Experts Prepare to Welcome Black-footed Ferrets Back to Wyoming

Not terribly long ago, the black-footed ferret vanished from the wild. Today, experts are making plans to return this endangered species to the same site where humans once thought we had seen the very last of this iconic prairie creature.

On the early morning of November 2, 1985 I watched a pickup truck crest the ridge of a dusty Wyoming two-track ranch road and disappear over the horizon. Inside it was what I thought at the time might be the last black-footed ferret ever to live in the wild. I was dead tired, having been up for the past week trying to catch that ferret, spending nights of driving laps around prairie dog colonies – the habitat and food source of black-footed ferrets – peering out to the end of the beam of a strong spotlight to find her. It was the end of a tumultuous fall, one that had been filled with bitter accusations and petty politics, and I was really too worn down to be much more than philosophical about her departure. There was no fanfare, no media presence—nothing that would have marked the day as remarkable. Even though it might have been the day that a species went extinct in the wild.  More:  Experts Prepare to Welcome Black-footed Ferrets Back to Wyoming

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Help Stop the Wildlife-Killer Bill in Congress 060616 – Defenders of Wildlife

It’s supposedly an energy bill, but the “North American Energy Infrastructure Act of 2016” contains a lethal dose of anti-wildlife amendments that will lead to dead wolves, dead bears and the destruction of many important wildlife protections.

And while pro-oil, pro-coal, climate change denying provisions are despicable, the anti-wildlife measures are equally catastrophic.

Tell your senators to protect wildlife and oppose this deadly bill!

More: Help Stop the Wildlife-Killer Bill in Congress 060616 – Defenders of Wildlife

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AZGFD.gov Game and Fish officers euthanize bear that clawed camper

GR:  As the human population grows and expands, encounters with wildlife increase.  We kill any animals that injure a human–usually no questions asked.  We also kill wildlife as we build homes and roads and destroy necessary wildlife habitat.  Research indicates that already half of all animals are gone.  Eventually, there will only be humans, their domestic animals, and a small number of other species.

Do we care enough about other creatures to protect their habitat and reduce our population?  None of the zoning regulations I’ve seen preserve habitat just because wild animals need it.  Certainly there is no effective effort to control our population.  So, is it truly inevitable that humans doom most wild animals to extinction?

black bearPHOENIX — “Arizona Game and Fish Department officers last night trapped and euthanized a black bear that had scratched and injured a camper earlier in the day in a dispersed camping area (not a developed campground) near Cherry Creek in Young, Ariz.

“The subadult (1-1/2 to 2-1/2 year-old) [young] male bear was caught in a culvert trap set by a highly trained team of wildlife officers. They confirmed this was the bear involved in the incident based on descriptions from other campers and because it had a unique hind paw pad that matched tracks found at the scene. The bear was euthanized [killed] per department policy because it attacked a human and was deemed a threat to public safety.

“Officers noted there were unsecured food sources and garbage in the area, and a field necropsy revealed garbage in the bear’s stomach contents. Arizona Game and Fish reminds everyone that leaving food and trash around may be luring an animal to its death.”  Read more: AZGFD.gov Game and Fish officers euthanize bear that clawed camper.

The photo is a Pixabay Free Illustration.

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Young bear killed in California may have been mutilated for its body parts | US news | The Guardian

A young bear killed by a vehicle on a California road this week was found by highway maintenance workers to have been mutilated, possibly so that parts of it could be sold on the black market, according to officials.

The bear had injuries consistent with being hit by a car in the early hours of Thursday morning, not shot or poisoned, according to Andrew Hughan, an information officer for the California department of fish and wildlife, who said the black bear, the only species in California, was a “yearling” at two years old and 150 pounds – “something like a teenager”.

However, Hughan said that when the game warden arrived on the scene to retrieve the carcass he discovered that “the paws had been cut off and the gall bladder had been removed, which is pretty disheartening”.  Read more: Young bear killed in California may have been mutilated for its body parts | US news | The Guardian

This sounds like an accident; let’s hope Asian bear-bile poachers don’t open shop in North America.

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A tragedy larger than Harambe | Fight for Rhinos

In the age of cell phones, selfies, and convenience, are zoos an insignificant place where the awe and wonder of animals are taken for granted? Is conservation just a trend on twitter? What is more endangered, the animals or our empathy and connection with our world?

Source: A tragedy larger than Harambe | Fight for Rhinos

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Is the lion the new rhino?

Is poaching coming to the domain of the lion? This is the third of these brutal incidents in less than a week.

Source: Is the lion the new rhino?

Meet Chloe | Fight for Rhinos

The Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre is a South African wildlife sanctuary devoted to rehabilitating endangered and vulnerable animals, most notably the cheetah and rhino. In recent weeks, they…

Source: Meet Chloe | Fight for Rhinos

Together we can end wildlife crime | Environment | The Guardian

Paula Kahumbu: A global alliance to end wildlife crime is within reach. Let’s start talking about how it can be made to work

Source: Together we can end wildlife crime | Environment | The Guardian

Indonesian birds face extinction due to pet trade – study | Environment | The Guardian

Indonesia’s national bird, the Javan hawk-eagle, is among 13 species threatened by illegal trade, warns a wildlife watchdog

Source: Indonesian birds face extinction due to pet trade – study | Environment | The Guardian