Animals

Despite Weather Extremes, Australia’s Grey-Headed Flying Fox ‘Is Doing OK’

Despite Weather Extremes, Australia’s Grey-Headed Flying Fox ‘Is Doing OK’

The grey-headed and spectacled species of mainland flying fox — common in Australia, also known as “fruit bats” — have historically experienced such low numbers that they faced the possibility of extinction, reported The Conversation. But after a decade-long survey by the National Flying-fox Monitoring Program (NFFMP) — coordinated by CSIRO, along with state and […]

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    Commercial Air Tours Over Bandelier National Monument to Be Banned

    Commercial Air Tours Over Bandelier National Monument to Be Banned

    The National Park Service (NPS) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have completed an air tour management plan for Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico. As part of the plan, commercial air tours will be banned in and around the national monument. Commercial air tours are a type of flight that visitors can pay to […]

    Endangered Species 101: Everything You Need to Know

    Endangered Species 101: Everything You Need to Know

    Quick Key Facts The Endangered Species Act To understand what “endangered species” means, it’s important to unpack the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which followed the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, the first piece of federal endangered species legislation. Enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1973, the ESA states that the federal government has a […]

    Deforestation Could Put 84% of North American Lizards at Risk, Study Says

    Deforestation Could Put 84% of North American Lizards at Risk, Study Says

    Deforestation is making lizards in North America more vulnerable because of a lack of shelter from extreme temperatures, according to a new study. Led by scientists at University of Colorado Boulder and Tel Aviv University, the study found that forest loss, alongside climate change, could negatively impact 84% of lizards in North America by 2100. […]

    ‘A Moral Imperative’: Scientists Say We Must Change Conservation Strategies to Save Endangered Great Apes

    ‘A Moral Imperative’: Scientists Say We Must Change Conservation Strategies to Save Endangered Great Apes

    Following decades of hunting and habitat destruction by humans, great apes are teetering on the edge of extinction. Five out of seven species of great apes — the closest living relatives to humans — have been listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as “critically endangered,” according to a new study by an […]

    Well-Managed Solar Parks Could Boost Pollinators in UK, Study Says

    Well-Managed Solar Parks Could Boost Pollinators in UK, Study Says

    When combined with green spaces, solar panels can provide more benefits than generating clean energy. According to a new study, led by Lancaster University scientists in collaboration with the University of Reading, well-managed solar parks that feature solar panels and vegetation could boost pollinator populations and biodiversity. The researchers published their findings in the journal […]

    Bangladesh Bans Capture and Exploitation of Wild Asian Elephants

    Bangladesh Bans Capture and Exploitation of Wild Asian Elephants

    In a “landmark” ruling, Bangladesh’s High Court has suspended all licenses for the adoption of critically endangered wild elephants, meaning they can no longer be legally taken into captivity or exploited, reported the BBC. The ban to protect the approximately 200 wild elephants remaining in Bangladesh was welcomed by animal rights groups. Nearly half the […]

    20 Global Dishes With the Greatest Biodiversity Risks Include Meat-Based and Vegan Fare, Study Finds

    20 Global Dishes With the Greatest Biodiversity Risks Include Meat-Based and Vegan Fare, Study Finds

    Our food choices can have substantial environmental impacts. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, worldwide food production — especially animal agriculture — is the main cause of biodiversity loss. One of the major reasons is that livestock and their feed require a great deal of land. Certain foods — such as Indian kidney bean […]