#wildlifeconservation — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #wildlifeconservation, aggregated by home.social.
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Ugandan communities planted 4,053 trees beside one of Africa’s great rainforests; now the new forest is rebuilding a damaged wildlife buffer |
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Image Credit: Ron Van Oers/Wikipedia Communities living beside Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Par…
#NewsBeep #News #Environment #agroforestry #AU #Australia #bwindi #BwindiImpenetrableNationalPark #endangeredmountaingorillas #restorationofforests #Science #uganda #wildlifeconservation
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/886148/ -
Ugandan communities planted 4,053 trees beside one of Africa’s great rainforests; now the new forest is rebuilding a damaged wildlife buffer |
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Image Credit: Ron Van Oers/Wikipedia Communities living beside Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Par…
#NewsBeep #News #Environment #agroforestry #AU #Australia #bwindi #BwindiImpenetrableNationalPark #endangeredmountaingorillas #restorationofforests #Science #uganda #wildlifeconservation
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/886148/ -
Ugandan communities planted 4,053 trees beside one of Africa’s great rainforests; now the new forest is rebuilding a damaged wildlife buffer |
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Image Credit: Ron Van Oers/Wikipedia Communities living beside Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetr…
#NewsBeep #News #Environment #agroforestry #bwindi #BwindiImpenetrableNationalPark #endangeredmountaingorillas #environment #restorationofforests #Science #Uganda #UK #UnitedKingdom #wildlifeconservation
https://www.newsbeep.com/uk/765244/ -
https://www.europesays.com/ie/680624/ Ugandan communities planted 4,053 trees beside one of Africa’s great rainforests; now the new forest is rebuilding a damaged wildlife buffer | #agroforestry #bwindi #BwindiImpenetrableNationalPark #Éire #EndangeredMountainGorillas #Environment #IE #Ireland #RestorationOfForests #Science #Uganda #WildlifeConservation
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Three new Griffon Vultures chicks born in Cyprus this year, KNEWS https://www.byteseu.com/2351097/ #BirdProtection #Cyprus #EndangeredSpecies #GriffonVulture #vultures #WildlifeConservation
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In 2026, a Florida wildlife centre brought in critically endangered red-ruffed lemurs; the project is now helping restore their disappearing Madagascar rainforest
A wildlife centre in No…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Environment #criticallyendangeredspecies #Floridawildlifecentre #GreenAgainMadagascar #Habitatrestoration #lemurencounterprogramme #Madagascarrainforestrestoration #red-ruffedlemurs #Science #WildlifeConservation
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/841695/ -
In 2026, a Florida wildlife centre brought in critically endangered red-ruffed lemurs; the project is now helping restore their disappearing Madagascar rainforest
A wildlife centre in No…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Environment #criticallyendangeredspecies #Floridawildlifecentre #GreenAgainMadagascar #Habitatrestoration #lemurencounterprogramme #Madagascarrainforestrestoration #red-ruffedlemurs #Science #WildlifeConservation
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/841695/ -
https://www.europesays.com/africa/417464/ In 2026, a Florida wildlife centre brought in critically endangered red-ruffed lemurs; the project is now helping restore their disappearing Madagascar rainforest #CriticallyEndangeredSpecies #FloridaWildlifeCentre #GreenAgainMadagascar #HabitatRestoration #LemurEncounterProgramme #Madagascar #MadagascarRainforestRestoration #RedRuffedLemurs #WildlifeConservation
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Egg oiling is a targeted way to help protect vulnerable bird species, like the sage-grouse, from raven predation. #wildlifeconservation
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-egg-oiling-raven-predation-vulnerable.html
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Egg oiling is a targeted way to help protect vulnerable bird species, like the sage-grouse, from raven predation. #wildlifeconservation
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-egg-oiling-raven-predation-vulnerable.html
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Egg oiling is a targeted way to help protect vulnerable bird species, like the sage-grouse, from raven predation. #wildlifeconservation
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-egg-oiling-raven-predation-vulnerable.html
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Egg oiling is a targeted way to help protect vulnerable bird species, like the sage-grouse, from raven predation. #wildlifeconservation
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-egg-oiling-raven-predation-vulnerable.html
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In breaking news, CNN reveals that the long-extinct Tasmanian tiger had a unique bite that CNN desperately hopes you'll find more interesting than their video player's loading speed 🐅💁♂️. Meanwhile, the elusive 'relevance' of ads remains as extinct as the tiger itself. 🦖📺
https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/02/science/tasmanian-tiger-skull-bite-force #TasmanianTiger #ExtinctSpecies #CNNNews #DigitalMedia #AdsRelevance #WildlifeConservation #HackerNews #ngated -
In breaking news, CNN reveals that the long-extinct Tasmanian tiger had a unique bite that CNN desperately hopes you'll find more interesting than their video player's loading speed 🐅💁♂️. Meanwhile, the elusive 'relevance' of ads remains as extinct as the tiger itself. 🦖📺
https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/02/science/tasmanian-tiger-skull-bite-force #TasmanianTiger #ExtinctSpecies #CNNNews #DigitalMedia #AdsRelevance #WildlifeConservation #HackerNews #ngated -
In breaking news, CNN reveals that the long-extinct Tasmanian tiger had a unique bite that CNN desperately hopes you'll find more interesting than their video player's loading speed 🐅💁♂️. Meanwhile, the elusive 'relevance' of ads remains as extinct as the tiger itself. 🦖📺
https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/02/science/tasmanian-tiger-skull-bite-force #TasmanianTiger #ExtinctSpecies #CNNNews #DigitalMedia #AdsRelevance #WildlifeConservation #HackerNews #ngated -
In breaking news, CNN reveals that the long-extinct Tasmanian tiger had a unique bite that CNN desperately hopes you'll find more interesting than their video player's loading speed 🐅💁♂️. Meanwhile, the elusive 'relevance' of ads remains as extinct as the tiger itself. 🦖📺
https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/02/science/tasmanian-tiger-skull-bite-force #TasmanianTiger #ExtinctSpecies #CNNNews #DigitalMedia #AdsRelevance #WildlifeConservation #HackerNews #ngated -
In breaking news, CNN reveals that the long-extinct Tasmanian tiger had a unique bite that CNN desperately hopes you'll find more interesting than their video player's loading speed 🐅💁♂️. Meanwhile, the elusive 'relevance' of ads remains as extinct as the tiger itself. 🦖📺
https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/02/science/tasmanian-tiger-skull-bite-force #TasmanianTiger #ExtinctSpecies #CNNNews #DigitalMedia #AdsRelevance #WildlifeConservation #HackerNews #ngated -
Trump signs order to remove endangered species protection for grey wolves
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62k677d4lzo
Comments: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49583144
#HackerNews #Trump #EndangeredSpecies #GreyWolves #WildlifeConservation #PolicyChange
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Enough of "evil guys destroying the world" news today? Here's #wildlife: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2026/sep/04/week-in-wildlife-a-hitchhiking-crab-a-shy-wallaby-and-penguins-in-little-jackets showing not only animals but humans of the kind sort of humanity. Humans who give us hope.
#wildlifeConservation #wildlifePhotography #naturePhotography #animals #conservation #hope #humanity
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🐟🎉 Oh, look! Humans finally figured out that nature's little engineers knew what they were doing all along! In a shocking twist, building fake beaver dams actually works... who could have guessed? 🤦♂️ #GeniusesAtWork
https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/artificial-beaver-dams-california #FakeBeaverDams #WildlifeConservation #EnvironmentalInnovation #GeniusDiscovery #HackerNews #ngated -
Scientists Could Soon Lose a Key Tool For Studying Antarctica’s Melting Ice Sheets As Climate Risks Grow
James Yungel / NASA file This summer, the U.S. and much of the world have been pummeled by floods, fires and heat waves. Knowing what climate risks come next depends, to a large extent, on what happens in the most desolate place on Earth: Antarctica. But there’s a new obstacle to understanding the changing continent and how it’s affecting weather patterns throughout the world. National Science Foundation plans to decommission its only research icebreaker, the RVIB Nathaniel B. […] -
📰 NEW SPECIES SEEN FOR FIRST TIME TODAY IN CLOUD FOREST RESERVE
🚨Ecuador: In the Maquipucuna Reserve today, a rare "Tiny Hawk" was seen for the first time. [Edit: Name Correction]
🐦⬛ The 14, 000-acre reserve has been conducting large-scale ecological restoration of former agricultural land for decades and has been seeing positive results in reforestation of native plants and native species recovery.
❗This latest positive development is most notable because I WAS THERE! I'M GOING OUT OF MY MIND! This is a pic from my camera looking through a birding telescope.
👋 From Ecuador, this is me reporting LIVE for Mastodon's #SolarpunkSunday
👉 Only on the Fediverse
More about The Reserve
https://www.maquipucuna.org/#EcuadorDiary #EcologicalRestoration #Conservation #WildlifeConservation #Ecuador #Environment #Biodiversity #Solarpunk
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Patricia Wright on finding a new rainforest in Madagascar - GuardianTV
https://guardian.ng/tv/patricia-wright-on-finding-a-new-rainforest-in-madagascar/
#Africa #Madagascar #Science #Conservation #WildlifeConservation #Environment #Biodiversity #Sustainability #HalfHeartedFanatic
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📰 Coastal Marsh Restoration Fights Sea‑Level Rise
🌎 New Jersey, USA: Scientists are restoring coastal marsh habitat at Scotch Bonnet Island to help wetlands keep pace with rising seas.
🌾 The project is designed to protect marsh ecosystems that support wildlife and provide important ecological services. 32 bird species have been seen using the area for resting and fishing, including a rare American Golden-Plover.
🤝 Wetland restoration is one of the most effective nature‑based approaches for increasing coastal resilience while safeguarding biodiversity.
“I think we can get a lot of wetlands back. They’re not always on this one-way street to destruction.”
- Samantha Chapman, wetland ecologist🔗 https://insideclimatenews.org/news/19082026/sea-level-rise-drowns-coastal-marshes/
#SolarpunkSunday #Biodiversity #Environment #WildlifeConservation #EcologicalRestoration #ClimateAdaptation #Wetlands
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These Are The Best Bike Paths in National Parks
Photo: Grant Ordelheide Most national parks don’t allow bikes on dirt trails, whether or not they’re e-bikes, but that doesn’t mean biking is off limits. Many national parks have designated multi-use paths, some paved and some gravel, that offer a scenic way to explore without having to go deep into the backcountry or stick to the roads. These car-free paths provide a safe and fun way for everyone to get out on two wheels, whether you’re looking for some serious miles at Grand Teton […]https://onlinemarketingscoops.com/2026/08/18/these-are-the-best-bike-paths-in-national-parks/
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📰 New Protected Areas Support Record Tiger Recovery
🌏 Nepal: Newer national parks have contributed to tiger recovery efforts, with the latest tiger count hitting a record 429.
🐅 Researchers believe older parks may not have population increases due to limitations in water infrastructure, less connectivity with other parks, and invasive plants degrading pasture.
📈 Protected habitat remains one of the most reliable tools for supporting large carnivore populations. Improved management and connectivity planning will help sustain these gains into the future.
#WildlifeWednesday #Biodiversity #Conservation #WildlifeConservation #Tigers
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📰 Thermal Drones Help Reduce Human-Elephant Conflict
🌍 Kenya: The Amboseli region is deploying thermal drones to help detect elephants and reduce dangerous encounters between wildlife and people.
🐘 There have been many contentious interactions in this unfenced landscape. The technology provides a practical conservation tool that can improve wildlife monitoring while helping communities protect crops and livelihoods.
💰 Better coexistence solutions can support long-term elephant conservation without relying on costly infrastructure.
#WildlifeWednesday #Biodiversity #Conservation #WildlifeConservation #Elephants
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📰 Conservation Dogs Help Find Elusive Wildlife
🐕 Detection dogs are helping researchers locate elusive species including small wild cats and pangolins.
🔍 The method allows scientists to gather wildlife data that can be difficult to obtain through traditional surveys.
🦔 Better information supports smarter conservation decisions and more effective habitat protection.
#WildlifeWednesday #Biodiversity #Conservation #WildlifeConservation #Pangolins #ConservationDogs
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📰 Yes, Virginia, There's a New Agrivoltaics Law Supporting Wildlife-Friendly Farming
🌎 Virginia, U.S.: Legislation has been adopted to encourage agrivoltaics, where agriculture and solar development share the same land.
☀️ Projects may allow crops or livestock to coexist with renewable energy infrastructure instead of competing for space.
🐝 Well-designed agrivoltaic systems can also create opportunities for pollinator habitat and biodiversity gains.
🔗 https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/food-and-farms/virginia-solar-with-farming
#WildlifeWednesday #Biodiversity
#Conservation #WildlifeConservation #Agrivoltaics #Pollinators #RenewableEnergy -
📰 Volunteers Help Track Sea Turtle Hatching Success
🌎 Outer Banks, NC: Protecting sea turtles continues after hatchlings reach the ocean. Trained volunteers with N.E.S.T. return to nests about 72 hours after the last hatchling emerges to carefully excavate and study the nest.
🐢🥚 During excavations, volunteers count eggs, eggshells, unhatched eggs, and any remaining hatchlings. This data helps conservationists measure hatching and emergence success and estimate how many hatchlings successfully left the nest.
🔍 The effort can also document rare genetic conditions and verify nest relocation outcomes. Any live hatchlings found are safely released to continue their journey to the sea.
🤝 The information collected helps scientists monitor nesting success and strengthen sea turtle conservation efforts along North Carolina’s coast.
#TurtleTuesday #WildlifeConservation
#SeaTurtles #MarineConservation #Biodiversity #Conservation #WildlifeProtection -
This is like finding Bigfoot, except it's an elusive palm tree.
via mstdn @mongabay
#Africa #Madagascar #Antananarivo #Science #Conservation #WildlifeConservation #Environment #Biodiversity #HalfHeartedFanatic
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Jimothy the Raccoon's Urban Survival and Internet Fame
📰 Original title: Don’t Get Too Attached to Jimothy
🤖 IA: It's clickbait ⚠️
👥 Users: It's clickbait ⚠️View full AI summary https://en.killbait.com/jimothy-the-raccoon-s-urban-survival-and-internet-fame.html?utm_source=mastodon_world&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_world
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#WildlifeCorridors Explained: Connecting #Habitats for #Biodiversity Protection and Animal Migration
by Jodie Phillips, Dec 8, 2025
Excerpt:
"Here’s what happens in fragmented environments:
- Animals struggle to find food — especially predators and large herbivores that need space to roam.
- Genetic diversity plummets — isolated populations breed within a limited gene pool, increasing vulnerability to disease and reducing long-term survival.
- Roads become death traps — collisions with vehicles are now a leading cause of death for many species, including foxes, deer, and even endangered cats.
- Plants suffer too — because their pollinators can’t reach them or seed dispersal is interrupted.Unlike outright habitat loss, which removes nature entirely, fragmentation creates the illusion of wild space — but it’s space that doesn’t work. It’s like trying to live in a city made of sealed buildings with no doors between them.
This is where the idea of wildlife corridors comes in. They’re not just a fix. They’re a reimagining of how we build alongside nature, not against it.
What Wildlife Corridors Actually Are
At its simplest, a wildlife corridor is a passage that connects two or more isolated habitats. But that simplicity hides complexity — ecological, logistical, and often political.
Corridors can take many shapes:
- Overpasses and underpasses that allow animals to cross highways safely. These are often landscaped to mimic the surrounding environment, making animals more likely to use them.
- Riverside strips and forest edges that serve as movement routes for birds, reptiles, or amphibians.
- Green bridges designed for everything from elk to insects, complete with vegetation, sound barriers, and fencing to guide animals toward them.
- Flyways for birds and bats — not manmade paths, but legally protected aerial migration routes.
- Marine corridors, which link critical habitats for whales, turtles, or fish across vast ocean zones.What matters isn’t just the path itself, but what surrounds it. A corridor through a hostile environment — one with noise, light, fences, or pollution — may be worse than none at all. For a corridor to succeed, it must offer more than direction; it must offer safety, food, cover, and continuity.
Think of them as lifelines. Not just for individual animals, but for entire species. In fragmented landscapes, these connectors are the only way to keep isolated populations from slowly fading out.
In the coming decades, wildlife corridors may not just be a helpful tool — they could be the only thing standing between vulnerable species and extinction.
Real-World Success StoriesThe concept of wildlife corridors has gone from theory to proven practice in many parts of the world. When designed and maintained correctly, these ecological connectors have shown measurable, sometimes astonishing results — not only saving individual animals but helping entire populations rebound.
One of the most famous examples comes from #BanffNationalPark in #Canada, where a network of overpasses and underpasses spans the #TransCanadaHighway. Covered with native vegetation and buffered from human disturbance, these structures have recorded over 200,000 safe animal crossings. Species like grizzly bears, elk, cougars, and moose now use them regularly, reducing vehicle collisions by more than 80%.
In the #Netherlands, a country densely packed with infrastructure, planners have built hundreds of '#ecoducts' — specially constructed bridges that let deer, wild boar, and even reptiles move between green zones. These efforts are not symbolic. They form a national strategy to reconnect fragmented landscapes across roads, canals, and rail lines.
Meanwhile, #India’s #ForestCorridors have helped endangered species like the Bengal tiger and Asian elephant access breeding grounds and seasonal food sources. In some regions, smart use of community forests and protected corridors has reduced human-wildlife conflict — a major concern where people and predators often share space.
In #CostaRica, farmers are replanting native trees between patches of forest, creating organic movement corridors for birds, sloths, and pollinators. These living connections not only assist animal migration, but also boost eco-tourism and sustainable coffee production.
And in the United States, the proposed #CaliforniaWildlifeCrossing — a massive overpass planned near #LosAngeles — aims to reconnect mountain lion habitats split by a busy freeway. Scientists estimate the project could prevent local extinction of the species in the region.
These aren’t just engineering projects. They are restoration at scale, turning fragmented land back into functional ecosystems. They show that when we invest in #reconnection, nature responds."
Learn more:
https://www.environmentalconsortium.org/wildlife-corridors-explained/#SolarPunkSunday #LandIsLife
#WaterIsLife #EndangeredSpecies #WildlifeCorridors #WildlifeConservation #HabitatConservation #PreserveNature #Rewilding -
#SouthAmerica’s First Continental #WildlifeCorridor
By: Tompkins Conservation, October 9, 2025
"The #JaguarRiversInitiative is the first multi-country effort to create a massive wildlife corridor in the heart of South America. Uniting successful grassroots nonprofits in #Argentina, #Bolivia, #Brazil, and #Paraguay, the initiative will restore #ecosystems, bring back #KeySpecies, and develop #NatureBasedEconomies in a new cross-border model that addresses the mass #ExtinctionCrisis and climate instability on a global scale.
"In a groundbreaking announcement during #ClimateWeek in September [2025], an alliance of grassroots South American nonprofits launched South America’s largest continental-scale rewilding endeavor. The Jaguar Rivers Initiative plans to reconnect #FragmentedEcosystems across the vast #ParanáBasin using #RiverCorridors as the connective tissue. 'We all know the urgency of the #biodiversity and climate crises,' said Kristine Tompkins of Tompkins Conservation. 'This bold initiative underlines the need for coordinated, large-scale action before it’s too late. I’d call it a lifeline to our planet.'
"South America is in the midst of an unparalleled ecological crisis. #Wildlife populations across the region have declined by 94 percent since 1970—the steepest drop in the world. The drivers of this collapse—#deforestation, river degradation, #fragmentation, fire, and #overexploitation—are intensifying in the face of #ClimateChange.
"The Jaguar Rivers Initiative will restore, protect, and connect #ecosystems throughout the heart of South America, covering nearly one million square miles, an area almost twice the size of Alaska. According to Deli Saavedra, the director of the initiative, 'We’re undertaking a very strategic act to safeguard one of the largest river systems in the world. By restoring its ecological integrity, diverse species and communities currently under threat in four countries have the opportunity to thrive, using a model of nature restoration combined with regenerative economies that has been tested and proven successful in places like the #BrazilianPantanal and the #IberáWetlands of #Argentina.'
The initiative will be centered around four pillars:
• Arks: Large intact ecosystems with keystone species, restored and rewilded to become sources of wildlife dispersal.
• #BufferAreas: Surrounding zones where restorative economies promote coexistence and extend protection.
• Stepping Stones: Smaller wildlife refuges along corridors, often private reserves, that enable safe dispersal and reduce human-wildlife conflicts.
• #Rivers and #Floodplains: Vital corridors for connectivity, requiring healthy ecological flows; safeguarded through citizen guardianship, monitoring, and strong policies."
Learn more:
https://rewilding.org/south-americas-first-continental-wildlife-corridor/#SolarPunkSunday #RewildingInstitute #LandIsLife #WaterIsLife #EndangeredSpecies #WildlifeConservation #HabitatConservation #PreserveNature
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Reconnecting the Wild #Midwest
Explore how #TNC is rebuilding connections between habitats to help #MidwestWildlife—and people—thrive in a changing climate
Published March 02, 2026
"Wildlife needs room to roam, and the Midwest is full of amazing habitats—such as forests, prairies, wetlands and rivers—that aren’t connected, leaving wildlife stuck and struggling. That's why TNC is linking forests, prairies, wetlands and rivers across the Midwest so wildlife can move, adapt and thrive.
"What Is a Wildlife Corridor? Why Are They Important?
"#Habitat Crridors can be interconnected land-based environments, such as #forests and #prairies, as well as #rivers and other freshwater passages that allow aquatic species to move freely. These healthy, #biodiverse areas are beneficial for people too, as they can help reduce flood risk to communities and provide more recreational opportunities in nature.
"However, the Midwest region is highly fragmented. #Habitats are subdivided across different landowners, and many are highly degraded.
"To address this, TNC serves as our own type of corridor, coordinating protection and #stewardship efforts across properties owned by many different partners. Through these collaborations, we help secure funding to connect science with #conservation on the ground and in the water.
"Our work includes large-scale #HabitatRestoration projects that create and improve pathways, like our #CoastalRepair efforts in #SanduskyBay, #DamRemoval efforts in Southern #Indiana and our prescribed fire work in Southern #Illinois."
Learn more:
https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/priority-landscapes/midwest/stories-in-the-midwest/wildlife-corridors/#SolarPunkSunday #ConnectedHabitats
#Wildlife #WildlifeHighways #WildlifeCorridors #MidwesternUS #TheNatureConservancy #Biodiversity #WildlifeConservation -
A Chorus of 4,810 Voices Beneath the Rain.
A simple frog call can reveal the health of an entire habitat. Small creatures often tell the biggest stories. #Frogs #Wildlife #Nature #Biodiversity #Conservation #EnvironmentalHealth #Wetlands #Amphibians #NatureLovers #Earthhttps://sanjaymohindroo.wordpress.com/2026/06/30/a-chorus-of-4810-voices-beneath-the-rain/
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A Chorus of 4,810 Voices Beneath the Rain.
A simple frog call can reveal the health of an entire habitat. Small creatures often tell the biggest stories. #Frogs #Wildlife #Nature #Biodiversity #Conservation #EnvironmentalHealth #Wetlands #Amphibians #NatureLovers #Earthhttps://skmohindroo5.wordpress.com/2026/06/30/a-chorus-of-4810-voices-beneath-the-rain/
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https://www.europesays.com/uk/992761/ Japan removed 131 invasive cats from a remote island and the ecosystem rebounded faster than expected | #BiodiversityRecovery #ChichijimaIsland #EcologicalBalance #EcosystemRestoration #EndemicBiodiversity #Environment #FeralCatsRemoval #InvasiveSpecies #Science #UK #UnescoWorldHeritage #UnitedKingdom #WildlifeConservation
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Japan removed 131 invasive cats from a remote island and the ecosystem rebounded faster than expected |
Image(s): Left/Wikipedia/Right/Canva After ecologists moved 131 feral cats away from Chichijima Island, which is located in t…
#NewsBeep #News #Environment #AU #Australia #biodiversityrecovery #ChichijimaIsland #ecologicalbalance #EcosystemRestoration #endemicbiodiversity #feralcatsremoval #invasivespecies #Science #UNESCOWorldHeritage #wildlifeconservation
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/702632/ -
Japan removed 131 invasive cats from a remote island and the ecosystem rebounded faster than expected |
Image(s): Left/Wikipedia/Right/Canva After ecologists moved 131 feral cats away from Chichijima Island, which is located in t…
#NewsBeep #News #Environment #AU #Australia #biodiversityrecovery #ChichijimaIsland #ecologicalbalance #EcosystemRestoration #endemicbiodiversity #feralcatsremoval #invasivespecies #Science #UNESCOWorldHeritage #wildlifeconservation
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/702632/ -
https://www.europesays.com/ie/508966/ Japan removed 131 invasive cats from a remote island and the ecosystem rebounded faster than expected | #BiodiversityRecovery #ChichijimaIsland #EcologicalBalance #EcosystemRestoration #Éire #EndemicBiodiversity #Environment #FeralCatsRemoval #IE #InvasiveSpecies #Ireland #Science #UNESCOWorldHeritage #WildlifeConservation
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Japan removed 131 invasive cats from a remote island and the ecosystem rebounded faster than expected |
Image(s): Left/Wikipedia/Right/Canva After ecologists moved 131 feral cats away from Chichijima Island, whic…
#NewsBeep #News #Environment #biodiversityrecovery #ChichijimaIsland #ecologicalbalance #ecosystemrestoration #endemicbiodiversity #environment #feralcatsremoval #Invasivespecies #Science #UK #UNESCOWorldHeritage #UnitedKingdom #wildlifeconservation
https://www.newsbeep.com/uk/610488/ -
World’s largest #WildlifeCrossing on #California #101 nears finish
Officials announced Dec 2, 2026, as the opening date for the #WallisAnnenbergWildlifeCrossing.
The bridge will span 10 lanes of freeway, giving #wildlife a safe path across.
#WildlifeConservation #habitat #HumanEncroachment #HabitatFragmentation
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cGlj8FYY8Hk -
🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢
Galápagos Park Releases 158 Juvenile Hybrid Tortoises
🌳 This is part of restoring the ecosystem on Floreana after 150 years without the "giants".
📈 Breeding program has long-term plans for populations with strong lineages.
https://apnews.com/article/ecuador-galapagos-giant-turtles-released-0b024b4742b6b47c5ae7b60ac5b097cd
#SolarPunkSunday #WildlifeConservation #Conservation #GiantTortoise #Galapagos #GalapagosTortoise #Environment #Biodiversity #EnvironmentalConservation
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Why residents of this Italian city have a ‘wolf emergency’ committee.
Italy’s wolf population now numbers 3000-3500; at the beginning of the 1970s, they were nearing extinction in the country.
#Wolves #Italy #NatureConservation #Hunting #Animals #AnimalProtection #WildlifeConservation #GreyWolves
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#Cluxewe #Estuary #marshes & #wetlands.
The #CluxeweRiver flows out from here & runs into Broughton Strait.#Kwakiutl #PortMcNeill #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #WorldInMyEyes #DisabledPhotographers #photography #landscape #NaturePreserve #NatureConservation #IndigenousStewardship #WildlifeConservation #ProtectWetlands #ecosystems #ecological #environmental #BirdSanctuary #RoadTrips #Nature #wilderness #CoastalBC #WestCoast
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Can AI detect hedgehogs from space? Maybe if you find brambles first. - You can't spot a hedgehog from space, but you might be able ... - https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/09/can-ai-detect-hedgehogs-from-space-maybe-if-you-find-brambles-first/ #environmentalmonitoring #wildlifeconservation #sentinelsatellites #satelliteimagery #fieldvalidation #machinelearning #computervision #habitatmapping #remotesensing #inaturalist #cambridge #ecology #tessera #biz #ai
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✨ Aujourd'hui je vous montre un poster sur les Petits #mammiferes ! Réalisé à partir d'illustrations que j'avais faites pour le Groupe Mammalogique Normand... Pour aider à l'identification de ces petites bêtes 🤗
✨ Vous les connaissiez tous ?? 🤔
✨ Il est disponible au format A2, à 5€ !
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Let’s Talk About Europe’s Wolf Protection Laws
As you may have heard, the Standing Committee of the Berne Convention (an international legal instrument for nature conservation) decided to lower the protection status of wolves. This opens the way to lower their protection status across the EU through the Habitats Directive.
The move had been on the cards for over a year, and I covered it extensively on my podcast in episode 163 last November. Back then, I spoke to five experts: scientists working in the fields of biology and social sciences, hunters, environmentalists and even a goat breeder, in an attempt to get the full picture of the situation. As it was then, it still is clear to me that a topic so complex and emotional as killing wolves cannot be fully covered with the opinion of only one podcast guest.
However, in light of this recent development and hearing the chorus of voices it provoked, I decided to write this piece to give you my take on this issue. Is it all that terrible for the wolves in Europe? Of course, given how emotive this topic is, I need to be careful with my words here, not to be accused (again) of spreading the ‘strong nothing to worry about’ vibes. Please hear me out.
First and foremost, the potential move of wolves from Annex IV to Annex V of the Habitats Directive would lower their protection status from ‘strictly protected’ to ‘protected’. Let’s be clear: wolves are still protected. It’s not, as some commentators would have us believe, that a wholesale slaughter of wolves in Europe is imminent. The conservation outcome requirements remain unchanged. Member States still need to recover wolf populations and maintain them in a favourable conservation status.
I disagree with the frequently repeated claim that there is no scientific basis for lowering wolf protection status. I take issue with how a complex body of evidence, including data, observations, predictions and modelling, is often presented as a single, easily interpreted result. In most cases, the reality is more nuanced. Everyone acknowledges that wolves have made a remarkable comeback across Europe. It’s a great conservation success story! So you have to ask yourself a question, why do we have this system of annexes in the Habitats Directive? Isn’t it supposed to reflect species’ conservation status? Why does moving a species to another annex to reflect its recovery cause so much fuss? The answer is politics.
While decisions about moving species from one annex to another should be left to scientists, downlisting an animal (as in this case, wolves) involves an unnecessarily bureaucratic process that requires approval from the EU’s heads of state. This not only creates a very static system where species cannot be easily moved up and down, but it also politicises the process, creating fertile ground for politicians to signal to their voters. And I have said it many times before, when conservation gets politicised, nature and wildlife are the losers. The resulting system rigidity is considered a major flaw in the Habitats Directive. It’s in stark contrast with other dynamic processes of conservation status assessment. Take the example of the IUCN Red List system, where conservation status is periodically reviewed based on the best available scientific data on population size and density. Species status changes without political involvement. Similarly, the US Endangered Species Act is more dynamic, with species being uplisted and downlisted as they become threatened or recover.
But is wolf recovery in Europe sufficient to justify downlisting?
You have probably heard one of two main arguments. First, wolves are still missing from the majority of their historic range. I dealt with this argument and the concept of historic range in another article titled ‘The Myth of Historic Range in Wolf Conservation’. So, I’m not going to repeat that here. Second, most populations are still in unfavourable conservation status. This is where things become more interesting.
It is always a question of scale. When you look at the individual populations within countries’ borders they might indeed appear small. However, when we zoom out and look at the population as a whole, then it suddenly becomes quite large. Wolf populations in Europe are mixing in ways that haven’t happened for centuries. For example, wolves from the Baltic states are mixing with wolves heading up from Italy. This constitutes a strong argument that wolf conservation should be considered in the context of a European metapopulation. It shows a more robust picture of wolf conservation status, especially given the much improved connectivity. And as we know in conservation, connectivity is everything.
There is one more scientific argument, this time from the realm of social sciences. As anyone interested in conservation should know, social science is likely the most important part of conservation science. Wolves can be inconvenient neighbours. There is no doubt that the increase in wolf numbers, range and density has resulted in increased human-wildlife conflict. Yes, I am aware of all the arguments about livestock protection measures and the need to learn to coexist with wildlife. They are all valid, though not without its flaws. Yes, killing wolves does not necessarily prevent attacks on livestock, nor is it the most effective way of managing conflict. But it gives people something else, a feeling of agency. I remember a discussion with Helen Arusoo, the leader of Estonia’s National Animal Working Group (the wolf is the national animal of Estonia), who said that when people feel they lack this sense of agency, they will “hate the wolf in their heart”. During that conversation, she made an excellent point that perhaps it would be a good idea for the EU to look, for once, at smaller countries like Estonia, which are running gold-standard wolf conservation programmes, and learn from their experience. I would definitely recommend listening to my conversation with Helen in episode 168.
So is it all good?
Not quite. Even though it is unlikely that downlisting will pose a threat to the wolf population in Europe, many wolves will be killed in the EU as a result. That is, after all, the whole purpose behind the move. I have no doubt that in some regions and cases, the killing will be excessive, resulting in the removal of too many individuals, leading to pack structure disruption and even local extirpation. Furthermore, pack disruption leads to more lone wolves on the landscape through the loss of pack leaders and disruption of social learning. These solitary individuals are more likely to come into conflict with humans, which can create a vicious circle of wolf killing. The wolves will be especially vulnerable in the regions where anti-wolf sentiments have been embraced by politicians who have managed to get into government in recent election cycles.
Controlling wolf numbers based solely on human tolerance rather than their ecological function has serious ecological impacts. Wolves play a key role not only in controlling the numbers and grazing behaviour of ungulates but also in regulating mesopredator populations, such as foxes. It is a well-known fact that current mainstream farming practices are a cause of the overabundance of generalist mesopredators, which leads to various ecosystem imbalances. The precarious state of ground-nesting birds is a good example. To reinforce this point, ground-nesting bird populations are in a much better shape (with less severe decline) in Eastern Europe, where wolves are present in greater numbers and, in some regions, were never extirpated, unlike in Western Europe.
The downlisting of wolves in the EU may also have broader geopolitical implications. It could pave the way for further politically motivated modifications of the Habitats Directive or changes to the protection of other species that are, in one way or another, incompatible with immediate human interests. The downlisting could also send a problematic message to the world. If a rich European society cannot coexist with relatively harmless predators like wolves, how can it expect other, poorer nations to coexist with much more dangerous and problematic animals like lions or elephants (see ‘trophy import ban’)? That is a blatant display of double standards by European politicians.
Finally, and this argument might seem out of place to some, there is the potential negative impact on hunting and hunters. I can already see the public outcry over wolf hunts organised by the ossified, old-school hunting organisations in Europe. Along with thoughtless hunters posting photos of the wolves they killed. This would only further undermine the social acceptance of hunting, giving anti-hunting organisations ammunition to advance their objectives. Hunters and hunting organisations need to be careful not to let their reputation be further tarnished.
Despite the potential for negative outcomes, the optimist in me wants to see the positives that could follow this decision. Primarily, there is potential to depoliticise the Habitats Directive by implementing Article 19, making it a scientific and flexible tool for classifying species conservation status. I also hope that overall, this move will improve the coexistence and acceptance of wolves on Europe’s landscape. The symbolism of wolves’ strictly protected status, especially in the current political climate, has caused wildlife conservation matters to become entangled in both populist right-wing and hard-left politics. And this is more damaging than shooting a few wolves as the price for coexistence.
If you enjoyed this article, please sign up for my newsletter for more: newsletter.tommysoutdoors.com. To listen to exclusive interviews about the proposal to reduce the protection of wolves in the EU, click here.
#bernConvention #conservationPolitics #conservationScience #ecologicalImpact #environmentalPolicy #environmentalProtection #europeanUnion #HabitatsDirective #humanWildlifeConflict #Hunting #predatorConservation #wildlifeConservation #wildlifeManagement #Wolves
-
Let’s Talk About Europe’s Wolf Protection Laws
As you may have heard, the Standing Committee of the Berne Convention (an international legal instrument for nature conservation) decided to lower the protection status of wolves. This opens the way to lower their protection status across the EU through the Habitats Directive.
The move had been on the cards for over a year, and I covered it extensively on my podcast in episode 163 last November. Back then, I spoke to five experts: scientists working in the fields of biology and social sciences, hunters, environmentalists and even a goat breeder, in an attempt to get the full picture of the situation. As it was then, it still is clear to me that a topic so complex and emotional as killing wolves cannot be fully covered with the opinion of only one podcast guest.
However, in light of this recent development and hearing the chorus of voices it provoked, I decided to write this piece to give you my take on this issue. Is it all that terrible for the wolves in Europe? Of course, given how emotive this topic is, I need to be careful with my words here, not to be accused (again) of spreading the ‘strong nothing to worry about’ vibes. Please hear me out.
First and foremost, the potential move of wolves from Annex IV to Annex V of the Habitats Directive would lower their protection status from ‘strictly protected’ to ‘protected’. Let’s be clear: wolves are still protected. It’s not, as some commentators would have us believe, that a wholesale slaughter of wolves in Europe is imminent. The conservation outcome requirements remain unchanged. Member States still need to recover wolf populations and maintain them in a favourable conservation status.
I disagree with the frequently repeated claim that there is no scientific basis for lowering wolf protection status. I take issue with how a complex body of evidence, including data, observations, predictions and modelling, is often presented as a single, easily interpreted result. In most cases, the reality is more nuanced. Everyone acknowledges that wolves have made a remarkable comeback across Europe. It’s a great conservation success story! So you have to ask yourself a question, why do we have this system of annexes in the Habitats Directive? Isn’t it supposed to reflect species’ conservation status? Why does moving a species to another annex to reflect its recovery cause so much fuss? The answer is politics.
While decisions about moving species from one annex to another should be left to scientists, downlisting an animal (as in this case, wolves) involves an unnecessarily bureaucratic process that requires approval from the EU’s heads of state. This not only creates a very static system where species cannot be easily moved up and down, but it also politicises the process, creating fertile ground for politicians to signal to their voters. And I have said it many times before, when conservation gets politicised, nature and wildlife are the losers. The resulting system rigidity is considered a major flaw in the Habitats Directive. It’s in stark contrast with other dynamic processes of conservation status assessment. Take the example of the IUCN Red List system, where conservation status is periodically reviewed based on the best available scientific data on population size and density. Species status changes without political involvement. Similarly, the US Endangered Species Act is more dynamic, with species being uplisted and downlisted as they become threatened or recover.
But is wolf recovery in Europe sufficient to justify downlisting?
You have probably heard one of two main arguments. First, wolves are still missing from the majority of their historic range. I dealt with this argument and the concept of historic range in another article titled ‘The Myth of Historic Range in Wolf Conservation’. So, I’m not going to repeat that here. Second, most populations are still in unfavourable conservation status. This is where things become more interesting.
It is always a question of scale. When you look at the individual populations within countries’ borders they might indeed appear small. However, when we zoom out and look at the population as a whole, then it suddenly becomes quite large. Wolf populations in Europe are mixing in ways that haven’t happened for centuries. For example, wolves from the Baltic states are mixing with wolves heading up from Italy. This constitutes a strong argument that wolf conservation should be considered in the context of a European metapopulation. It shows a more robust picture of wolf conservation status, especially given the much improved connectivity. And as we know in conservation, connectivity is everything.
There is one more scientific argument, this time from the realm of social sciences. As anyone interested in conservation should know, social science is likely the most important part of conservation science. Wolves can be inconvenient neighbours. There is no doubt that the increase in wolf numbers, range and density has resulted in increased human-wildlife conflict. Yes, I am aware of all the arguments about livestock protection measures and the need to learn to coexist with wildlife. They are all valid, though not without its flaws. Yes, killing wolves does not necessarily prevent attacks on livestock, nor is it the most effective way of managing conflict. But it gives people something else, a feeling of agency. I remember a discussion with Helen Arusoo, the leader of Estonia’s National Animal Working Group (the wolf is the national animal of Estonia), who said that when people feel they lack this sense of agency, they will “hate the wolf in their heart”. During that conversation, she made an excellent point that perhaps it would be a good idea for the EU to look, for once, at smaller countries like Estonia, which are running gold-standard wolf conservation programmes, and learn from their experience. I would definitely recommend listening to my conversation with Helen in episode 168.
So is it all good?
Not quite. Even though it is unlikely that downlisting will pose a threat to the wolf population in Europe, many wolves will be killed in the EU as a result. That is, after all, the whole purpose behind the move. I have no doubt that in some regions and cases, the killing will be excessive, resulting in the removal of too many individuals, leading to pack structure disruption and even local extirpation. Furthermore, pack disruption leads to more lone wolves on the landscape through the loss of pack leaders and disruption of social learning. These solitary individuals are more likely to come into conflict with humans, which can create a vicious circle of wolf killing. The wolves will be especially vulnerable in the regions where anti-wolf sentiments have been embraced by politicians who have managed to get into government in recent election cycles.
Controlling wolf numbers based solely on human tolerance rather than their ecological function has serious ecological impacts. Wolves play a key role not only in controlling the numbers and grazing behaviour of ungulates but also in regulating mesopredator populations, such as foxes. It is a well-known fact that current mainstream farming practices are a cause of the overabundance of generalist mesopredators, which leads to various ecosystem imbalances. The precarious state of ground-nesting birds is a good example. To reinforce this point, ground-nesting bird populations are in a much better shape (with less severe decline) in Eastern Europe, where wolves are present in greater numbers and, in some regions, were never extirpated, unlike in Western Europe.
The downlisting of wolves in the EU may also have broader geopolitical implications. It could pave the way for further politically motivated modifications of the Habitats Directive or changes to the protection of other species that are, in one way or another, incompatible with immediate human interests. The downlisting could also send a problematic message to the world. If a rich European society cannot coexist with relatively harmless predators like wolves, how can it expect other, poorer nations to coexist with much more dangerous and problematic animals like lions or elephants (see ‘trophy import ban’)? That is a blatant display of double standards by European politicians.
Finally, and this argument might seem out of place to some, there is the potential negative impact on hunting and hunters. I can already see the public outcry over wolf hunts organised by the ossified, old-school hunting organisations in Europe. Along with thoughtless hunters posting photos of the wolves they killed. This would only further undermine the social acceptance of hunting, giving anti-hunting organisations ammunition to advance their objectives. Hunters and hunting organisations need to be careful not to let their reputation be further tarnished.
Despite the potential for negative outcomes, the optimist in me wants to see the positives that could follow this decision. Primarily, there is potential to depoliticise the Habitats Directive by implementing Article 19, making it a scientific and flexible tool for classifying species conservation status. I also hope that overall, this move will improve the coexistence and acceptance of wolves on Europe’s landscape. The symbolism of wolves’ strictly protected status, especially in the current political climate, has caused wildlife conservation matters to become entangled in both populist right-wing and hard-left politics. And this is more damaging than shooting a few wolves as the price for coexistence.
If you enjoyed this article, please sign up for my newsletter for more: newsletter.tommysoutdoors.com. To listen to exclusive interviews about the proposal to reduce the protection of wolves in the EU, click here.
#bernConvention #conservationPolitics #conservationScience #ecologicalImpact #environmentalPolicy #environmentalProtection #europeanUnion #HabitatsDirective #humanWildlifeConflict #Hunting #predatorConservation #wildlifeConservation #wildlifeManagement #Wolves