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☆ Bats carry killer viruses. Scientists suggest ways to cope.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

“I have to think on a landscape scale.”Research in Australia also is deepening scientists’ understanding of bats. Flying foxes travel long distances in search of food, dispensing seeds and pollinating trees along the way. As deforestation destroyed habitats and further disrupted the food supply, the bats have increasingly formed year-round roosts near people, they noticed. Native gums flowering around Gympie lured the flying foxes away from horse paddocks and more urban areas. In fact, the most dangerous areas for spillover aren’t rare, pristine habitats absent of humans, scientists say.

☆ China, birthplace of COVID, lays tracks for a new global health crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

Bat viruses have been the source of multiple health crises besides those related to coronaviruses, including recent outbreaks of Ebola, Nipah, and Marburg. Partners in risk The total area at high risk for bat viruses to infect humans more than doubled in size in Laos between 2002 and 2020. The animals, known to be susceptible to bat viruses, included raccoon dogs, bamboo rats and porcupines. As China boomed in recent decades, global demand for rubber also skyrocketed, leading to further development and deforestation here. Already, scientists have found local bats bearing viruses closely related to those responsible for the 2003 SARS and COVID-19 pandemics.

☆ Human DNA can now be pulled from thin air and sequenced
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Scientists have been able to collect and analyze detailed genetic data from human DNA from all these places, raising thorny ethical questions about consent, privacy and security when it comes to our biological information. Environmental DNA has been obtained from air, soil, sediment, water, permafrost, snow and ice cores and the techniques are primarily being used to help track and protect endangered animals. However, the ability to capture human DNA from the environment could have a range of unintended consequences — both inadvertent and malicious, they added. They termed this information “human genetic bycatch” and decided to study the phenomenon in greater depth. We cannot avoid shedding DNA in the public space,” Moreau, who was not involved in this study, said via email.

☆ Ten lions killed in southern Kenya as human-wildlife conflict escalates
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Ten lions have been killed in southern Kenya this past week, including six on Saturday alone, as human-wildlife conflict escalates in the region, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). This is “an unusually large number of lions to be killed at one go,” a spokesperson for the KWS told CNN on Sunday. The six lions that died on Saturday had killed 11 goats and one dog, the KWS said in a press release on Saturday. “The discussions centered on exploring ways to minimize the risk of human-wildlife conflict, including developing early warning systems to alert communities to the presence of wildlife in their vicinity,” said the KWS. “Further discussions centered on the wider picture of exploring human-wildlife conflict in the context of community livelihoods and benefit sharing towards a harmonious coexistence in the open community and wildlife landscapes,” it added.

☆ These strange-looking turtles in Hong Kong could soon be extinct
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Hong Kong CNN —One of the world’s most densely populated cities might seem an unlikely refuge for endangered wildlife. While in Hong Kong, the unlikeliness of the setting has enabled them to fly largely under poachers’ radar. Professor Sung Yik-hei with a Big-headed turtle at a lab at Lingnan University in Hong Kong on April 13, 2023. Courtesy Sung Yik-hei Professor Sung Yik-hei monitors an area near a river in Hong Kong on April 13, 2023. A few hundred are left in Hong Kong, and perhaps even fewer in its other homes of Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

☆ Sonic world of animals: Listen to an extinct bird's mating call
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

What’s sometimes lost in this feast for the eyes is the sonic world of animals — audible to humans in the case of birdsong. Source: British Library“Animals: Art, Science and Sound” showcases the British Library’s wildlife collection, which contains over 250,000 recordings of animals from around the world. Source: British LibraryThe species was declared extinct in 2000. The song of a nightingale Published by the Gramophone Company Ltd. in 1910, it was the first published recording of any animal. Source: British LibraryThe groundbreaking release marked the beginning of commercial wildlife recording that culminated in the 1970s.

☆ Uninhabited Scottish island could be yours for $190,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —If you’ve ever fancied escaping the grind of daily life and heading to a remote island with no other inhabitants, now could be your chance. Situated just off the southern coast of Scotland, Barlocco Island is up for sale, priced at offers over £150,000 ($190,000). Barlocco Island is a haven for wildlife. At low tide, the island can be reached on foot, by tractor or quadbike. “We have witnessed strong demand from domestic and international parties for entire private islands having handled the sale of several in Scotland,” Edgar said.

A team from the U.S. Department of Agriculture led the effort in Maryland, covering nearly half a million acres of land and marsh hunting for the invasive rodent. They worked in a grid to systematically trap and remove nutria before moving on to the next area. Yann Schreiber/AFP/Getty

"China was initially in discussions to be part of the project," the official said, declining to be named as the information was deemed sensitive. China has since banned the sale and consumption for food of wildlife animals. China's public security organs have handled more than 70,000 criminal cases involving wild animals from 2020-2022, confiscating 1.37 million wild animals in the process, state news agency Xinhua has reported. SLOW STARTThe SAFE project surveys only began in October last year, when the project's assessors visited Khao Kheow zoo and a cafe in Thailand. The wet markets targeted are markets where wild animals are sold alongside fresh meat and vegetables.

☆ Paleontologists explain the most glaring errors in Adam Driver's new dinosaur film '65'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Erin Heger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Adam Driver stars in a new film "65," which takes place 65 million years ago. But like other Hollywood portrayals of dinosaurs, "65" gets several dinosaur facts wrong, according to paleontologists. The film's title is off my a million yearsThere were probably no dinosaurs around 65 million years ago. SonyLet's start with the title: "65" — named for when the film takes place 65 million years ago. It's a movie, not a science lectureThe film "65" has a 64% audience score on rotten tomatoes, so even if it got the science wrong, it managed to entertain some folks.

☆ Vietnam seizes 7 tonnes ivory in largest wildlife smuggling case in years
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HANOI, March 20 (Reuters) - Vietnamese authorities on Monday seized seven tonnes of ivory smuggled from Angola, the largest seizure of wildlife products in years, the government said. Trade in ivory is illegal in Vietnam but wildlife trafficking remains widespread. Other items often found smuggled into the country include pangolin scales, rhino horns and tiger carcasses. This followed the finding of more than 600 kilograms of African ivory last month at the city's Lach Huyen Port. Last month, a court in Vietnam sentenced a man to 13 years in prison for trafficking nearly 10 tonnes of endangered animal parts from Africa, including ivory and rhino horns.

☆ Travelers who don't know how to go off the grid bring 7 suitcases and a microwave to stay in a yurt, according to owners of rustic Airbnbs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Travelers may crave a break from their phones, but going off the grid can prove difficult for some. Courtesy of the KernohansIn Missouri, Michael Loftis built an off-the-grid cabin for his family, but eventually moved them to a town nearby. Many guests are quick to ask Kernohan if bears or other wildlife are a threat to their stay. Courtesy of Michael LoftisTo add to the rustic mood of his cabin, Loftis has furnished it with antiques, including a clawfoot tub and a 1920s gas-powered cookstove. Thankfully, she was safe, but it reminded Loftis that many guests are unfamiliar with old-school appliances.

☆ 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.

☆ Factbox: Willow oil and gas project in Alaska sparks green opposition
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

March 3 (Reuters) - Environmental and climate activists are rallying online against ConocoPhillips’ proposed Willow oil and gas drilling project in Alaska as the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden weighs whether to greenlight the controversial plan. Here are some details about the project:WHAT IS THE WILLOW PROJECT? The Willow project is a $6 billion proposal from ConocoPhillips' (COP.N) to drill oil and gas in Alaska. The Willow project area holds an estimated 600 million barrels of oil, or more than the amount currently held in the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the country's emergency supply. The Biden administration has also been urging U.S. oil companies to invest in boosting production to help keep consumer energy prices in check.

☆ Animals full of PFAS 'forever chemicals' have been found on every continent except Antarctica, new report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Animals, birds, and fish across the planet are contaminated with forever chemicals, a new report found. Though they're useful for resisting water, heat, and stains, PFAS do not break down in the environment, earning them the "forever chemicals" nickname. The new report suggests that contamination from forever chemicals may pose yet another threat to many species' survival. Cleaning up these emission sites is key to stopping more forever chemicals from building in the environment. "It will take regulatory action to move the entire market and country away from dependence on these chemicals," Andrews said.

☆ California’s heavy rains deliver hope of a lifeline for one devastated industry – rice
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

After years of drought, California has received an epic amount of rain already in 2023. The Sacramento Valley is the hub of California’s rice production. During the seed planting and growing season, which runs from March through August, farmers flood rice fields with up to five inches of water. The way the rice business goes is how the economy goes,” Ponciano said. “After harvest season, the sky over the rice fields would be filled with geese and ducks,” he said.

☆ You Don’t Have to Be Complicit in Our Culture of Destruction
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

Photo illustration by Bráulio Amado Talk You Don’t Have to Be Complicit in Our Culture of Destruction“People feel a kind of longing for a belonging to the natural world,” says the author and scientist Robin Wall Kimmerer. I am deeply aware of the fact that my view of the natural world is colored by my home place. But I don’t think that’s the same as romanticizing nature. Of course the natural world is full of forces that are so-called destructive. The story that we have to illuminate is that we don’t have to be complicit with destruction.

☆ Colorado bear takes hundreds of 'selfies' on wildlife camera trap
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Annie Hill | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

A curious bear has become the surprise star of wildlife cameras set up in Boulder, Colorado, taking hundreds of "selfies" in an apparent impromptu photoshoot, local officials said. This particular bear, however, appeared to be captivated by the camera. "In this instance, a bear took a special interest in one of our wildlife cameras and took the opportunity to capture hundreds of 'selfies,'" Phillip Yates, a spokesperson for Open Space and Mountain Parks, said in a statement Thursday. The photo series, which appears to meditate on the ephemeral nature of life, has pioneered a bold new hybrid of self-portraiture and wildlife photography. While officials may not have expected photoshoots to be among those uses, Yates said the images captured by the wildlife cameras can also be used to help recommend measures to protect important natural areas.

☆ Man dies after dog steps on rifle, causing it to discharge, Kansas officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

A man died in Kansas on Saturday after officials believe he was struck by a rifle that discharged after a dog stepped on it. The dog stepped on the rifle in the back of the truck, causing it to fire and hit the back of the man, who was found in the front passenger seat, he said. Emergency medical personnel administered CPR before the 30-year-old victim, whose name has not yet been released, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Hay. It was not immediately clear who owned the truck or the dog or who called 911. Representatives for the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks did not immediately respond to questions.

☆ Florian Ledoux: The icy patience of an Arctic photographer
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The polar bear was just a faraway speck in a frozen white expanse. “It’s the price we pay to get unique images,” recounts award-winning French photographer and filmmaker Florian Ledoux. Florian LedouxThe months when the sun just starts to poke through create the perfect palette for a photographer, Ledoux says. Yet these are the days Ledoux lives for. Disney, Netflix or the likes will request a specific shot of a polar bear, such as a successful hunt or a mating scene.

Persons: speck, ”, Florian Ledoux, Florian Ledoux Ledoux, Ledoux, “ That’s, hasn’t, Florian, Florian Ledoux “ Organizations: CNN, Disney, Nature, Netflix, Oceanographic Magazine Locations: Tromsø, Norway, Longyearbyen, Svalbard

☆ In 'Wildcat', Amazon fauna helps heal emotional wounds of war
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Rollo Ross | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Their triumphs and travails are at the heart of "Wildcat", a documentary filmed deep in the rainforest that premieres on Amazon's Prime Video on Friday. Then they get a call from a friend that an ocelot kitten was found by loggers and little Keanu helps Turner out of his grief. The documentary came about after Zwicker shot videos documenting Khan's upbringing, hoping it would help other conservationists return cats to the wild. Directors Trevor Frost and Melissa Lesh came on board to document the lives of Turner, Zwicker and their animals after receiving Keanu. With proceeds from the reported $20 million Amazon Studios paid for the documentary, Zwicker is building up her conservation program Hoja Nueva, while Turner has set up his own charity, Emerald Arch.

☆ Mountain lion P-22 was 'compassionately euthanized' after showing signs of physical trauma. Here's how he went from a trouble-making cat to a symbol of Los Angeles.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Mountain lion P-22 was euthanized on Saturday after suffering from injuries and illnesses. There was "no hope for a positive outcome" in letting P-22 live, wildlife officials announced. The tests also showed the mountain lion suffered from multiple ailments, including kidney disease, a significant loss of weight, arthritis, and a parasitic skin infection all over his body. P-22, who has been key to mountain lion research in the area, was likely born in the Santa Monica Mountains. A trail camera picture of mountain lion P-22, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., 2012.

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.

MEXICO CITY, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Environmental groups filed a lawsuit in a U.S. federal court on Wednesday, pressuring the U.S. government to sanction Mexico for failing to protect the critically endangered vaquita, the world's smallest porpoise, according to court documents. The lawsuit seeks to pressure the U.S. government to sanction Mexico under a fisheries law called the "Pelly Amendment" to the Fishermen's Protective Act, which authorizes the U.S. President to embargo imports of wildlife products, including fish, from another country. The vaquita porpoise, found in Mexico's upper Gulf of California, has over the last five years seen its population devastated to the point that it is now considered in "serious danger of extinction." The other organizations that joined the lawsuit are the Animal Welfare Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Council. In mid-November, CITES - an international convention to protect endangered species - told Mexico it must protect the vaquita or face sanctions early next year.

☆ South African Parliament votes against Ramaphosa impeachment investigation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( David Mckenzie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Johannesburg CNN —South African President Ramaphosa survived a move to start impeachment proceedings against him in a vote in parliament on Tuesday. The move was widely expected, after the top leadership ruling African National Congress (ANC) called on their parliamentary caucus to block the investigation. There were a few ‘yes’ votes from ANC members, and a couple of no-shows, but their caucus largely held together. The president has repeatedly denied the allegations saying the money was from the sale of wildlife at his Phala Phala farm. ANC members said that the report did not provide enough evidence to move towards an impeachment proceeding.

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