Focusing On Wildlife

State of the Maya Biosphere Reserve

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:49:05 GMT

In a recent ceremony in the National Palace in Guatemala City, staff of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) presented Álvaro Colom Caballeros, president of Guatemala, and other high-level officials with the State of the Maja Biosphere Reserve, a report detailing the successes of, and current threats to, the country’s largest protected area.

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2011: “Annus horribilis” for African Elephants

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 12:44:20 GMT

As the year draws to a close, TRAFFIC warns that 2011 has seen a record number of large ivory seizures globally, reflecting the sharp rise in illegal ivory trade underway since 2007. Although official confirmation of the volume of ivory involved in some cases has not yet been registered, what is clear is the dramatic increase in the number of large-scale seizures, over 800 kg in weight, that have taken place in 2011—at least 13 of them.

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Reindeer Are Fading Into Holiday Myth

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:50:40 GMT

CHRISTMAS is tied to the magical north and to the reindeer — creatures of mythical power that fly through the night across the world, helping to distribute happiness and good will. But reindeer do exist — we call them caribou in North America — and these animals and their home in the boreal woodlands and on the barren-ground tundra are in trouble.

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Habitat danger for Seychelles Paradise-flycatcher

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:21:07 GMT

The illegal felling of mature trees on La Digue island, the stronghold of the Critically Endangered Seychelles Paradise-flycatcher Terpsiphone corvina has been exposed by the local media. In a front page article, the newspaper Le Seychelles Hebdorevealed the shocking story. The damage includes the felling and cropping of several native tree species used by the bird.

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The long and short of it

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 05:54:19 GMT

As difficult species go, the Long and Short-eared Owl pairing are amongst the most challenging to identify, especially in flight. The latest identification video from the BTO offers tips on how to separate both, in flight, perched and by calls.

Watch video on FocusingOnWildlife.com

Global Assessment Identifies Most Important Wildlife Forests

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 22:39:18 GMT

As the world tightens its economic belt, resources to address the world’s growing environmental problems are becoming increasingly limited. These reducing resources means the ability to establish the utmost conservation priorities is more important than ever to achieve the greatest returns for the investment. A new paper published in the journal PLoS ONE by BirdLife scientists, identifies those forests that appear to be the most important for bird species, and are in most urgent need of conservation.

Critically Endangered Dwarf Olive Ibis (Bostrychia bocagei) is found in the forests of São Tomé (Nik Borrow)

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Caught in the Crosshairs

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 15:51:47 GMT

The Wildlife Conservation Society today announced the release of Caught in the Crosshairs: Combating the Illegal Wildlife Trade in Iraq and Afghanistan—a new video aimed at informing U.S. military personnel about the consequences of buying illegal wildlife products when deployed or stationed overseas.

Watch video on FocusingOnWildlife.com

Small Grants, Big Conservation for Mangroves

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 15:51:34 GMT

The Neotropical Mangrove Conservation Alliance has awarded its first small grant to Grupo Jaragua (BirdLife in the Dominican Republic) as part of an initiative to catalyze community-based mangrove conservation in the Insular Caribbean. The Mangroves of Laguna de Oviedo site project is up and running, and aims to improve the conservation of mangrove ecosystems in Jaragua National Park Important Bird Area.

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Rare Footage from a Thai Forest

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 05:15:09 GMT

An amazing collection of images was captured by camera trap video by WCS and the Government of Thailand in Huai Kha Keng Wildlife Sanctuary in 2011. These show the incredible diversity of species that can flourish once the proper protections are in place.

Watch video on FocusingOnWildlife.com

Cattle Ranchers in the Pampas support Bird Conservation

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:06:20 GMT

For the fifth year in succession, cattle ranchers and representatives of the conservation community in the Southern Cone of South America gathered to discuss the conservation of natural grasslands. This time it was in Lavras do Sul, Brazil, during 27th – 29th October 2011.

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Sensational bird discovery in China

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:13:31 GMT

In June 2011, a team of Chinese and Swedish researchers rediscovered the breeding area for the poorly known Blackthroat Luscinia obscura, in the Qinling mountains, Shaanxi province, north central China.

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Feds Petitioned to Regulate Wind Industry

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:26:08 GMT

American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the nation’s leading bird conservation organization, today formally petitioned the U.S. Department of the Interior to protect millions of birds from the negative impacts of wind energy by developing regulations that will safeguard wildlife and reward responsible wind energy development.

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Tsunami Relief: Help People Not Whaler

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 11:18:39 GMT

It is sickening to read that money donated to help people affected by the Tsunami in Japan is being used to help promote the Japanese Whaling Industry. Please read the article, follow the link to the Avazz website and sign the petition.

Read full article on FocusingOnWildlife.com

Vietnamese Caught Smuggling Rhino Horns in South Africa

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 11:57:41 GMT

South African authorities last week arrested two Vietnamese nationals at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport as they attempted to smuggle rhino horns and elephant ivory.

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1,500 Waterbirds Killed in Bizarre Incident in Utah

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:49:26 GMT

Officials in Utah are estimating that about 1,500 Eared Grebes were killed late Monday night, possibly as a result of confusing a Wal-Mart parking lot in Cedar City with a body of water and landing on the asphalt during a storm. An additional 3,500 apparently dazed and confused grebes were rounded up through the night by hand by volunteers and staff of the Utah Department of Wildlife, and eventually released into a nearby lake.

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Scotland's White-Tailed Eagles Soar to New Heights

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:57:40 GMT

2011 has proved another record breaking year for breeding pairs of Scotland’s largest bird of prey. White-tailed eagles soared to new heights despite heavy storms throughout the 2011 breeding season.

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British Egg Collector Sentenced to Prison Term

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:39:10 GMT

Matthew Gonshaw (49) of Cherrywood Close, Bow in East London, has extended his infamy for being Britain’s most imprisoned egg collector by being sentenced to yet another jail term, for six months, following conviction for stealing and possessing wild birds eggs, including those of some of the rarest and most threatened birds in the UK.

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Stamp Out Albatross Slaughter This Christmas

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:40:13 GMT

Help stamp out threats to albatrosses during the season of goodwill, that’s the festive plea from the RSPB, which is asking people to help raise funds to protect the threatened birds by saving up the stamps from their Christmas post.

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Strange Orange-Headed Birds Seen in Ireland

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:08:46 GMT

During the summer BirdWatch Ireland HQ received lots of phone calls and emails about strange birds with bright orange heads that have been visiting gardens around Ireland. They tend to flock with Starlings and House Sparrows and can be quite numerous in some areas, though they can't be found in any field guides.

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Hen Harrier Close to English Extinction

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:29:18 GMT

The hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) is the bird most likely to become extinct in England because of human pressure, says the RSPB. A 2011 joint survey of the English uplands by the RSPB and Natural England found that only four nesting pairs of hen harrier successfully raised young; all on a single estate in the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire.

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Proposed Wind Farm in Washington D.C. Scrubbed

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 12:48:23 GMT

Plans to build a 32-turbine wind farm near the coast of Washington in a key breeding area for a threatened seabird have been halted to the relief of conservationists.

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Polar Bear 'Cannibalism' Pictured

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:20:20 GMT

It is an image that is sure to shock many people. An adult polar bear is seen dragging the body of a cub that it has just killed across the Arctic sea ice.

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Pakistan Seizes Hunting Falcons 'from Qatari Royal'

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:51:27 GMT

Custom officials in the Pakistani city of Karachi have confiscated 74 falcons that they say were being unlawfully transported into the country.

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Help On The Way For Rockhopper Penguins

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:47:51 GMT

James Robinson, who lives in Donaghadee, is making an exciting trip to the Falkland Islands to help save rockhopper penguins. The RSPB Director for Northern Ireland is spending five weeks helping Falklands Conservation in their work to save the islands’ amazing seabirds.

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Aquatic Warbler Numbers Increasing

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:25:31 GMT

Aquatic Warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola), the rarest and the only globally threatened passerine bird in mainland Europe, is facing a brighter future thanks to six years of intensive work within a LIFE project (part financed by the European Commission), coordinated by OTOP (BirdLife in Poland). Swarovski Optik, Cemex Poland and the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK) kindly agreed to co-finance the other part of the EUR 5 million project.

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Counting snow leopards in Nepal

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:42:36 GMT

The elusive snow leopard (Panthera uncia) lives high in the mountains across Central Asia. It is thought to occur across 12 countries but the actual numbers of this beautiful large cat are largely unknown.

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Arabian Money Buying Extinction of Houbara Bustard

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:28:39 GMT

At least 25 special permits have been issued to dignitaries belonging to the Arabian peninsula allowing them to hunt the internationally protected Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis undulata) during the hunting season 2011-2012, it was learnt on Saturday.

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Grizzlies Targeted to Increase Moose and Caribou Hunts

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:28:48 GMT

A report, written by 3 retired Alaskan Department of Game bear experts and a scientist from the US National Wildlife Federation, shows that Alaska has been quietly increasing the hunting of Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) in the hope that reducing grizzly numbers would lead to an increase in caribou and moose numbers. A license to hunt a caribou or moose costs $3-500 on average; Are the Alaskan Department of Game trying to increase their revenue on moose and caribou hunts by reducing grizzly numbers?

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Gamekeeper admits poisoning buzzards

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:28:53 GMT

A gamekeeper has admitted poisoning birds of prey at a farm in Biggar, South Lanarkshire. David Whitefield, 41, admitted poisoning four buzzards (Buteo buteo) with chloralose baits at Coulter Allers Farm between March and November 2009.

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Yellowstone’s Wolverines Revealed

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 08:58:22 GMT

Born during February in snow-caves at 9,000 feet on the north slope of craggy peaks in the Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone’s wolverines (Gulo gulo luscus) are tough..

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Baltic Seaduck Take a Dive

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:42:30 GMT

A new report presenting the results of a census of wintering waterbirds in the Baltic Sea has been launched. The studies reveal that overall numbers have declined by more than 40% since the 1990's

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Endangered Hawaiian Bird Making Comeback

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:17:06 GMT

The endangered Nēnē, also known as Hawaiian Goose (Branta sandvicensis), whose wild population 60 years ago had shrunk to a meager 20-30 birds, has been making a remarkable comeback thanks to decades of captive breeding programs, predator control, and habitat management. The current population is estimated to be around 2,000.

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Beluga Body Scrub (Delphinapterus leucas)

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:10:00 GMT

Large numbers of Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas) gather in the shallows for an exfoliation treatment.

Watch video on FocusingOnWildlife.com