biodiversity

Wild chimpanzees have for the first time been captured on camera eating and sharing fermented African breadfruit (Treculia africana) containing alcohol. The discovery was made by researchers who set up cameras in Guinea-Bissau’s Cantanhez National Park and raises questions about why chimps seek out alcohol and if they do so deliberately. “For humans, we know […]

The Trump administration has proposed a rule that would eliminate endangered species’ habitat protections in the United States. The rule change would “rescind” the regulatory definition of “harm” to no longer include habitat modification for endangered and threatened wildlife under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Environmentalists said the move would cause critically endangered species to […]

According to the 40th annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers report by American Rivers, half the rivers in the United States contain unsafe pollution levels, with freshwater species becoming extinct faster than land or ocean species. The Mississippi River topped the list, with federal flood management changes putting the health of the river at risk, jeopardizing […]

In a recent study, scientists have found that the species Eichhornia crassipes, also known as the common water hyacinth, has strong potential as a remediator for microplastics in the environment. In the study, published in the journal Environmental Science and Ecotechnology, researchers collected water hyacinths from a river in Shanghai, China and relocated the plants […]

In a new study, scientists have confirmed mercury contamination in Antarctic penguins and are raising alarms that this pollutant and its impact on birds mimics the spread of DDT uncovered in the 1960s. Despite the lack of humans near the penguins on the Antarctic Peninsula, researchers have confirmed mercury contamination in these birds. According to […]

During the last weekend of January, participants in Britain’s Big Garden Birdwatch are asked to keep track of the number of each avian species they see at their location over a one-hour period. The counting and recording is usually done in gardens, but parks and other green spaces work too. Participants in this year’s Birdwatch […]

Dozens of gopher tortoises survived a harrowing sea crossing after last year’s deadly and destructive Hurricane Helene swept them two miles from their native home. The tortoises found themselves swimming — and possibly floating — for their lives from Egmont Key national wildlife refuge to Fort De Soto County Park on a remote part of […]

Indonesia is planning to clear a forested area roughly the size of Belgium in order to make way for the production of sugarcane-derived bioethanol and food crops such as rice. The move threatens to displace Indigenous groups who are reliant on the land for survival. “Instead of clearing forests, the government should focus on optimising […]