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☆ Unprecedented ocean heat is changing the way sharks eat, breathe and behave
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“An increase in metabolic rates means that sharks are using more energy to just be alive and swim,” Di Santo told CNN. Some fish species are not able to find new, suitable habitats, which causes a decline in their population. “It is important to consider that sharks are very much tuned in the behavior of their prey,” Di Santo said. “These small-scale movements can be just as crucial for their survival as poleward relocations,” Di Santo said. Zidowitz said progress on conservation to protect shark species is “too slow to keep pace” with the numerous threats they face, yet she remains hopeful.

Persons: Heike, Michele Spatari, Valentina Di Santo, biomechanist, Di, ” Di Santo, Di Santo, ”, Joseph Prezioso, Zidowitz, ” Zidowitz Organizations: CNN — Sharks, International Union for Conservation of, World Wildlife, CNN, ”, Cape, Getty, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration Locations: Germany, Umkomaas, Durban, South Africa, AFP, Cape Cod , Massachusetts

☆ Chile zoo celebrates birth of critically endangered Somali Wild Ass
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] An African Somali wild foal, which was born in captivity, is shown in its enclosure for the first time to the public, as part of a conservation project of this animal in danger of extinction, at the Buin zoo, Santiago, Chile July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Ivan AlvaradoSANTIAGO, July 6 (Reuters) - A rare Somali Wild Ass foal was born in a Chilean zoo, sparking hope for a critically endangered species with less than 200 mature individuals left worldwide. The Buin Zoo in the southern outskirts of Santiago is taking part in an international effort to help restore the Somali Wild Ass population that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified as critically endangered. The remaining Somali Wild Ass population, according to the IUCN, is left in Eritrea and Ethiopia with the largest recorded subpopulation being just 17 individuals. "The bones are used in soups that supposedly have medicinal characteristics that hasn't been scientifically proven, but it's practically brought on the extinction of a beautiful species," Idalsoaga said.

Persons: Ivan Alvarado SANTIAGO, We're, Ignacio Idalsoaga, Idalsoaga, it's, Alexander Villegas, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Buin Zoo, International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN, Reuters, Thomson Locations: African Somali, Buin, Santiago, Chile, Chilean, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Ita

☆ Tiny Bundles of Hope: Critically Endangered Turtles Hatch in Myanmar
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Delger Erdenesanaa | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Now that they’re identified as Burmese peacock turtles, more research can begin. Other turtle species’ eggs, even in the Nilssonia genus, hatch after just two or three months. The total number of Burmese peacock turtles is unknown, but scientists suspect that their population may have declined by at least 80 percent over the past 90 years. While adult turtles are mostly invulnerable to predators, very few turtles survive from the egg and hatchling stages to adulthood, Dr. Platt said. That makes these Burmese peacock turtle babies all the more precious.

Persons: Zau Lunn, ”, Steven Platt, Platt, isn’t Organizations: Wildlife Conservation Society, International Union for Conservation

☆ Scottish wildcats bred in captivity released to the wild in a bid to save the species from extinction
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Mark Tutton | Sarah Lazarus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The cats were bred and released by Saving Wildcats, a European project led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) in partnership with a group of conservation and governmental organizations. “It’s a really exciting milestone,” says Dr. Helen Senn, project lead for Saving Wildcats and head of conservation and science programs at RZSS. Saving Wildcats has taken every effort to ensure the captive-bred cats will have the instincts and hunting skills needed for survival in the wild. Saving Wildcats hopes to keep breeding and releasing around 20 kittens annually over the next few years to give the wild population the best chance of getting established. Wildcats could be drivers for healthier ecosystems because creating better habitat for them will benefit many other species, says Senn.

Persons: CNN — Young, “, ”, Helen Senn, “ They’ve, “ We’re, Senn, we’ve Organizations: CNN, wildcats, Scottish Highlands, Saving Wildcats, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Highland, International Union for Conservation, Group, Wildcats, Cairngorms, ”, Wildcats Feline Locations: Britain, Scotland, Europe, England, Wales, Kincraig, Scottish

☆ We're losing the battle against bird loss. Scientists estimate North America's bird population is down 3 billion and dropping fast in other countries worldwide.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Emily Sohn | Knowable Magazine | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

In North America, more than half of 529 bird species have declined, according to one study. Another study of 378 European bird species estimates numbers fell by as much as 19% from 1980-2017. There are birds on mountains, birds in cities, birds in deserts, birds in oceans, birds on farm fields and birds in parking lots. Bird numbers are falling across a broad range of habitats, as these graphs from Europe and North America show. A recovery program has boosted the species' numbers to more than 500, with several hundred living once more in the wild.

Persons: —, Peter Marra, It's, Alexander Lees, Lees, Christopher Michel, Marra, we're, Lees et, Philip McGowan, Glenn Simmons, McGowan Organizations: Service, Penguins, Earth Commons, Manchester Metropolitan University, Cornell, of Ornithology, National Audubon Society, Survey, US Geological Survey, Environment Canada, European Union, International Union for Conservation, Environment, Resources, Newcastle University, IUCN, California condor, Recovery Initiative Locations: North America, Antarctica, ptarmigan, Everest, Georgetown, England, Canada, United Kingdom, Gould Bay, eBird, United States, Science, Costa, India, Europe, California, Arizona, Brazil

☆ The US has the second-highest number of endangered species. California, Florida, and Arizona lead the nation in threatened creatures.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US is second behind Indonesia for the number of endangered species, according to a new report. Among US states, California, Florida, and Arizona have the most threatened species. The report draws its data from a conservation group's Red List of Threatened Species. California, Florida, and Arizona held the top spots in the US for most endangered species: The Golden State had 18, followed by 13 in the Sunshine State, and seven in the Grand Canyon State. The US total of 1,178 endangered species includes 43 mammals and 284 types of fish.

Persons: —, Jane Smart, Smart Organizations: Service, State, Sunshine State, International Union for Conservation of, International Union for Conservation, IUCN's Centre for Science, Associated Press, AP Locations: Indonesia, , California, Florida, Arizona, California , Florida, Nations

☆ Caged and cut open for bile: The fight to free Asia’s farmed bears
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

But international experts say it remains a lucrative industry in China, where domestic sales of bear bile remain legal. “They’ve got massive hair loss, they’ve often got broken teeth from (biting the bars of their cages) in frustration and pain.”But eliminating bile farming has proved difficult. But China is “the biggest market for bear bile products by far,” with roughly 15,000 bile bears in captivity and plenty of demand, he said. Ursodeoxycholic acid, one of the main components in bear bile, has been medically proven to help dissolve gallstones and treat liver disease. And there’s no internationally recognized scientific evidence showing bear bile can cure other ailments promoted in TCM.

Persons: Eve Sevim, Jill Robinson, “ They’ve, they’ve, Robinson, David Garshelis, aren’t, Garshelis, ” Robinson, ”, ” Garshelis, Tan, Qing, it’s Organizations: CNN, Animals Asia, International Union for Conservation, Nature’s, Bear Specialist Group, TCM, Animals, Forestry Administration, Farmers, China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration, State Forestry Administration, Bears, Getty, IUCN Locations: Haiphong, China, Vietnam, South Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Asia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hui'an, Animals Asia, Hanoi, “, Tam Dao, Hanoi –, Ma

☆ 5 things you think you know about killer whales that are actually wrong
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But killer whales, or orcas, are actually members of the dolphin family. Killer whales aren't whalesKiller whales are not actually whales, but dolphins. The name "killer" whale isn't from killing humansOrcas are not called killer whales because they're whales that kill humans. Killer whales don't eat just anything that comes their wayContrary to popular belief, orcas are actually pretty picky eaters. Though killer whales may be misunderstood, you definitely shouldn't get a closer look at them.

☆ Captive breeding helps endangered Iberian lynx population hit record
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Known for its pointy ears, long legs and leopard-like spotted fur, the Iberian lynx is a species distinct from the more common Eurasian lynx found from France to the Himalayas. The ministry's report partly attributed the demographic boom to the success of a captive breeding and reintroduction programme launched in 2011. Since then, 338 lynx born in captivity have been released into the wild. "This positive demographic evolution allows us to be optimistic about the reduction of the risk of extinction," the ministry said. However, it added that it was necessary to continue ongoing conservation efforts, given that the species remains classified as endangered.

☆ Deep in the Amazon, scientists race to find unknown bat viruses
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Some scientific studies have found that deforestation causes stress in bats, and stressed bats carry more viruses and shed more germs in their saliva, urine and feces. It spiked following the highway’s construction, making the Amazon in the early 1980s a rallying cry for the global environmental movement. When examining spillover risk, scientists use the number of bat species in a given area as a key variable. When humans encroach on their habitat, and bat species commingle, the viral cocktail intensifies. “Odds of it being documented are very slim,” said Caio Graco Zeppelini, an ecologist and bat researcher at the Federal University of Bahia.

☆ Bat lands worldwide are besieged, seeding risk of a new pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +16 min

This collision – bats and humans competing for resources on territory long the domain of the bats – could trigger the next pandemic. As people destroy bat habitats worldwide, they are unwittingly helping bat-borne viruses mutate, multiply, and infect other species, including homo sapiens. For millennia, bat viruses lurked across the forests of West Africa and in other undisturbed parts of the world but posed little threat to humanity. They’re potent proliferators: Some roost tightly together and in close quarters with other bat species. Each of the bat viruses analyzed by Reuters has epidemic potential, according to the World Health Organization.

☆ These adorable sand cats could be under threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The sand cat has been observed hunting the venomous Saharan horned viper, pictured here buried in the sand. This elusive nature is no doubt one of the reasons sand cats have been so under-reported, says Breton. The report notes that sand cats appear to travel greater distances than any other cat of their size, including black-footed cats and African wildcats. Sand cats in dangerThe report’s findings could have serious implications for the sand cat’s conservation status. There are also local threats from shepherd dogs that sometimes kill sand cats; domestic cats carrying diseases that are dangerous for the wild species; and there have also been cases of sand cats being captured for the illegal pet trade, he adds.

☆ The High Seas Treaty, Explained
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Haphazard Authority On Ocean Resources | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

Global News Changing Tides The first international agreement to protect the world's oceans aims to create “international parks” in the high seas. The high seas represent 95% of the world’s total habitat by volume, but the nautical world remains largely unexplored. “A sentiment we often encountered was that there’s not much in terms of biodiversity out there in the high seas,” he said. MPAs that already exist mostly occupy exclusive economic zones and only make up about 3% of the high seas. A 2016 Pew study on mapping governance in the high seas showed 19 governing bodies with a high seas mandate.

☆ Endangered Komodo dragons hatch at Spanish zoo
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Jon Nazca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Embum, a one-month-old baby Komodo dragon, one of the five Komodo dragons born at Bioparc Fuengirola, rests in a terrarium in Fuengirola, southern Spain, March 28, 2023. REUTERS/Jon NazcaFUENGIROLA, Spain, March 28 (Reuters) - Five Komodo dragon hatchlings have been born at a zoo in Spain, the first successful breeding of the world's largest lizard - an endangered species - in the country for a decade. "This is a great achievement for all of us," Milagros Robledo, the head of the Herpetology department at the Bioparc Fuengirola zoo in southern Spain and self-described "mother" of the dragons, told Reuters on Tuesday. The baby dragons' parents mated on June 24 last year, when Spaniards celebrate the feast of St John. In the wild, newborn Komodo dragons tend to move to the treetops and need no maternal or paternal care, Robledo said.

MAYA BAY, Thailand, March 27 (Reuters) - On any given day in Thailand's Maya Bay, up to 40 blacktip reef sharks cruise in the cyan shallows while about 4,000 tourists visit its white-sand beach flanked by towering cliffs. Marine researcher Metavee Chuangcharoendee said that thanks to the pause in tourism the island was once again functioning as a nursery for young sharks. A number of factors affect the sharks around Phi Phi Leh Island, including seasonal movement patterns and human activity like fishing, Metavee said. For Phi Phi Island National Park, annual revenue was almost halved from 638.3 million baht ($18.7 million) in 2018 to 373.6 million baht in 2019 after authorities closed the beach. "If you can create a new image of Maya Bay as a nature reserve ...

☆ A deadline looms for rules governing deep-sea mining, but a rushed decision may be risky
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Proponents say that deep-sea mining there is a less damaging way to gather metals like nickel, copper, manganese and cobalt. Opponents of deep-sea mining say there is not enough information to make that kind of decision. Critics of the idea of deep-sea mining have said the process is being rushed. That's what's behind the drive for diversity of supply on land-based mining, as well as exploration of alternatives such as deep-sea mining." Finding consensus for the Wild West of the seaOpponents of deep-sea mining want to tap the brakes.

"So far, we have recycled more than 5 million plastic bags, but this is just the beginning," TileGreen co-founder Khaled Raafat told Reuters. "We aim that by 2025, we will have recycled more than 5 billion plastic bags." At the company's factory, on the outskirts of Cairo, workers carry large barrels loaded with mixed plastic waste to be melted down and compressed. An Egyptian start-up, TileGreen, is manufacturing interlocking tiles from recycled plastic and waste in an effort to reduce dependency on cement, which is a major polluter in the country. Plastic waste is often discarded in the street or disposed of in informal dumps or burned.

☆ Are Butterflies Wildlife? Depends Where You Live.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +10 min

The creatures are simply left out of state conservation statues, or their situation is ambiguous. “State agencies are really at the forefront of conservation for wildlife,” said Scott Black, executive director of the Xerces Society, a nonprofit group that advocates for insect conservation. Sometimes, aquatic insects come under the purview of state wildlife agencies. But across the states without insect authority, officials are often reluctant to broach adding it, Mr. Winton said. Seven of the states without insect conservation authority are in the West, which has felt the effects of climate change intensely.

☆ Partisan ‘Fact Checkers’ Spread Climate-Change Misinformation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Bjorn Lomborg | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Partisan “fact checks” are undermining open discourse about important issues, including climate change. Earlier this month I wrote an accurate post on Facebook about the growing polar-bear population. The post undercut alarmist climate narratives, so it was wrongly tagged as a falsehood. Activists have used polar bears as an icon of climate apocalypse for decades, but the best data show that far from dying out, their numbers are growing. That’s higher than the 5,000 to 19,000 polar bears scientists estimated were around in the 1960s.

☆ Monarch butterflies made a historic rebound this year, but my photos from 'Butterfly Town, USA' are disappointing and sad
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

California's monarch butterflies made a miraculous rebound from nearly disappearing in 2020. I visited Pacific Grove, AKA "Butterfly Town, USA," to see the monarch migration for the first time. Monarch butterflies fly at the Sierra Chincua butterfly sanctuary in Angangeo, Michoacan state, Mexico. Monarch butterflies fly at the Sierra Chincua butterfly sanctuary in Angangeo, Michoacan state, Mexico. When I was a child, I didn't see monarch butterflies, but they were already in decline.

In 2019, Cambodia supplied 8,571 of the 33,818 research monkeys imported to the U.S., or 25%. In 2021, the number of monkeys from Cambodia more than doubled to 18,870, making up nearly 60% of the 31,844 research monkeys brought to America. Earlier this year, long-tailed macaques and pig-tailed macaques were listed as endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The decades long effort by animal rights groups to derail the monkey trade has made some impact. The incident shined a rare spotlight on the monkey trade, which largely goes on outside the view of the public.

☆ Scientists discover hammerhead shark nursery in Ecuador's Galapagos
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A hammerhead shark swims after a shark nursery was discovered off Isabela Island in the Galapagos, Ecuador, in this photo delivered by Galapagos National Park newsletter on December 16, 2022. "The discovery of these new breeding areas is very important, especially for the hammerhead shark," said park ranger Eduardo Espinoza in a statement on Friday from the Galapagos National Park. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers the scalloped hammerhead shark, the species found in the Galapagos, as "critically endangered." Researchers spent months scouring the archipelago for possible nursery sites as part of a hammerhead shark monitoring program. Researchers are monitoring the nurseries to track the young shark population in nursery areas and to follow their migration patterns.

Companies’ impact on biodiversity and ecosystems would become an integral part of sustainability reporting under new plans that aim to create a more complete assessment of how businesses harm the environment. Corporations should explain to investors how they are managing resources sustainably, according to reporting rules proposed Wednesday by the International Sustainability Standards Board, an arm of the International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation, an accounting-standards body. The trial could act as a beacon for such reporting and make other companies more comfortable with the idea of reporting their biodiversity impact voluntarily, Ms. Saint-Laurent said. Overcoming reporting challengesGathering data on biodiversity still poses a challenge for corporations and can often involve expensive teams of dozens of experts. “We’re not quite at the point where we’re able to have one single number,” she said, adding, “it’s multiple numbers that show performance.” Unlike carbon-emissions reporting, biodiversity assessment can be complicated and expensive.

For decades, searching for such hard-to-reach plants and collecting samples was carried out by intrepid botanists who rappelled by rope down dangerous cliffs to hunt for what was lost. Now, we may have a little more time before extinction.”DIRE SITUATIONToday, two in five plant species globally are threatened with extinction. Kauai has 250 plant species that can be found only on the island. To protect species in the long run, botanists need to collect samples — seeds and genetic material — which they can cultivate in greenhouse nurseries. They might even use drones to bomb down collected seeds, packing them into sticky fertilizer balls that can adhere to steep cliffs.

☆ Abalone and Dugongs threatened with extinction, warns IUCN Red List
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The effects of human activity from climate change to pollution are “devastating” marine life, with nearly a tenth of underwater plants and animals assessed so far threatened with extinction, the latest Red List of Threatened Species showed on Friday. “It shows that we are having quite a devastating impact on marine species,” Craig Hilton-Taylor, head of the IUCN Red List, said. Linda Lombardi/AP/FILEHilton-Taylor said the portion of marine species facing extinction was likely much higher than current data shows because those analyzed so far have tended to be widespread fish species, not currently under threat. The latest list reviews abalone species, a type of mollusc sold as a luxury seafood item, for the first time and found that around 44% of them face extinction. “The awful status of these species should shock us and engage us for urgent action,” said Amanda Vincent, chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Marine Conservation Committee.

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