Animals

1.5 Billion Birds Lost in North America Since 1970s

1.5 Billion Birds Lost in North America Since 1970s

By Nika Knight North America has lost more than 1.5 billion birds over the past 40 years, says the most comprehensive survey of landbird populations in Canada and the U.S. to date, and 86 species are threatened with total extinction—all thanks to human-caused habitat destruction and climate change. Golden-winged warblers are one of the North […]

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    With Only​ 45 Red Wolves Left in the Wild, Confinement Plan Won’t Save Species

    With Only​ 45 Red Wolves Left in the Wild, Confinement Plan Won’t Save Species

    Sending a mixed message for the future of red wolves, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Monday it will confine red wolf recovery to just federal lands in Dare County, North Carolina, but will identify new sites for wolf introductions and double the number of captive-breeding pairs. The long-delayed announcement comes after the agency […]

    Why Millions of Monarch Butterflies Are Dying in Mexico

    Why Millions of Monarch Butterflies Are Dying in Mexico

    By Alicia Graef While international efforts are underway to help keep dwindling populations of monarch butterflies from disappearing, scientists are raising concerns about how severe weather and a loss of forest habitat at their wintering grounds in Mexico are affecting them. Every year, monarchs embark on an epic multigenerational migration that takes them thousands of […]

    Giant Success for Giant Pandas

    Giant Success for Giant Pandas

    We’ve received some fantastic news over the weekend. The giant panda is no longer listed as endangered! Thanks to amazing conservation efforts and the commitment of the Chinese government, this iconic species has dropped down a level on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, from “Endangered” to “Vulnerable” following a remarkable growth of their […]

    World’s Largest Gorilla Declared Critically Endangered

    World’s Largest Gorilla Declared Critically Endangered

    Grauer’s gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri), a subspecies of eastern gorilla, the world’s largest ape, and confined to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The announcement was made at the IUCN World Conservation Congress currently underway in Hawaii. The IUCN Red List classifies […]

    Fishing Gear Entanglement Number One Killer of Right Whales

    Fishing Gear Entanglement Number One Killer of Right Whales

    The population of endangered North Atlantic right whales is under threat due to entanglement in fishing gear and a resulting drop in birth rates, according to a study published by the journal Frontiers in Marine Science. Even though North Atlantic rightwhales numbers have modestly increased from 295 individuals in 1992 to 500 individuals in 2015, […]

    Paul Allen’s ‘Great Elephant Census’ Shows Catastrophic Decline in Africa

    Paul Allen’s ‘Great Elephant Census’ Shows Catastrophic Decline in Africa

    Results of a multiyear survey effort released Wednesday reveal that Africa’s savannah elephants are far worse off than anticipated. A survey called the “Great Elephant Census” estimates that only around 352,271 elephants remain—down from previous estimates of 419,000 to 650,000 elephants in 2013. The report’s authors estimate they recorded 93 percent of all savannah elephants […]

    Orphaned Orangutan Gets Second Chance After His Home Was Destroyed by Palm Oil

    Orphaned Orangutan Gets Second Chance After His Home Was Destroyed by Palm Oil

    By Chelsea Matthews As Conflict Palm Oil companies move into priceless rainforests like Sumatra’s Leuser Ecosystem, they are leaving a trail of destruction behind. Chocolate the orangutan is one of the few lucky survivors of this destruction and his is a story of hope. Racing Extinction, Rainforest Action Network and Wildlife Asia have put together […]