endangered species

Australia Aims to End Species Extinctions — Can Its New Plan Succeed?

Australia Aims to End Species Extinctions — Can Its New Plan Succeed?

Australia has one of the highest rates of species extinctions in the world, but it has just announced an initiative to preserve 30% of the country’s land mass by 2030 in order to bring species extinctions down entirely to zero. Australia is home to many unique plants and animals, but increasing extreme weather events, including […]

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    More Than 1.1 Million Sea Turtles Poached Between 1990 and 2020, Study Finds

    More Than 1.1 Million Sea Turtles Poached Between 1990 and 2020, Study Finds

    Nearly all species of sea turtles are considered endangered, according to WWF. Despite this, people have continued to poach them for food, medicine and luxury goods in astonishing numbers. The first ever global assessment of illegal sea turtle hunting to consider multiple countries and regions, published in Global Change Biology Wednesday, found that more than […]

    Is the Jaguarundi Extinct in the United States?

    Is the Jaguarundi Extinct in the United States?

    By John R. Platt A few times a year, wildlife officials in Texas receive excited phone calls. “I just saw something that looks like a really big cat, or maybe a giant weasel,” a caller might say. “Was it a jaguarundi?” No, they’re not reporting a sighting of a mythical beast like the chupacabra. But […]

    Dugongs (Related to Manatees) Declared Functionally Extinct in China

    Dugongs (Related to Manatees) Declared Functionally Extinct in China

    The human imagination once transformed dugongs into mermaids. But now, human activity is pushing the gentle marine mammals into the realm of the imagination in a more sinister way.  A new study published in Royal Society Open Science Wednesday found that the dugong (dugong dugon) is “functionally extinct” in Chinese waters.  “The likely disappearance of […]

    Emerald Green Hummingbird Deemed ‘Lost to Science’ Reemerges in Colombia

    Emerald Green Hummingbird Deemed ‘Lost to Science’ Reemerges in Colombia

    By Liz Kimbrough In the mountains of Colombia, an experienced bird-watcher saw an iridescent flash of blue and green. “A hummingbird caught my attention. I got out my binoculars and was shocked to see that it was a Santa Marta sabrewing,” Yurgen Vega said. “This sighting was a complete surprise, but a very welcome one.” […]

    Could Tolerant and Peaceful Bonobos Be the Model for Human Peacemaking?

    Could Tolerant and Peaceful Bonobos Be the Model for Human Peacemaking?

    Humans share 98.7 percent of their DNA with two species of endangered great apes: bonobos (Pan paniscus) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Bonobos — which can only be found in forested regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), south of the Congo River — differ from chimpanzees in appearance and behavior. They are usually smaller, and their societal groups are led by females and are generally more peaceful.