and coordinator of the study. The researchers cross-tabulated data from the latest projections of future temperatures published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) with occurrence data for terrestrial mammals in the Caatinga. They used several statistical models to capture the species’ physiological tolerance to the existing climate and future climate change scenarios. According to IPCC, the average temperature in South American drylands will rise up to 2.7 °C by 2060, and the dry season will lengthen by as much as 21 consecutive dry days. Given that animals take thousands or millions of years to adapt to such drastic changes, the models suggest only a few species will find areas with a suitable climate in the future, including armadillos, agoutis, and deer, all of which are large mammals. Primates will lose habitats, on the other hand. Small species whose adults weigh less than 1 kg, comprising 54% of the Caatinga’s mammals, will lose most. Twelve species, or 12.8% of the total, will lose their habitats completely by 2060 under the best-case scenario and 28 (30%) by 2100 under the worst-case scenario. The hardest-hit rodents and marsupials will include the Agile gracile opossum (Gracilinanus agilis), the Long-tailed climbing mouse (Rhipidomys mastacalis), and the White-spined Atlantic spiny rat (Trinomys albispinus). “Biotic homogenization [in which previously distinct plant communities become progressively more similar] will occur in 70% of mammal assemblages, with a few generalist species surviving while rarer specialists will lose suitable areas and become locally extinct. This will result in a loss of ecological functions such as seed dispersal, and the ecosystem as a whole will become less resilient,” Moura said. A previous study by Moura and colleagues also used statistical models and databases to forecast how plants in the Caatinga will be affected by climate change. The findings include homogenization of 40% of plant assemblages, with shrubs and grasses surviving better than trees and other woody species. Transition zone Although mammals can change their behavior to escape higher temperatures, cooler times of day may be used by many species at the same time, leading to more competition for resources, and this will also affect their chances of survival, Moura explained. The eastern portion of the Caatinga, which contains the transition zone to the Atlantic Rainforest biome, will be affected most under all scenarios. More species live there thanks to the higher levels of humidity from the ocean and forest evapotranspiration. “This is also the part of the Caatinga with the largest cities. Deforestation, poaching and other longstanding practices help make the situation there even more complicated, potentially amplifying the effects of climate change,” Moura said. In light of all these factors, the article stresses the importance of taking biodiversity forecasts into account in long-term socio-environmental policy and conservation planning. Brazilian semi-arid biome could lose over 90% of mammal species by 2060

Birds of prey in Africa experiencing population collapse, study finds

Article written by Patrick Greenfield Originally published by The Guardian (Thu, Jan 04, 2024) Several species have vanished across swathes of the continent – and scientists say their disappearance holds unknown risks for humans Africa’s birds of prey have experienced a widespread population collapse that risks unforeseen consequences for humans, according to a new study. Tropical raptor species including the martial eagle, the bateleur and the dark chanting goshawk have vanished from swathes of the African continent over the past 40 years, new analysis shows, as many wild areas were converted to farmland. Several African birds of prey are on track to become locally extinct in many countries this century. Published in the journal, Nature Ecology and Evolution, the new research used road surveys to find that nearly 90% of the 42 raptor species studied had experienced declines, with more than two-thirds showing evidence of being globally threatened. Dr Phil Shaw, the study’s author at the University of St Andrews, said the disappearance of apex raptor species could have unintended consequences for humans, citing the example of the decline in Indian vultures that led to a rise in rabies cases in humans in the early 1990s. The study found that the African birds of prey, many of which are big enough to hunt jackals and antelopes as well as snakes, rodents and smaller birds, were becoming increasingly dependent on protected areas such as national parks and reserves. While many populations of raptors also declined in protected areas, the fall was often significantly slower. The researchers cited the importance of a UN target to protect 30% of the Earth by the end of this decade for nature. “We find that [while] protected areas do provide a good measure of protection, it’s still the case that raptors are declining within protected areas – quite steeply in some cases,” Shaw said. “In fact, we found 40% of those 42 species were declining inside of protected areas at rates that would classify them as being endangered. In effect, they have nowhere else to run.” Shaw said a 2015 study of African vultures, which found many were critically endangered due to poisoning and persecution, was the inspiration for the wider research. “We’ve looked at 42 species of raptors that also include the vulture species. We find that surprisingly, many of the larger raptors have been declining at an equally fast rate as the vultures,” he said. The declines were most prominent in west Africa, according to the study, which they said was consistent with agricultural expansion and under-resourcing of protected areas. Shaw said there could be unforeseen consequences for places where raptors disappeared. “In the case of the vultures, it’s fairly clear cut that they provide an ecosystem service by removing carcasses. We’ve seen what happened in India when they had a similar population crash for different reasons. It led to an increase in the number of feral dogs, particularly in built-up areas… That led to a huge increase among the human population of rabies, passed on by bites from the dogs,” he said.

Wildfire emergency for animals in Australia!

Matty, a joey of just a few months old, has lost his entire family in horrendous wildfires sweeping parts of Australia. Credit: Express Animal Rescue and Rehab His feet, hands, and belly were badly burnt. He is the sole survivor of a troop of roughly 80 kangaroos who were trapped and burnt to death in the blazes currently obliterating parts of the country. Matty is just one example of the thousands of wild animals left injured, homeless, and traumatized as Australia’s fire season has begun, fuelled by the warmest winter on record and an unseasonably warm, dry spring. Fires have destroyed thousands of acres of land and homes along the west and east coasts of the country, people have been evacuated, and thousands of wild animals have had their homes destroyed. Orphaned, injured and alone, these animals are counting on you today… Thousands of kangaroos, joeys, owls, magpies, and reptiles like bobtail lizards are injured and in need of critical life-saving treatment. Please help them now! Firefighters and law enforcement officials have their hands full trying to evacuate people to safety. Kind policemen saved Matty from the flames, but as you can imagine, animals are often not the priority when human lives are at stake. Credit: DFES “The damage out here is shocking. So much lost. The heat is mad without the temperature [of] the day on top. Think of the people that [sic] have lost everything. The animals that have lost [their] lives and the animals still out there in pain.” – Express Wildlife Rescue and Rehab Our partner is on the ground right now, and providing critical treatment to animals burnt, injured, and displaced by Australia’s devastating wildfires. They desperately need YOUR support. Tragically, helpless wild animals, including infants, have been terribly injured and traumatized in the disaster. Some have been horrifically burnt after becoming trapped amid the blaze; others have been severely damaged through smoke inhalation. We are working with a courageous organization on the ground in Western Australia called Express Wildlife Rescue and Rehab based in Henley Brook. They are critically low on supplies as the number of animals in need continues to soar, and right now, are in urgent need of essential veterinary supplies and equipment, which you have the power to help us provide. Australia’s fires are a tragedy for animals who cannot flee like people can and who, in times of disaster, are often overlooked. Only with your support right now can we race to the aid of Australia’s trapped, injured, burnt animals. Please help NOW! As a loyal supporter of our work, you know that we are ALWAYS there for animals in their darkest hour… … You also know that it is ONLY with your generous support that we can rush emergency aid to them. Animal rescue teams are supporting as many helpless wild animals as they can. They are desperate for food for the animals, transport crates, and funds for crucial veterinary care. The number of animals in need continues to climb, and our partners cannot rescue more without the resources to do so. The survivors, covered with burns or with severe respiratory complications due to smoke inhalation, need emergency veterinary care and long-term rehabilitation. These animals have fought relentlessly to survive… we must honor their battles and will to live by doing everything we possibly can to support their recovery… Credit: Express Animal Rescue and Rehab Your donation will be used to purchase food, transport crates, and life-saving veterinary supplies. Many animal victims are hanging by a thread right now. Your donation will quite literally be helping to save animal lives – animals like little orphaned Matty and other burnt kangaroos and exhausted, singed birds and reptiles. Please, we cannot save these precious lives without your support now – so please donate anything you possibly can right away. Your decision to donate is the decision to save animal lives!

More than a quarter of newly approved oil and gas blocks fall in marine protected areas

Adapted from the article written by Richa Syal and Ellie O’Donnell Originally published by Unearthed (Mon, 20 Nov, 2023) New UK offshore licences for the multinational oil giants Shell and Eni are among those sitting within sensitive conservation sites More than a quarter of the offshore oil and gas sites licensed by the UK government last month sit within marine protected areas (MPAs) prized for their rare habitats and species, an Unearthed analysis has revealed. Granting new oil and gas licences in our marine protected areas makes a mockery of our climate pledges – Hugo Tagholm, director of Oceana UK At the end of last month, the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), a regulatory body responsible for overseeing oil and gas operations in the UK, awarded companies licences to develop or explore for oil and gas resources in 64 offshore sites, known as ‘blocks’, in UK waters. An Unearthed analysis has found that 17 of these blocks (27%) sit wholly or partly within an MPA. The new licences were hailed as “common sense” by the government, which later unveiled plans to bring in mandatory annual licensing rounds, as part of prime minister Rishi Sunak’s promise to ‘max out’ North Sea oil and gas reserves. But ocean conservation groups warned that new oil and gas activity in protected conservation areas had the potential to cause “devastation” to “wildlife and habitats that are vital to ocean health.” While an exploration licence doesn’t always lead to a production field, the NSTA says that the new licences were “prioritised because they have the potential to go into production more quickly than others.” About half of the 27 licences will start development in known reserves, while the others will begin exploration. A NSTA spokesperson said: “Vulnerable and protected habitats and species are considered throughout the licensing and permitting process and licences are only awarded when the NSTA has received permission from OPRED that their environmental assessment requirements are met.” The NSTA has emphasised that, even after a licence is granted, the licensee will still need to get further consents from the authority before they can conduct seismic surveys, drill exploration wells or progress towards full production. More than half of the blocks awarded last month (11 out of 17) that sit within or overlap MPAs went to the oil giant Shell UK. A further three went to a subsidiary of the Italian oil company Eni, and three to Athena Exploration. Shell declined to comment for this story. A spokesperson for Eni told Unearthed that while the company’s licence area “partially overlaps” with a marine conservation zone, “no activity of any kind has ever been foreseen in the area that falls within the marine protected area”. The MPA most-affected by the new tranche of licences is the the North-east Faroe-Shetland channel, which is believed to be a migration route for marine mammals, including fin whales and sperm whales. In total 11 of the blocks approved sit wholly or partly within this conservation area, including eight of the Shell blocks. “MPAs are key habitats that support the UK’s rich marine life, including whales and dolphins, and entire ecosystems will be negatively impacted by destructive oil and gas exploration,” said Anna Moscrop, policy manager at Whale and Dolphin Conservation. She told Unearthed that the Faroe-Shetland channel is “one of the largest designated nature conservation MPAs.” “It is a vital corridor for migrating whales moving between high latitude feeding grounds and breeding areas to the south, and for deep diving species such as sperm and beaked whales which feed in deep waters,” she added. “Fragile and vulnerable deep sea sponges and cold water corals are also found here.” Earlier this year, the government announced plans to issue hundreds of new licences for North Sea oil and gas. The licences awarded last months are just the first batch of blocks to be approved in the current licensing round. The NSTA says that more blocks will be offered in this round, subject to additional environmental checks. The new blocks were granted a month after the approval of the controversial Rosebank project, the UK’s largest untapped oil field off the coast of Scotland, which according to Equinor’s environmental statement will involve building a new pipeline that cuts through the Faroe-Shetland Sponge Belt MPA.

Thousands of threatened pangolins dying on electric fences, meant to protect animals!

Deadly electric fences erected through pangolins’ natural habitats in South Africa claim up to 2,000 pangolin lives every year. Credit: Wes Kus On The Line Pangolins are already hurtling toward extinction. There is a simple and effective solution, and we need your help today to implement it. Pangolins in South Africa are unwittingly colliding with electrified wire fences by the thousands every year – resulting in horrendous burn injuries and death. Credit: Sabi Sands Nature Reserve With YOUR help right now, we are eliminating this agonizing and deadly threat! Read on… Did you know that in the past 10 years, more than one million pangolins have been poached from the wild and slaughtered for their meat and scales? That means every five minutes, a pangolin is ripped from its habitat, killed or strung up alive in a bushmeat market, and sold for its skin and scales. Credit: The Star It also means that another pangolin will die as you to read this. Every life counts in the fight against pangolin extinction. No one knows how many are left in the wild, so we must save EVERY life we can. For South Africa’s only indigenous pangolin species, the Temminck’s ground pangolin, life is fraught. When these shy, nocturnal creatures are not dodging criminals intent on stealing and killing them, they are accidentally colliding with electrified wire fences on farms and private reserves across South Africa. Credit: Sabi Sands Nature Reserve Although pangolins have protective armor and scales on the outside of their bodies, their bellies do not. This means when they walk across the landscape – which they do on their back legs, with their bellies exposed and unprotected – they are at risk of colliding with the lowest strand of electrified wire fences. Electrified fencing is necessary in South Africa. It safeguards animals from human interference and poaching and helps to reduce human/wildlife conflict. It also serves as a critical barrier between animals, helping reduce the spread of disease. But these fences pose a life-threatening risk to pangolins, who inadvertently end up walking into them and electrocuting themselves. Death may be instant or excruciatingly slow as the animal gradually succumbs to its injuries in the wild. When a pangolin touches an electrified fence, it instinctively rolls into a ball, often around the lowest electrified strand. You can only imagine the agony the animal experiences as shock after shock wracks its body. The continuous shocks force the pangolin to roll tighter, and it is unable to release its grip, usually leading to death by being virtually cooked alive. This is precisely what happened to Electra, a young Temminck’s ground pangolin we told you about months ago. She survived, but not without terrible suffering. Most do not. Credit: ASI/Taryn Slabbert Here is the solution. A large concentration of electrified fences is found in a protected reserve in Mpumalanga. By erecting a simple but effective ‘buffer fence’ in front of the electrified fence, pangolins and other wildlife cannot come into contact with the live wires. To date, our partner Conserv Earth has erected 12.5 miles (roughly 20 kilometers) of this buffer fencing, but they must URGENTLY complete the project. It has already proven to be successful: not one pangolin or other animal has been electrocuted in the area where the buffer fencing has been erected. With your support right now, we will help complete the remaining 43.5 miles (roughly 70 kilometers) of fencing so that we can help ensure that not just some but all the pangolins within the reserve can be protected from devastating electrified wire collisions. If we can raise $44,000 (around £36,000), we can complete the entire fencing program and protect the lives of thousands of pangolins. We know this is not a small amount, but we also know we must protect pangolins at any cost. Can they count on you today? Please donate as much as you possibly can right away.

Number of species at risk of extinction doubles to 2 million, says study

Adapted from the article written by Phoebe Weston Originally published by The Guardian (Wed, 8 Nov, 2023) New research on insects – without which the planet would not survive – shows a higher proportion are at risk of disappearing Two million species are at risk of extinction, a figure that is double previous UN estimates, new analysis has found. While scientists have long documented the decline of species of plants and vertebrates, there has always been significant uncertainty over insects, with the UN making a “tentative estimate” of 10% threatened with extinction in 2019. Since then, more data has been collected on insects, showing the proportion at risk of extinction is much higher than previously estimated. Because there are so many insect species, this doubles the global number of species at risk, according to the paper, published in Plos One on Wednesday. Lead researcher, Axel Hochkirch, from the Musée National d’Histoire Naturelle in Luxembourg, said: “What our study does is really highlight that insects are as threatened as other taxa. And because they are the most species-rich group of animals on our planet, this is really something which should be addressed.” Understanding what is happening to global insect populations has been challenging because of the lack of data – but 97% of all animals are invertebrates. Of that group, about 90% are classified as insects. They provide vital ecosystem services: pollinating crops, recycling nutrients into soils, and decomposing waste. “Without insects, our planet will not be able to survive,” Hochkirch said. The team looked at all European species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list of threatened species. This is considered the most comprehensive source of information on species at risk. They found a fifth of European species were at risk of extinction, with 24% of invertebrates at risk, as well as 27% of all plants and 18% of vertebrates. These numbers were then extrapolated to make a global estimate of total species at risk of extinction. Apart from insects, estimates remained more or less the same as those made by the UN’s Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (Ipbes) in 2019. “This comprehensive analysis of 14,669 continental red list assessments for European animal and plant species suggests that 2 million plant and animal species are threatened with extinction,” researchers said. UN representatives declined to comment on the study itself. Anne Larigauderie, executive secretary of Ipbes, said the second Ipbes Global Assessment Report is due in 2028, and it was “likely that the estimates and messages from the first Global Assessment Report will be updated and augmented”. “It is perhaps most important to remember that whether the figure being used by policy- and decision-makers is 1 million or even more – the urgency and priority of the global biodiversity crisis remains,” Larigauderie said. “We are losing biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people at rates never before seen in human history.” The causes of these declines are well documented, and are driven by human activity: the expansion of agriculture resulting in the loss of natural habitats is the most significant driver, followed by overexploitation of natural resources, pollution, and residential and commercial development. The paper said: “The finding of agricultural land-use change as a major threat to biodiversity has often been reported. However, our analysis is the most comprehensive and unequivocal to date reaffirming the magnitude of the impact of this threat at a continental scale.” Hochkirch said: “This study shows we have a very high proportion of species which are threatened with extinction, but we can do something about it.” He highlighted the effectiveness of conservation efforts, particularly the increase in large predators across Europe, such as wolves, lynx, bears and white-tailed eagles. He added: “We see whenever conservation action is taking place, these improvements happen.”

Kenyans get tree-planting holiday to plant 100 million seedlings

Adapted from the article written by Basillioh Rukanga Originally published by bbc.com (Mon, 13 Nov, 2023) Kenyans have been given a special holiday to plant 100 million trees as part of the government’s goal to plant 15 billion trees in 10 years. The holiday allows “each and every Kenyan to own the initiative”, according to Environment Minister Soipan Tuya. Each Kenyan is being encouraged to plant at least two seedlings, leading to the 100-million target. The initiative is intended to help fight climate change. Trees help tackle global warming by absorbing carbon dioxide from the air while releasing oxygen into the atmosphere. The government is making available about 150 million seedlings in public nurseries. It is providing the seedlings for free at its forest agency centres for Kenyans to plant in designated public areas. But it has also encouraged Kenyans to buy at least two seedlings to plant on their own land. President William Ruto led the exercise in Makueni in the east of the country. Cabinet ministers were sent to other regions to lead the process alongside county governors and other officials. At one site near the source of Kenya’s second-longest river, Athi, there were dozens of people, including soldiers and residents, some with their families. “I have come together with my colleagues, I’m happy to be here to show my love for the environment,” student Wycliffe Kamau told the BBC. “I have come to plant trees here, because our water levels have been diminishing. Even here at the river source, the levels are very low, trees have been cleared,” said local resident Stephen Chelulei. “We need to reverse climate change so that our children can have a place to live when we are no longer there.” However, many people, especially in the cities, are unlikely to take part and will just take advantage of the extra holiday. The tree planting will be monitored through an internet app, which monitors the exercise by allowing individuals and organisations to record activities, including the plant species, number and date planted. The Jaza Miti app will also help people plant the appropriate seedlings by matching the site with the appropriate species, according to the environment ministry. Ms Tuya told local Citizen TV on Sunday night that the response had been “amazing” and there had already been two million registrations on the app by Sunday. She however said the planting would not happen in the north-eastern region, where there have been floods. The country is currently grappling with heavy El Niño rains that have killed dozens of people, displaced thousands and damaged infrastructure – with the northern region most affected. Kenyans have broadly welcomed the tree-planting initiative while also noting some challenges. Environmentalist Teresa Muthoni told the BBC that the initiative was a “very good idea”, but that the exercise was not organised in a way that would ensure everyone was planting trees. She said “many people have to continue with their work to put food on the table… it is coming at a time when our economy is not doing well so a lot of people are struggling financially”. She also noted that “a lot of the 150 million trees available” in public nurseries were exotic. “It is very important to plant the right trees in the right place,” she said. The government has also been criticised for championing tree planting while failing to tame illegal logging in public forests – it recently lifted a ban on logging. But on Sunday, the minister defended the decision, saying only forests designed for commercial purposes were affected – about 5% of the total. She said this was necessary to feed the local demand for local and create jobs, adding that the government was taking action against illegal loggers in other forests. Ms Tuya said the exercise will continue beyond the special holiday and expects that 500 million trees will have been planted by the end of the rainy season in December. Banner credit: AFP

City of Cape Town taken to court over proposed road that threatens endangered toads

Adapted from the article written by Kristin Engel Originally published by Daily Maverick (Thu, 9 Nov, 2023) Shouts of ‘Don’t turn our wetland into a wasteland!’ were heard outside the high court in Cape Town on Wednesday ahead of a court action that spotlights the difficulties of balancing urban wildlife conservation with mobility and housing developments for a massively growing population. The City of Cape Town and the MEC for local government, environmental affairs and development planning in the Western Cape, Anton Bredell, were taken to court on Wednesday by a small NPO, the Noordhoek Environmental Action Group (NEAG), over the proposed Phase 1 extension of Houmoed Avenue through the Noordhoek Wetlands. The proposed road will join the existing Houmoed Avenue with Lekkerwater Road in Masiphumelele and is expected to alleviate the hours-long congestion of traffic on Kommetjie Road while making it easier for Masiphumelele residents to commute. However, the road cuts through breeding ponds of the western leopard toad, categorised as “endangered in the wild” on the IUCN Red List, which affords this species significant protection. The matter has been a hot topic in the southern suburb of Noordhoek since it was brought up in 2003, with the last application for the road being made in 2017, which NEAG and the environmental group ToadNUTs have been fighting, with Animal Survival International. These groups believe that the proposed link road from Lekkerwater Road through to Noordhoek Main Road (referred to as Houmoed Avenue), in no way takes into account the preservation of western leopard toads. “The road has been placed straight through the core buffer zone, inner buffer zone and breeding pond — where breeding toads spend the majority of their time during the breeding cycle. The placement of this road in the proposed location will eventually result in the local extinction of the [western leopard toad] and potentially other species. For this reason, ToadNUTS is extremely opposed to the road in its current location,” ToadNUTS said in a report. Ahead of the court action on Wednesday, protesters gathered outside the Western Cape High Court  in support of NEAG, calling out “Yes to the toad, no to the road!”, “Don’t turn our wetland into a wasteland!”, and “Find another way, the wetland has to stay!” while a cardboard cutout of Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis’ face atop a cardboard excavator was moved through the crowd. Noordhoek resident Laina Jordan said, “There is more to this than just a road; our wetlands stand to be devastated. This wetland acts as a sponge for the entire valley and losing that sponge puts us at risk of flooding. We are calling on the City of Cape Town to consider long-term thinking patterns. We need solutions that are going to work for the city and the wetlands.” NEAG first appealed against the granting of the environmental authorisation to build the road, but the appeal was refused by Bredell. On Wednesday, NEAG’s attorney Murray Bridgman sought to review and set aside the appeal decision and the granting of the environmental authorisation. ‘Many irregularities’ Alison Faraday, the co-founder of ToadNUTS, said there were many irregularities during the public participation process and that the City of Cape Town had not carried out its due diligence. “These are the irregularities in the public participation process: the EIA [environmental impact assessment] was withdrawn in 2018 and then reinstated in 2019 for reasons unknown; not all objections and interested and affected parties were carried through to the new application, causing objectors to fall away; the road has been approved based on unproven mitigations for an endangered species, which means that the ‘precautionary principle’ was not applied; no amphibian study or complete faunal study was conducted despite the presence of IUCN Red List species (western leopard toad and Cape platanna),” Faraday said. “The City of Cape Town regularly flies the flag of conservation, while proposing a road through [an area] which is already under strain — it appears that the city may be suffering from a case of severe environmental confusion.” In addition, the city had not employed an anuran expert to conduct a complete amphibian study. The city’s mayoral committee member for urban mobility, Rob Quintas, said the city’s application regarding the proposed Houmoed Avenue construction in Noordhoek had been approved on appeal by Bredell after he gave “careful consideration to all the factors”. It is that decision which NEAG challenged in court on Wednesday, with advocate Achmat Toefy defending Bredell’s decision on the appeal, which allows the City of Cape Town to construct the road under certain terms and conditions. These terms and conditions include: Mitigations relating to the rehabilitation of the wetlands and the planting and rehabilitation of the road verges with indigenous species. Detailed design of the road to avoid small animals and amphibians crossing the road surface and to guide them to safe passage under the road by means of catch fences and culverts. Implementation of a management plan. Ongoing specialist monitoring of the efficacy of the mitigations. Quintas said, “The city is of the view that these proposed road extensions are necessary and reasonable, especially for the safety and convenience of residents of Masiphumelele and for the purposes of alleviating chronic congestion in the area, and that environmental mitigation measures can and will ensure a reasonable balance is achieved between the interests of residents in the area, and in particular the residents of Masiphumelele who will most benefit from this road extension and the affected natural environment, including the indigenous toad species.” The court heard arguments on the matter for five hours on Wednesday and Judge Karrisha Pillay reserved judgment for a date yet to be announced. Loss of wildlife habitat is a major issue in urban areas The court case brings to the fore the challenge of balancing conservation needs with that of SA’s rapidly expanding population and the resulting urban housing, mobility, water and sanitation developments to accommodate this expansion. Urbanisation and wildlife expert Gabriella Leighton from the Urban Caracal Project told Daily Maverick the

Saving elephants one jumbo at a time.

Fishan, an African elephant bull, has survived unimaginable horror and hardship in his 35-year life – and now, a terrible fracture threatens it all… Credit: HERD Fishan has defied all odds to survive 35 years through violent human conflict and poaching that killed his mother. We CANNOT let a leg fracture be the end of him – please, help! Fishan was rescued from Zimbabwe in 2002 by our South African partner, Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development (HERD), when violent land grabs took place. He and his herd were saved in the nick of time. Most of the other elephants there died, and up to an estimated 60% of wildlife on private game reserves and conservancies were brutally slaughtered. The herd escaped with their lives and were taken to safety at HERD’s headquarters, the Kapama Private Game Reserve. Credit: HERD Orphaned and castrated as a calf due to an infection AND forced out of his home in Zimbabwe, Fishan has a deeply traumatic history. Tragically, his struggle to survive has not ended there. Fishan has severely fractured his leg after stepping into a deep hole hidden by water. Elephants cannot easily survive broken legs because of the massive weight they place on their limbs. Heartbreakingly, the fate that awaits elephants suffering from injuries like these is often euthanasia… Credit: HERD But our team was determined to give Fishan a chance at recovery after all he had been through. It took 36 hours to get the four-ton animal onto his feet, followed by months of extensive medical treatment, including X-rays, casts, and pain relievers. Fishan has slowly started to adapt to his bent leg and limp and what must been extremely painful swelling and pressure wounds. The immediate danger is over, now we have to nurse him for the rest of his hopefully long life. Fishan’s pain relief and full recovery depend on YOUR support today. We cannot let him suffer any longer. Please, DONATE NOW. Credit: HERD Fishan’s journey is one of strength and determination, and his ongoing needs are extensive and costly. Forced to rest on his weaker side so that he can use his stronger side to lift himself up, Fishan suffers from severe pressure wounds that require regular cleaning and care to prevent infection. In the colder months, his joints become stiff, swollen and more prone to pain, necessitating expensive anti-inflammatory medication and pain relievers. We know you will agree it is worth it for a wild animal who deserves a pain-free life. Fishan will always need support if he is to survive in the wild. HERD gives Fishan the daily care he needs to alleviate his suffering as much as possible – but he is not the only elephant in their care. Credit: HERD If we can raise $7,000 (around £5,750), we can help cover the cost of Fishan’s anti-inflammatory medication, pain relievers and expert veterinary care for the next SIX MONTHS. Please, please show compassion for an injured elephant so he can stay in the wild. Credit: HERD Fishan’s role in his herd – the Jabulani Herd – is invaluable. He is renowned for being a protective and sensitive soul, helping matriarch Tokwe to look after the calves and maintaining order among the young bulls. Rare albino elephant calf Khanysia sees Fishan as a father figure, and many others look up to him for strength and guidance. Matriarch Tokwe never leaves Fishan’s side – when the herd is walking together in the bush, Fishan is slower and limps, but Tokwe holds back to keep him company. This herd is not just a group of elephants. They are a family and Fishan plays a crucial role in caring for his herd, and they have stood by him at his weakest. Today, we need you to stand with Fishan too. Be his “human herd” and help us give him the love, care, and medical attention he desperately needs to live and thrive, pain-free, with his family. Please donate generously to Animal Survival International today.

World Lemur Day highlights the plight of Madagascar’s critically endangered primates

Today is World Lemur Day but tragically, there is little to celebrate. Lemurs – endemic to Madagascar and some of the world’s oldest living primates – are under terrible and constant threat. Climate change, habitat destruction and the illegal trade in bushmeat and exotic pets is rapidly driving their populations to extinction. Madagascar is home to 70 species of lemurs found nowhere else on earth, except for small neighbouring islands. DNA-based evidence suggests that lemurs first appeared on the island 40 to 50 million years ago, and flourished until human activity burgeoned just 2,000 years ago. Coal mining, illegal logging and slash-and-burn agriculture have led to major deforestation and habitat loss, leaving lemurs confined to just 10% of the land they once roamed. The critically endangered indri lemur, famed for communicating through song, has been of particular concern to us. We are working to help ensure that these beautiful creatures can continue to leap through canopy treetops and sing their songs in a safe and protected environment. Our partner L’homme et l’Environment, a French non-governmental organization that works on lemur conservation and long-term reforestation, recently rescued a breeding pair of indri lemurs whose previous habitat had been destroyed by slash-and-burn agriculture. The pair were relocated to the Vohimana forest where they (and their future offspring) will be carefully monitored by dedicated forest guards who, through your support, we armed with vital GPS trackers and communication devices. Scientists estimate that the probability of extinction for critically endangered species will be more than 50% over the next 50 years. While the exploitation of lemurs is punishable by law, the animals remain in grave danger of becoming extinct, with 31% of all lemur species now critically endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Working with our partners on the ground, we aim not only to support lemurs through protective and reforestation efforts, but also to help prevent hunting by educating local communities about the crucial role the species plays in maintaining Madagascar’s ecosystems. Considered ‘creators of the forest,’ lemurs spread seeds through their droppings, which grow into trees and offer shade and shelter for a wide range of animals. On this World Lemur Day, please join us in fighting for the survival of our planet’s precious remaining lemurs by donating to ASI now, and supporting our efforts to preserve this important species.

Flame retardant pollution threatens wildlife on all continents, research finds

Article written by Tom Perkins Originally published by The Guardian (Wed, 18 Oct, 2023) More than 100 species, from frogs to killer whales, contaminated with long-lasting chemicals with serious health effects More than a hundred species of wildlife found across every continent are contaminated with highly toxic flame retardants, and the pollution is probably responsible for population declines in some species, a new analysis of published research shows. The dangerous chemicals have been detected in everything from sea urchins to bobcats to Arctic foxes, and at alarming levels in endangered species such as red pandas, chimpanzees and killer whales. The analysis examined about 20 years of flame retardant research and includes an interactive map showing the location and type of animal found to be contaminated. It brings into sharp focus the breadth of flame retardant pollution and dangers it poses. The paper’s lead author, Lydia Jahl, said she expected to find widespread contamination, but was “still blown away by the sheer number of studies finding harmful levels of all sorts of flame retardants everywhere”. “It’s heartbreaking that human advancement doesn’t take health impacts into account for ourselves and for wildlife,” she said. “The people who pollute are not the most impacted – it’s fenceline communities, turtles, dolphins, foxes and butterflies.” Several chemical classes are utilized as flame retardants and in an effort to help reduce fire risks are added to thousands of consumer products from furniture to electronics to auto interiors. The paper found high levels of phased-out flame retardants like PCBs and PBDEs, as well as allegedly safe, newer replacements chemicals, such as chlorinated paraffins and organophosphates, across the globe. All are thought to be toxic and various compounds are linked to liver, thyroid and kidney cancers, while others harm IQ, attention and memory in children. Many of the same health problems found in humans also affect animals, Jahl said. “This is a really unfortunate side-effect from something that is supposed to protect us from fires,” she added. Most flame retardants are highly persistent in the environment and can take decades to degrade. Because of their resilience, they can accumulate in animals, and as larger predators eat smaller organisms, the chemicals accumulate in higher quantities further up the food chain. The highest levels have been found in large marine mammals and birds of prey, and the chemicals are suspected of decimating killer whales’ population because they do so much harm to the species’ calves and immune systems. Some research predicts the chemicals could wipe out half the world’s killer whale population. The chemicals were found at extremely high levels in black-spotted frogs living near electronic-waste facilities in China, and appear to be shrinking the animals’ livers and harming their eggs. Flame retardants are also highly mobile and travel long distances through water and air. Research found high levels in chimpanzees in a protected Ugandan national park deep in Africa’s interior, far from a flame retardant production or disposal site. The issue is all the more frustrating to environmental health advocates because flame retardants have generally been found to be ineffective in most applications, and are based on 1970s standards. There was little data on the chemicals’ effectiveness and toxicity at the time, Jahl said, and the requirements were put in place when more flammable materials were used, and more people smoked. Some states and countries have started eliminating or revising flammability standards, and ending unnecessary uses of flame retardants. Once in the environment, the chemicals are extremely difficult to clean up because they are widespread in the soil, air, water and most human and animal blood. Though the standards “may seem protective at first glance, many cause widespread and lasting harm for no real benefit”, Jahl said. “In general these are outdated standards that don’t have data behind them, but lead to pervasive flame retardant usage, and that’s how it gets into animals worldwide,” she added.

21 species removed from US Endangered Species Act after going extinct

Article written by Gloria Oladipo Originally published by The Guardian (Tue, 17 Oct, 2023) Wildlife advocacy groups stress ‘permanent’ consequences of failing to address biodiversity and climate About 21 species have been removed from the US Endangered Species Act (ESA) after going extinct in a move conservationists are calling a wake-up call. The US Fish and Wildlife Service removed the species – a mix of animals and plants – after determining that they had gone extinct, according to a press release. Among the species that were delisted include the Bachman’s warbler, a bright yellow bird once common in Florida, South Carolina, and other southern states; eight types of southeastern mussels; and the Little Mariana fruit bat, a small fruit bat found in Guam. Some species initially set for delisting have been spared. A Hawaiian herb known as Phyllostegia glabra var lanaiensis will remain after new surveying shows that new habitats may be suitable for the plant. The ivory-billed woodpecker, once set for delisting, was also kept amid debate of its extinction status. The move to delist the extinct species began in September 2021. The US secretary of the interior, Deb Haaland, emphasized the importance of wildlife conservation in a 2021 statement, when the initial delisting process was proposed. “With climate change and natural area loss pushing more and more species to the brink, now is the time to lift up proactive, collaborative and innovative efforts to save America’s wildlife,” Haaland said, highlighting the importance of the ESA. Image Credit: Michael Doolittle A majority of the species listed were included on the ESA in the 1970s and 1980s. Many species featured were already at extremely low numbers at the time of their listing – or possibly extinct entirely. The latest news has raised concern with several wildlife advocacy groups. Lindsay Rosa, vice-president of conservation research and innovation at Defenders of Wildlife, stressed the “permanent” consequences of failing to address issues around biodiversity and climate changes, in a statement shared with the Guardian. “Extinction is a very real and permanent consequence of leaving the joint biodiversity and climate crises unhindered,” Rosa said. Rosa added that the delisting announcement emphasizes the importance of using the ESA to benefit endangered species before it is too late. In a press release, the Center for Biological Diversity lamented the loss of species that “can never be brought back”. “My heart breaks over the loss of these 21 species,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director for the non-profit. “Few people realize the extent to which the crises of extinction and climate change are deeply intertwined,” Greenwald added. “Both threaten to undo our very way of life, leaving our children with a considerably poorer planet.”

Critical pangolin sanctuary UNDER WATER.

This is an URGENT PLEA FOR HELP for pangolins! Last week, our partner in Lagos, Nigeria, was flooded by freak torrential rains that swept through the sanctuary, completely wrecking it. We have been appealing for your help in rebuilding this sanctuary for critically endangered and vulnerable animals, including infant pangolins and their mothers rescued from the brutalities of the country’s meat trade. Please, these animals could really use your help right now. Credit: GWCI  We MUST rebuild, for all the wild animals in desperate need. PLEASE HELP NOW! We are heartbroken to tell you that not all the animals at the sanctuary survived the flooding, which also swept through major parts of the city and is expected to continue for several more days. Parts of Lagos are submerged, and countless properties have been destroyed. Birds, hedgehogs and tortoises are among the helpless victims of the tragedy. Fragile, critically endangered pangolins have lost their shelter – animals who depend on it for their survival, and for whom any little amount of stress can be lethal to their recovery. Extreme and unexpected weather conditions have battered countries around the world this year, and Nigeria is the latest to experience deadly weather. Our partner, Greenfingers Wildlife Conservation Initiative (GWCI), was not prepared for this freak flood, its shelters not strong enough to withstand the scale of the disaster. Credit: GWCI  Animals affected by the flood need your help to get emergency provisions as fast as possible – food, clean drinking water and temporary shelter – as well as supplies for repairing and rebuilding the sanctuary. The rebuild will use stronger, reinforced materials installed by experts so that a disaster of this kind cannot happen again. Saved from abuse, torture and agony, Nigeria’s rescued wild animals NEED YOU NOW. Help give them back their SAFE home. Most of the animals at the GWCI sanctuary have survived unthinkable brutality and misery in their lives. They are subjected to horrific violence, right from the time they are stolen from the wild as pregnant mothers or infants, and then strung up (often alive) in meat markets, killed for their body parts, or traded as pets. Credit: GWCI  Those who miraculously survive and are rescued by our partner usually require lengthy veterinary care and rehabilitation. Many will never live normal lives again and the GWCI is the only home they will ever have. We MUST send emergency supplies to the displaced wild animals and rebuild the sanctuary as FAST as possible! Please donate right away. The full extent of the damage can only be properly assessed once the water levels begin to drop. Right now, it is as deep as 24 inches (61 cm) in some places. But we already know that we MUST rebuild – and rebuild we will. Credit: AP The animals need our help RIGHT AWAY, so please, donate as generously as you can right now. If we can raise $10,000 (£8,000), we can rush funds to cover rebuilding and repair efforts, as well as emergency supplies for the hungry, scared and displaced wild animals in GWCI’s care. PLEASE make an impact NOW. Please HELP by donating as much as possible right now. Your support will be a lifeline to so many animals who have nothing and no one else.

Wild animals decimated as GREECE BURNS AGAIN!

Firefighters in Greece continue to battle blazes that “cannot be contained” as the country burns into a fresh week. Fire is devouring vast swathes of the country fuelled by gale-force winds and dry summer conditions. Credit: AngelosTzortzinis_AFP Animals continue to be in danger of burning to death right now. The fire has destroyed 77,000 hectares (190,000 acres) of land and is, as you read this, eating into Mount Parnitha’s crucial green-belt national park. Untold numbers of animals have been killed by the unstoppable flames but our team continues to be on the ground, racing to the aid of those trapped, terrified, and burnt. Please keep supporting our emergency rescue teams! MORE ANIMALS ARE IN PERIL and without your continued support, they stand no chance against unstoppable flames. Credit: Dejan Radic A few weeks ago, you helped us rush aid to trapped, terrified, and injured animals, and today, we are asking you to once again open your hearts to the helpless wildlife of Greece. The raging flames, fueled by gale-force winds, are showing NO signs of abating, and trapped wild animals need your help right now! Please help! MORE blazing wildfires across Greece have sparked mass evacuations – what about the animals? In times of crisis, we are on the ground helping animals in the most desperate of need. At last count, firefighters were battling 99 separate blazes across the country, including in woodlands northwest of Athens, where our partner ANIMA (Wildlife Rehabilitation Association) is working day and night to save animals. Sadly, our worst fears of ongoing fires have become a reality. The need for our immediate help has never been greater. Animals need you NOW. Credit: DespinaTheodosiadou Large-scale evacuations continue around Athens and other parts of Greece, but for the animals, it is not so simple. We already know from the previous wave of devastation that exhausted, dehydrated birds will be falling from the sky. Young, old and slow-moving animals like tortoises stand no chance against the flames. Without our help, they will succumb to fiery death. Heartbreakingly, many wild animals who miraculously survive the flames will succumb to the effects of smoke inhalation. Credit: DespinaTheodosiadou Right now, ANIMA is on the ground helping to evacuate and treat any animals they find alive. Once they have permission from fire services and local authorities, they will enter disaster zones and carry out their critical rescue and evacuation missions. They are rescuing not only wild animals but any injured, displaced or trapped animals they can – domestic animals, livestock and wild. As you read this, helpless animals are engulfed by flames and burning, and their hopes of survival rest on our ability to send critical rescue support to them now. Credit: Dejan Radic Time is of the essence, and EVERY MOMENT COUNTS! Some of the fires are wildly out of control in places of extreme natural importance, like the national forest of Dadia in Evros (a unique nesting place of two of the most endangered species of vulture) and Parnitha, where red deer and wolves live, and where our rescue teams are focusing their efforts. Please help us URGENTLY raise $10,000 (around £8,000) to equip our rescue teams with fuel for their missions, veterinary supplies, animal transport crates and supplies of food and water. Many animals will need urgent, critical care and long-term rehabilitation for their injuries. They will be traumatized and in need of shelter after the devastating loss of their habitats. They need YOU. Europe’s summer fires have destroyed wooded areas capable of absorbing 2.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. We know the situation for wildlife is only going to get worse, and we URGE you to stay by our side, for the wildlife who need us more than ever. Credit: DespinaTheodosiadou These fires are one of the worst disasters in modern Greek history, and without us, the animals stand almost no chance of survival. Please donate right now so our partner can continue to treat and rescue terrified, traumatized and trapped animals and provide critical treatment to those in pain and on the brink of death. The lives of these animals are in YOUR hands, so please donate as much as you possibly can today.

🆘 DEADLIEST US FIRE in OVER A CENTURY 🆘 Animals NEED YOU NOW!

The catastrophic wildfires in Maui are the deadliest wildfires in modern U.S. history and animals are in deadly peril because of them. A tortoise rescued from the fires. Credit: Maui Humane Society Wild animals lost their homes, their sources of food, and even their lives. PLEASE help us rescue surviving animals who are burnt, dehydrated, disorientated and afraid. Some wild animals are resilient to natural disasters and have the ability to flee at the first signs of danger, like elk and mountain lions. However, they will have no home to return to – and with almost all of their natural habitat gone, they face starvation, dehydration and displacement without the urgent support of our teams on the ground. Other wild animals – particularly the very young, very old, or slow-moving like tortoises – are not able to escape quickly, and are at huge risk. These animals are often found badly burnt, dehydrated or struggling to breathe due to smoke inhalation. Birds, while they may be able to fly away, are also highly susceptible to smoke inhalation and dehydration as they become unable to reach their water sources. Dead birds, cats, and other small animals piled up after dying from the fires, possibly from smoke inhalation and the heat. Credit: AP Many animals are unable to walk properly because their hooves, pads or soles are seared by scorching earth. Tragically, animals who are able to escape may not be able to due to roads and buildings blocking their routes out of danger zones. A terrible inferno on Maui has crippled animals. They need your help right now. Wild animals are in the most serious of trouble right now. A rabbit rescued from the broiling island. Credit: Maui Humane Society The fires, fueled by a dry summer and strong winds from a passing hurricane, took the island by surprise. People fled, and wild animals were burnt, trapped and killed as the fires tore through dry summer growth unabated. Haunting drone images show displaced birds with singed wings, terrified animals trying to scramble to safety, and marine life choking on polluted waters. Their only hope is people like you. We are working to help fund rescue missions and provide aid to burnt, trapped and terrified wildlife, from large land animals to reptiles, smaller mammals, birds and aquatic creatures. Tragically, wild animals are often left to fend for themselves as people flee – and this particular crisis is being called Hawaii’s worst natural disaster. Right now, both small and large wild animals are at great risk, and we are working to help fund critically urgent rescue missions into the disaster zones. Surviving animals are likely to be injured, struggling to walk or breathe, displaced from their habitats, or starving and dehydrated. Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation teams – funded by your donations – are the hope amid the horror. Dedicated teams are working around the clock to locate and rescue wild animals driven out of their natural habitats. Animals will be injured, dehydrated and afraid, and we are ready to save as many as we can. People have been jumping into the ocean to escape the flames. What hope do the animals have without your help? Credit: Mengshin Lin/Washington Post Now more than ever, the animals need your support. Every dollar, every pound, every share, and every ounce of aid you can give will help make the difference between life and death for animals caught in this catastrophe. We are on the job, doing the very best we can with limited supplies and resources. We MUST bolster our supplies and stay on the ground, saving animals. Please, help us now! Credit: Hawaii News Now Organizations on the ground are stretched to the limit – without the reserves to manage a disaster of this scale, they urgently need your support right away. Their supplies are dwindling, but their determination is not. They WILL stay on the ground, and they WILL rescue animals, but they need our help today to do it. So please, donate generously right away. No matter how large or small your gift, your contribution will help provide food, medical supplies, shelter, and much-needed emergency resources to help save precious animal lives. Credit: Rick Bowmer/AP Spread the word: share this plea with your friends, families, and network. Together, we can be a lifeline for those who cannot speak for themselves. Donate now, and be a beacon of hope for the wildlife of Maui.

Baby flying foxes need YOU!

Frodo, the baby flying fox, weighed less than a bar of chocolate when he was found orphaned on the island of Mahé in Seychelles. At just a few days old and 72 grams (2.5 ounces), he was helpless without his mother, but they had become separated. Credit: Protect Paradise Tragically, Frodo and his mother were never reunited. It is likely she was caught by hunters, disoriented by streetlights, or electrocuted by a powerline – just a few of the threats facing flying foxes across the Seychelles. Hunting and human activity are destroying flying fox populations across the island of Mahé in the Seychelles. Without our help today, they have little chance of surviving. Please, help us rescue and rehabilitate infant flying foxes! Credit: ASI – Byron Seale Earlier this year, we told you about one of the terrible threats facing flying fox communities on Mahé: being hunted and caught for an island delicacy: bat curry. It is cruel and barbaric, and it leaves countless babies orphaned as their mothers are captured in crude nets and then stabbed to death. Credit: ASI – Byron Seale But there are many other threats facing the species. A rapidly growing human population means severe encroachment on flying foxes’ habitats. Frequently, they fly into power lines and are electrocuted, get sick or die from poisons used on fruit crops, or lose their food sources to a growing human population. A terrible drug problem on the islands further diminishes their food supply as people steal fruit to sell for drug money. When mother flying foxes are killed by these threats, their babies are left helpless and unable to feed themselves. They would starve to death were it not for our partner, Protect Paradise Seychelles (PPS). Credit: ASI – Byron Seale Ecologically important and largely misunderstood, flying foxes are in crisis. It is only with your help right now that we can give them a fighting chance against the many threats they face. Frodo is one of the many orphaned, injured or disorientated flying foxes rescued by PPS, who do their utmost to bring them back from the brink. Some are rescued after mistaking streetlights for the moon and flying into populated areas instead of out over the sea. They become confused and exhausted. Others are rescued from even more heinous situations, like Bella, who came in severely injured and paralyzed, possibly with a spinal injury. Credit: Protect Paradise PPS suspected she was trying to escape a bat trap or was bludgeoned by a human. However, they were not able to make an accurate diagnosis of her as they do not have an X-ray machine. Left image credit: Protect Paradise & right image credit: ASI Byron Seale  It is clear that our team urgently needs an X-ray machine, and if we can raise $15,000 (around £11550), that is exactly what we will purchase for them. Will you help us right now? PPS works diligently and tirelessly to save every flying fox who comes through their doors. Babies are fed using a pacifier specially designed to mimic their mothers’ nipples, which helps make them feel secure. They also use special bat wraps called mumma rolls to imitate the feeling of holding onto their mothers’ bellies and would feel as if their mothers’ wings are wrapped around them. This expert care gives them the best chance of surviving, thriving, and ultimately being released into safe areas free of human activity and traps. Flying foxes play a critical role in the ecosystem, and we cannot see them disappear. Please, help us save orphaned and injured creatures by donating right now. Credit: ASI – Byron Seale Flying foxes are a keystone species in the ecosystem, pollinating and disseminating diverse plant species. Seychelles’ rich and varied flora depend on species like flying foxes for survival, yet the animals – whose once-safe and verdant home is steadily being wiped out – are slaughtered by ignorant people. With your support right now, we will save injured and orphaned babies and adults and show them that despite their reputation, we know they are important and we care!

HURRY! Animal wildfire victims in Greece need HELP!

Thousands of people have fled infernos on the island of Rhodes in Greece as wildfires sweep the country for a seventh day. Crete is expected to go up in flames next and the fires near Athens can reignite at any time The week-long blazes, fueled by various factors, including the longest heatwave in the country’s history, have devastated wildlife populations. Credit: EFE_EPA_LefterisDamianidis Animals are in the most dire of trouble right now. And they are waiting for a lifeline from you. Greece is burning, people have fled – WHAT ABOUT THE ANIMALS? Since the fires broke out a week ago, cities and islands have been littered with the charred remains of dogs, owls and rabbits. Searing temperatures have left birds falling from the sky in exhaustion, dehydrated and almost dead. Next year, it is likely that there will be a greatly reduced swallow migration to Africa, as now is the species’ hatching season, and chicks are perishing in the untenable heat. Credit: AFP The fires are thought to be a result of hot, dry conditions and possibly arson, but whatever the reason, the result is the same: thousands upon thousands of trapped and helpless animals who, without our help, have no chance of survival. Upwards of 40,000 people have been evacuated since the start of the disaster, by air and by boat. Tragically, for wildlife whose habitats are going up in flames, there is no evacuation without YOUR HELP right now. Right now, our partners are risking their lives to reach animals trapped by flames. Emergency rescue supplies are running out and we urgently need your help! Credit: Twitter/NiallOLaughlin In crises like these, we are always on the ground – even as others flee – because we know this is when animals need us most. The minute it is safe to do so, we rush into disaster zones and bring out terrified, injured animals. It is these rescue missions that save countless animal lives. We are working with the Wildlife Rehabilitation Association (ANIMA), which has rescued dogs, tortoises, snakes and owls, among other species, and they have sent a team to burning Rhodes to begin the evacuation of animals there. We and our partners are doing our level best to respond to ‘hundreds’ of calls every day from people finding injured animals desperate for help, and supplies are rapidly running out. Credit: ANIMA Among the many creatures saved is a young owl in Crete, discovered a ‘vast graveyard’ of burnt tortoises (among which 11 were miraculously alive), and has rescued countless other creatures from blackened wastelands. Many animals have suffered burns and the effects of smoke inhalation, and with temperatures of up to 46℃ (114.8°F), animals are also at risk of succumbing to severe heat. Birds are gulping SEAWATER in a futile attempt to stay cool as fire infernos destroy their homes. We MUST help – RIGHT NOW! During rescues, large birds such as pelicans and vultures have shown symptoms of poisoning which rescuers believe may be a result of swallowing large amounts of seawater in a desperate attempt to stay cool. Credit: ANIMA The number of animals needing help remains unquantifiable but they number in their thousands and without our partner, they stand little chance against blistering fires, relentless heat waves and unprecedented loss of their habitat. Please help right now by donating any amount you can, no matter how large or small, so our team can race into disaster zones the moment it is possible, rescue terrified, traumatized and trapped animals, and provide critical treatment to those on the brink of death. The animals’ lives are in YOUR hands right now, so please donate as much as you possibly can today.

GREECE WILDFIRE EMERGENCY: Please help us rescue wild animals from deadly Greek wildfires.

Large-scale evacuations continue as deadly wildfires sweep parts of Greece. All weekend and continuing today, people have fled their homes as large swathes of the country burn. Wild animals are in terrible trouble. Right now, our partners are on the ground, risking their lives to reach animals trapped and helpless animals in the flames. Emergency rescue supplies are running out and we urgently need your help! Credit: ANIMA We are working with the Wildlife Rehabilitation Association (ANIMA) in Athens – a city so sweltering it is surrounded by wildfires, and famous tourist sites like the Acropolis have been closed to the public. Animals are dropping from dehydration and exhaustion as you read this, and we MUST do everything in our power to help them. Credit: ANIMA With temperatures in Greece soaring above 107,6℉ (42℃), animals are desperate, dehydrated, and dying. We MUST rush our partner emergency funds for rescue operations RIGHT AWAY. Birds are falling from the sky from heat exhaustion. Slow-moving animals like tortoises are perishing in fires. The heat is quite literally killing helpless animals as you read this and their hopes of survival rest on our ability to send critical rescue support to ANIMA right now. Credit: ANIMA Our partner rescues around 5,000 injured, sick, or orphaned animals every year. When disasters like these wildfires strike, the number of animals in need soars, and we are trying to help everyone we can. Credit: ANIMA Within just the first two weeks of July, ANIMA treated 1,000 animals injured in fires and affected by extreme heat waves. Evacuations and rescue efforts are currently underway, and with the threat of lingering heatwaves and wildfires spreading, wild animals don’t stand a chance if we don’t help right now. Credit: ANIMA Thick smoke from the raging fires is so severe that animals who do not perish in the fires could die from smoke inhalation and dehydration. It is heartbreaking and with your help, we will save as many as possible. If we can raise $10,000 (£7,627), it will help pay for critical rescue supplies, equipment, and life-saving treatment for animal victims of scorching heat and wildfires. Please, donate right away. Credit: Milos Bicanski Please, donate right now so ANIMA can continue to rescue terrified, traumatized and trapped animals, and provide critical treatment to those on the brink of death and in terrible pain. The animals’ lives are in YOUR hands right now, so please donate as much as you possibly can today.

More than 40,000 hectares of nationally vital koala habitat marked for potential logging in New South Wales

Article written by Lisa Cox Originally published by The Guardian (Sat, May 27, 2023) Analysis shows area includes 9,000 hectares where there was already active logging as pressure grows on government to end practice Conservationists say forest areas that include 41,000 hectares of nationally important koala habitat have been identified for potential logging on the north coast of New South Wales in the region’s 12-month logging plan. The analysis, by the North East Forest Alliance, comes as pressure grows on the NSW government to cease logging of native forests after the Victorian government announced logging in its native forests would end in December, six years earlier than planned. “Both the NSW and commonwealth governments have got to stop logging in areas they have identified as the most important koala habitat,” Dailan Pugh, the president of the North East Forest Alliance, said. Pugh analysed a supplementary report to the national koala recovery plan that identified areas of habitat that were considered of national importance. The threat status of koala populations in NSW and Queensland was upgraded to endangered in 2022 in recognition of the species’ continued decline due to land clearing and catastrophic bushfires. Pugh said 41,000 hectares of nationally important koala habitat was found in compartments identified for potential logging on the north coast, including areas of the proposed Great Koala national park and large areas of forest outside it such as Double Duke state forest. He said about 9,000 hectares of this were in areas where there was active logging. “These areas continue to be logged despite being identified as the most important koala habitat we know of,” he said. The analysis also references a 2017 report by the NSW environment department that identified “koala hubs” – significant areas of koala habitat – in the state and notes state governments had not acted since that time to protect these areas. The Greens MLC Sue Higginson, who has attended forest protests in northern NSW, called on the “NSW and federal Labor governments to act immediately to protect the 40,000 hectares of nationally important koala habitat”. She said the Victorian government had set an example to follow. “Koalas are listed as threatened with extinction at both the state and federal level and without intervention will be extinct in NSW by 2050,” she said. “The NSW government has all of the tools and information that they need to end native forest logging now, at a very minimum they need to work with their federal colleagues to protect vital koala habitat from profitless logging.” Guardian Australia revealed this week that the Perrottet government found native logging could be ended in NSW without costing the budget. The new NSW environment minister Penny Sharpe said Labor had committed to no logging moratoriums before the election and “I stand by that promise”. “The government wants to create the Great Koala national park as soon as possible. During the election we laid out a process for its creation.” “As the process is being established, the [Environment Protection Authority] is engaging with Forestry Corporation of NSW to encourage them to take a precautionary approach to conducting forestry operations in areas with highly suitable koala habitat.” Federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek said regional forest agreements would have to comply with new national environmental standards being developed as part of broader reforms to national environmental laws. “We are committed to reforming Australia’s environment laws. These laws are broken,” she said, adding native forests were valuable for their carbon storage and habitats. “Endangered animals like koalas, Leadbeater’s possums and greater gliders are all affected by native logging,” she said. “We also know there are economic benefits from protecting native forests. It can increase carbon storage and water production, allow for co-management with First Nations and create jobs through feral animal control and forest restoration.” A spokesperson for the NSW forestry corporation said its operations went through detailed planning processes, including ecological surveys and mapping “to identify and protect environmental features”. “Each year around one per cent of the areas available for timber production are harvested and regrown, which in a normal year is about 10,000 hectares on the north coast, including native forests and hardwood timber plantations,” they said. “Operations in native forests are always selective, thousands of habitat and feed trees are protected throughout operations specifically for koalas, and every tree harvested is regrown.”

These 2-day-old serval kittens survived a horror crash.

Recently, while rescuing two serval kittens from a sugarcane fire in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, the FreeME Wildlife (FMW) team was involved in a horrific head-on vehicle collision. They were taking the three-day-old kittens to their base for observation and treatment when an oncoming vehicle hit their van head-on. Credit: FreeMe Wildlife Miraculously, in the moments before impact, one of the team members threw her arms around the crate holding the tiny kittens to protect them. She was seriously injured, breaking her collar bone, puncturing a lung, and incurring severe bruising to her body, but the tiny, days-old kittens were unharmed. It is a miracle and underpins the commitment of our partners to the welfare of wildlife. FreeMe Wildlife’s rescue vehicle was completely wrecked while transporting infant serval kittens to safety. Credit: FreeMe Wildlife Vulnerable wild animals life depend on a rescue vehicle. Friend, please help us replace it right away. The doors of the wrecked vehicle had to be broken off to rescue the trapped human and animal victims. The kittens were immediately transferred to another vehicle and rushed to the FMW clinic, where they were carefully checked for injuries and monitored for signs of shock – they had survived not only a horror crash but also the fire that tore through their natural habitat. The loss of their faithful 7-year-old vehicle is a devastating blow to wild animals in Kwa-Zulu Natal because, without it, critical rescue missions are being impacted. FMW rescues an average of 42 animals every week, some taking place as far as 621 miles (1,000 kilometers) away, and without a vehicle, limited rescues can take place. Credit: FreeMe Wildlife In a near miracle, the kittens sustained no injuries; they are being cared for at the FMW clinic until they can be released back to their natural environment. Servals are carnivorous wild cats native to the African continent and are found primarily in sub-Saharan regions. Their name, translated from Portuguese, means ‘wolf deer’ due to their elongated necks and legs and very large ears on a small skull, which gives them a deer-like quality. Credit: FreeMe Wildlife Their habitats – long-grass savannahs like wetland areas, reed beds and river vegetation – are rapidly being destroyed by human activity: wetland degradation, sport hunting and human/wildlife conflict as humans encroach on their habitats and then kill them when they prey on domestic poultry. They are also hunted for the fur and skin trade, which means they are facing threats on all sides. Servals are being corralled into smaller and smaller spaces as they attempt – often unsuccessfully – to escape humans, their greatest predators of all. Credit: FreeMe Wildlife Servals, like so many other wild species, are under increasing threat, and FMW works to rescue every individual it can. Based in the Kwa-Zulu Natal province of South Africa, FMW is a non-profit organization that rescues and rehabilitates injured and abandoned indigenous wildlife until they can be returned to the wild and integrated with their own species. Credit: FreeMe Wildlife But there IS some good news: because insurance covered the majority of the cost of a replacement vehicle, FMW needs just $6,830 (roughly £5,442 ) to purchase a new animal rescue vehicle. This amount is achievable with your help! Please, donate now. The lack of an appropriate wild animal rescue vehicle is impacting FMW’s rescue work and the release of wild animals back into the wilderness, with some releases now on hold until a replacement vehicle is purchased. FMW only has the capacity to hold a limited number of wild animals at any one time, so it is critical that they stick to release schedules of wild animals: not only does this ensure the animals remain ‘wild’ and fit to return to their habitat, but it ensures there is space for new rescues to be brought in. Credit: FreeMe Wildlife We MUST empower them to respond to wildlife emergencies once again! Purchasing a new vehicle is SO close – and with your help now, we can buy it. Please help us raise $6,830 (roughly £5,442 ) towards the vehicle, and get this expert team back to saving precious lives. Your donation right now will help enormously.